Head Chef

Cru-Cellars-5; Tampa (FL); On-site; USD 70,000 - 100,000; Full time

Job summary

Cru Hospitality Group is seeking a Head Chef for our Tampa location to lead daily back‑of‑house operations, oversee inventory, and drive menu execution. You will mentor and manage kitchen staff, ensure quality and safety, and partner with leadership to deliver exceptional dining experiences.

The ideal candidate has strong kitchen leadership, focus on food safety, and a track record of coaching teams to maintain CHG standards across all service periods.

Qualifications

• Experience leading a kitchen team.
• Strong knowledge of food safety practices.
• ServSafe certification preferred.
• Ability to train staff.
• Excellent hospitality and teamwork.

Responsibilities

• Supervise daily back of house operations, including food prep, stocking, inventory and safety.
• Execute the vision of the menu as directed by CHG.
• Provide training to line staff and service team members.
• Manage the entire kitchen staff and ensure timely, high-quality food.
• Mentor, coach, and motivate kitchen staff to uphold standards.
• Maintain recipe standards and proper portion control.

Skills

Kitchen leadership

Food safety

Team coaching

Menu execution

Inventory control

Education

Culinary degree

ServSafe certification

Job description

The Head Chef is responsible for all aspects of the kitchen such as BOH operations, recipe management, financial responsibility, portion and inventory control, food quality, and employee supervision. The Head Chef provides leadership, training, and hands‑on management of the kitchen staff. They ensure the kitchen runs smoothly and customers have excellent dining experiences while ensuring all Cru Hospitality Group’s standards are upheld or exceeded.

The role of Head Chef is one that can elevate the experience offered by the entire operation. Primary responsibilities are to (1) supervise daily back of house restaurant operations, including food prep, cooking, stocking, inventory, and safety procedures, (2) execute the vision of the menu as directed by CHG (3) provide proper and continuous training to all line staff members and service team members and model proper skills as well as behavior, (4) manage the entire kitchen staff and guide them to deliver quality food in a timely manner. The personality and success of the kitchen and the location as a whole are directly related to the role of Head Chef.

A strong Head Chef will exhibit the following characteristics.

• Strong knowledge of & skills in cooking, food handling, food preparation, kitchen maintenance
• Strong knowledge of food, culinary terms, and the restaurant industry
• Exhibit sincere hospitality and teamwork
• Be intuitive as to where their help is most needed
• Be a Coach and a Teacher
• Be the Example This role reports to the General Manager of the location.

AREAS OF RESPONSIBILITY

• Successfully executes all food service operations and daily kitchen operations, including serving as Expeditor.
• Provides direction to kitchen staff, ensuring execution of all employee duties.
• Ensures compliance with all health and fire department regulations.
• Implements and manages kitchen and restaurant policies and procedures
• Ensures that kitchen staff maintain a clean and organized station at all times and are keeping their stations stocked and supplied.
• Participates in daily and monthly inventory process.
• Uses in-house systems to order and receive food and supplies.
• Participates in menu evolution; leads teams to develop ideas for menus under CHG guidelines
• Supervises opening and closing tasks. Holds staff accountable.
• Coaches, teaches, and motivates fellow team members in cooking and kitchen skills as well as the proper preparation of CHG menu items.
• Ensures products are stored at the correct temperature.
• Ensures recipes are up to date with current menu items, portions, and ingredients.
• Creates and ensures use of prep sheets and makes sure they are up to date.
• Upholds all recipe and service standards.
• Communicates all 86’d items to both BOH and FOH staff. Has daily counts ready before service.
• Coordinates and communicates with runners and front of house staff to ensure proper service.
• Completes the duties of a line cook when needed and is capable of performing the duties of all kitchen positions.
• Organize, schedule, and lead kitchen meetings
• Attend weekly management meetings as set forth by the General Manager.
• Professional handling of the Coworker Relationship: includes BOH and FOH staff
• Monitors labor costs to attain budgeted goals
• Anticipates, identifies, and corrects any issues with inventory, systems, and staffing
• Continues to learn and educate themselves on food, cooking, and industry trends
• Leads and participates in the hiring process for all kitchen staff : includes posting job opportunities, interviewing, and onboarding new hires.
• Assure all members of your team are properly trained, including ServeSafe certified.
• Maintains the highest quality, consistent product standards.
• Demonstrates great hospitality by example
• Ensure all CHG standards are upheld or exceeded

OTHER

Operates as a member of a team, helping others and requesting help as needed. Further duties not currently detailed here may be added at the discretion of the General Manager and Director of Operations