Houston Kitchen Operations Lead — Growth & Impact

Yay Lunch, LLC; Bryan (TX); Hybrid; USD 30,000 - 32,000; Full time

Job summary

Yay Lunch is seeking a Kitchen Manager to lead daily kitchen operations in the Houston market from a shared commercial kitchen. You will run production, ensure food quality, manage staff, and coordinate with school locations to deliver meals on time while maintaining Yay standards.

You will supervise Prep Cooks, plan batch production, manage labor and inventory, and drive continuous improvement across the hub kitchen and connected sites in the Houston market.

Qualifications

• Minimum of 4 years of experience in kitchen or food production operations.
• Hands-on cook and leader—comfortable working the line with the team.
• Experience with batch production, food safety, and inventory management (FIFO, portioning discipline, waste reduction).
• Strong people skills and ability to coach and develop staff.
• Must be based in Houston area or within commuting distance; valid driver's license.

Responsibilities

• Runs commercial kitchen from prep through pick-up — production schedule, food quality, and on-time execution.
• Manages call-out coverage and real-time kitchen decisions during hours of production.
• Ensures food is produced to Yay standards and delivered on time to schools served by the commercial kitchen.
• Serves as primary point of contact for school Yay staff and Ops Leads at the kitchen for day-of issues.
• Checks in with Houston school locations during the week to confirm service status.

Skills

Kitchen leadership

Line cook experience

People management

Organizational skills

Driver's license

Job description

Yay Lunch is seeking a Kitchen Manager to lead daily kitchen operations in the Houston market from a shared commercial kitchen. You will run production, ensure food quality, manage staff, and coordinate with school locations to deliver meals on time while maintaining Yay standards.

You will supervise Prep Cooks, plan batch production, manage labor and inventory, and drive continuous improvement across the hub kitchen and connected sites in the Houston market.