Kitchen Lead — Craft Coffee & Team Culture

Equator Coffees LLC; San Francisco (CA); On-site; USD 26,174 - 34,440; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Commuter Benefits

EAP

Free coffee

Paid Time Off

Job summary

Equator Coffees LLC is seeking a Kitchen Lead to uphold high standards of food quality, safety, and prep at the café level. This role is a working lead with no direct management, but sets the tone through example and training.

The Kitchen Lead will oversee service prep, maintain cleanliness, and partner with the GM on schedules and vendor relations, while guiding the team to deliver exceptional coffee shop experiences.

Qualifications

• 2+ years of BOH experience; lead or supervisory experience strongly preferred.
• Strong food safety knowledge and current Food Handler Card required.
• Knowledge of kitchen equipment, prep techniques, and cooking procedures.
• Ability to maintain a clean, efficient, and organized kitchen under pressure.

Responsibilities

• Oversee kitchen prep and execution during service, ensuring consistent quality and presentation.
• Maintain back-of-house standards for cleanliness, sanitation, and organization.
• Collaborate with the GM on kitchen schedules by providing input on team availability and operational needs.
• Place vendor orders and manage vendor relationships to ensure quality, timeliness, and competitive pricing.
• Perform inventory counts and manage product rotation to minimize waste.
• Lead the team in food safety and sanitation practices, modeling correct procedures.
• Support the training and onboarding of new BOH staff; demonstrate prep methods and kitchen systems in alignment with standards.
• Collaborate with GM and retail team on seasonal menus, specials, and café events.
• Support recipe development and documentation in collaboration with retail operations.
• Communicate proactively with GM regarding team performance, scheduling needs, or kitchen‑related concerns.
• Act as a key contributor to a positive and supportive kitchen culture.

Skills

BOH experience

Leadership

Food safety

Communication

Kitchen equipment

Food prep

Time management

Education

High School or GED

Tools

POS systems

Microsoft Office

Google Suite

Job description

Equator Coffees LLC is seeking a Kitchen Lead to uphold high standards of food quality, safety, and prep at the café level. This role is a working lead with no direct management, but sets the tone through example and training.

The Kitchen Lead will oversee service prep, maintain cleanliness, and partner with the GM on schedules and vendor relations, while guiding the team to deliver exceptional coffee shop experiences.