Kitchen Manager

El Encanto Restaurants; Cave Creek (AZ); On-site; USD 45,000 - 50,000; Full time

Job summary

El Encanto Restaurants is seeking an Executive Chef/Kitchen Manager to oversee kitchen operations and ensure exceptional food quality. Ideal candidates will have 2+ years of experience in a full-service restaurant, strong management skills, and a passion for creating authentic Mexican dishes. This role emphasizes training staff, maintaining standards, and collaborating on menu development, promoting a family-oriented and innovative kitchen environment.

Benefits

Paid Vacation Time

401k and Health Insurance

Structured Training Program

Employee of the Month Bonuses

Free Meals for Managers on Shift

Qualifications

• 2+ years of experience managing kitchen operations in a restaurant.
• Ability to create authentic Mexican dishes.
• Proven track record of menu innovation.

Responsibilities

• Manage all kitchen operations, including staff hiring and training.
• Ensure quality standards and sanitation procedures are met.
• Develop menus and special items in coordination with ownership.

Skills

Communication

Interpersonal Skills

Supervisory Skills

Menu Planning

Cooking Skills

Education

Culinary Degree or Certification

Tools

Food Machinery

Job description

El Encanto is looking for a professional Executive Chef/Kitchen Manager with 2+ year's experience managing kitchen in full-service restaurant who is responsible for all aspects of managing the kitchen and kitchen personnel including food purchasing, preparation and maintenance of quality standards, sanitation and cleanliness, training of employees in methods of cooking, preparation, plate presentation, portion, cost control, and sanitation and cleanliness. All with the goal of ensuring that El Encanto provides superb and consistent food quality on an ongoing basis. The Executive Chef/Kitchen Manager must at all times promote, work and act in manner consistent with the Mission Statement and Core Values of El Encanto Restaurants. Pay for this position ranges from $45,000 - $50,000 DOE.

BENEFITS - WHY WORK FOR US?

• Paid Vacation time for all full-time staff
• 401k, Health insurance, including dental and vision
• Family owned business, where all staff members are encouraged to make suggestions and collaborate on the operations of the business.
• Structured training program and great opportunities for advancement
• Closed on most major holidays: Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Year's Day, Superbowl Sunday
• Two Annual Staff parties: Christmas and an end of season Staff Appreciation Party

Extensive Bonus Program:

• Employee of the Month bonuses
• Employee of the Year award with bonuses
• Health inspection bonuses
• Bonus program for salaried and full-time kitchen personnel

Meal Comps and discounts:

• Free meals for Managers and kitchen personnel on shifts
• House accounts for salaried managers
• 50% off for all employee meals
• Family discounts for food in restaurants

PRIMARY RESPONSIBILITES AND DUTIES

Hiring & Training

• Interview, hire, train, recommend performance evaluations, resolve problems, provide open communication and recommend discipline and/or termination when appropriate.
• Ensure that each new hire is trained according to El Encanto Training Procedures
• Make employment and termination decisions including recruiting, interviewing, hiring, evaluating, and disciplining kitchen personnel in accordance with El Encanto policies.

Scheduling

• The EC/KM will prepare weekly work schedules for all kitchen personnel.
• Schedule personnel as required for anticipated business activity while ensuring that all positions are staffed when and as needed and labor cost objectives are met.
• Comply with attendance rules and be available to work on a regular basis.
• The EC/KM must be proficient in all prep and line stations, and will be required to be on the line as business dictates.
• The EC/KM should schedule themselves to focus primarily on supervising the staff as they work in their respective positions in the kitchen, where he/she can monitor the quality of food preparation and of the finished product

Daily Operations Management

• Establish the day's priorities and assign production and preparation tasks for staff to execute.
• Check and maintain proper food holding and refrigeration temperature control points.
• Review daily menu specials and offer feedback to Sous Chefs.
• Review catering event orders and make note of any changes.
• Take physical inventory of specified food items for daily inventory to ensure enough product is in house.
• Helps coordinate deliveries and work with vendors.
• Meet with the Corporate Chef to review equipment needs, catering assistance, cleaning schedule/project status, health/safety and sanitation follow up.
• Ensure that each kitchen work area is stocked with specified tools, supplies and equipment to meet the business demand.
• Ensure that all equipment is kept clean and kept in excellent working condition through personal inspection and by following the restaurant's preventative maintenance programs.
• Instruct cooks or other workers in the preparation, cooking, garnishing, or presentation of food.
• Ensure that all food and products are consistently prepared and served according to the restaurant's recipes, portioning, cooking and serving standards.
• Monitor performance of staff and ensure all procedures are completed to the department standards; rectify deficiencies with respective personnel.
• Develop new special items, test and write recipes.
• Review sales and food cost; resolve any discrepancies with the corporate chef.
• Ensure that excess items are utilized efficiently.
• Ensure that all health code standards are meticulously adhered to, including the daily check sheet completion and regular.
• Ensure that weekly inventories are completed and that a system is in place to limit waste and over-purchasing.
• Maintain relations with all vendors associated with the kitchen, changing vendors only with prior approval of the Owner.
• Consult with the Owner in develop of all menus, and will approve all specials in coordination with Owner.
• Work a minimum of 40 hours a week.
• Fill-in for fellow employees where needed to ensure guest service standards and efficient operations.
• Uphold and enforce all policies throughout organization

QUALIFICATIONS FOR THE JOB

• Must have the ability to communicate in English. Spanish a plus.
• Ability to transport cases of received goods to the work stations; pots and pans of food from storage/prep areas to the serving line.
• Ability to work with all products and food ingredients involved.
• Ability to operate, clean and maintain all equipment required in job functions. Ability to plan and develop menus and recipes.
• Ability to apply basic supervisory skills to plan, organize, direct, coach, train and discipline, as necessary.
• Ability to ensure security of kitchen access, products and hotel property.
• Ability to operate with stress, time constraints, physical activity and continuous walking.
• Finger/hand dexterity in order to operate food machinery.
• Ability to grasp, lift and/or carry, or otherwise, move goods weighing a maximum of 100 lbs. on a continuous schedule
• Ability to work a minimum of 3 shifts per week during a night shift at one of the restaurants.
• Proven ability to create policies that generate profits in multiple retail sales locations.
• Strong interpersonal communication and negotiations skills.
• Ability to create and implement strong training programs.
• Experience managing multiple locations and senior management staff.
• Ability to bring innovation to develop and make improvements.
• Ability to create authentic Mexican items for Specials and to contribute to the enhancement of the menu.

EL ENCANTO MISSION STATEMENT:

To deliver the Best Sonoran Mexican Food, in the most Enchanting Environments with Exceptional Service delivered by our incredible El Encanto family - Allowing us to Create Generations of Memories.

EL ENCANTO CORE VALUES:

• Create: The Best Mexican Food in Arizona
• Exceed Expectations: by anticipating unexpressed wishes
• Hospitality: Make our guests feel like they're at home
• Consistency: Understanding that consistency is critical to success
• Integrity: we follow all laws and regulations that govern our business
• Respect: Honor the dignity and diversity of others
• Family: Create a family-friendly workplace where happiness is essential and expected, nothing less is acceptable
• Improvement: always striving to improve by seeking solutions together
• Sharing Mexican Culture: with authentic food and architecture
• Community: Have a positive impact on our community
• Accountability: Hold each other accountable for all of our Core Values!

NOTE:

This description excludes non-essential and marginal functions of the position that are incidental to the performance of the fundamental job duties. Furthermore, the specific examples in each section are not intended to be all-inclusive. Rather, they represent the typical elements and criteria considered necessary to perform the job successfully. Other job-related duties may be assigned by the associate's supervisor.

Furthermore, this description is subject to change, in the sole discretion of El Encanto, and in no way creates an employment contract, implied or otherwise; each associate remains, at all times, an "at will" associate.