Kitchen Manager

La Vida Hospitality; Lewes (DE); On-site; USD 58,500 - 71,500; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

PTO & vacation

Health insurance

Wellness resources

Team events & outings

Travel opportunities

Discounts on food & beverage

Job summary

La Vida Hospitality is seeking a Kitchen Manager to lead the heart of house, uphold Crooked Hammock standards, and build a high-performance kitchen team for a new Raleigh opening. You will drive food quality, safety, and service speed while training staff and setting the tone for culinary excellence.

The role requires 5+ years in varied kitchen positions and leadership experience in a fast-paced setting. Strong communication and a hospitality-driven mindset are essential.

Qualifications

• 5+ years in varied kitchen roles (food prep, line cook, grill, expeditor).
• At least 1 year as Kitchen Manager or 3 years Assistant Kitchen Manager in a high-volume kitchen.
• College degree preferred or equivalent combination of experience/education.

Responsibilities

• Build the CHB team via hiring/termination decisions and coaching.
• Uphold values and ethics in team development and training processes.
• Maintain food safety, sanitation, and quality according to CHB standards.
• Coordinate with GM and other departments to ensure efficient operations.
• Oversee training of kitchen staff and ensure proper equipment use and safety policies.
• Monitor labor, inventory, and food cost while meeting service level goals.

Skills

Team leadership

Staff development

Food Safety

Communication

High volume

Kitchen management

Education

College degree preferred

Tools

POS systems

Excel

Job description

Job Description

Summary of Position: As the leader of the heart of house, the Kitchen Manager will uphold CHB’s standards in every plate, for every guest, and set the tone for an exceptional culinary operation from day one. We’re looking for a food service professional with an appetite for leadership, a passion for scratch cooking, and a drive for culinary excellence. This role will ensure the kitchen runs like a well-oiled machine—overseeing food preparation, managing and developing a brand-new kitchen team, maintaining quality, and keeping service execution fast, consistent, and delicious according to Crooked Hammock standards. In addition to daily leadership, this person will be instrumental in bringing Crooked Hammock to life in Raleigh—helping set the kitchen up for success, training a fresh team, and making sure we open strong and stay dialed in from day one. If leading a high‑energy kitchen and shaping a successful new opening excites you, we want to connect. Apply today! Must Enjoy the Ride.

Duties & Responsibilities

• Build the CHB team by making employment/termination decisions and be an effective coach by elevating the team for growth, establishing performance expectations, and assisting them in reaching their goals.
• Uphold core values and code of ethics in our Team development plan and reinforce “How We Roll” throughout the hiring, orientation, onboarding, training, coaching and evaluating for growth process.
• Be knowledgeable of restaurant policies regarding personnel and administer prompt, fair and consistent disciplinary corrective action for any and all violations of company policies, rules and procedures.
• Collaborate with GM, kitchen staff, management team and other La Vida departments to efficiently complete tasks.
• Create positive energy and build staff morale.
• Oversee the training of kitchen personnel in safe operation of all kitchen equipment and utensils, cleanliness & sanitation practices, and safe lifting & carrying of heavy objects and handling hazardous materials.
• Delegate & provide direction to employees regarding operational/procedural issues and ensure team members have the right tools, knowledge & equipment required to do their jobs safely and effectively.
• Schedule labor to ensure business needs and labor cost objectives are met.
• Leverage professional development & educational opportunities as presented by the company & local industry partners.
• Ensure that all food & products are consistently prepared and served according to CHB's recipes, portioning, cooking and serving standards.
• Prepare all required paperwork, including forms, reports and schedules in an organized and timely manner.
• Fill in where needed to ensure guest service standards and efficient operations.
• Oversee daily prep and ensure prep lists are completed accurately & communicated clearly so that restaurant has appropriate amount of product for the day and product meets CHB quality standards.
• Perform daily line checks prior to service and detailed station checkouts prior to staff departure to ensure cleaning & restocking has been done.
• Manage daily & weekly deep cleaning and facility maintenance duties and maintain cleaning schedules for kitchen equipment and food storage areas.
• Assist with daily, weekly, and monthly inventory, as needed.
• Regularly inspect equipment to ensure it is kept clean and in excellent working condition.
• Order all products according to specifications and receive orders to ensure correct unit count and condition and proper delivery procedures.
• Control food cost and usage by following proper requisition of products from storage areas, product storage procedures, standard recipes and waste control procedures.
• Check and maintain proper food holding and refrigeration temperature control points.
• Enforce food safety and sanitation standards.
• Live the brand and be a brand ambassador in our community and make decisions in the best interest of CHB every time.

Qualifications

• 5+ years experience in varied kitchen positions including food preparation, line cook, grill cook, and expeditor.
• At least 1 year experience as Kitchen Manager or 3 years Assistant Kitchen Manager in a high volume kitchen.
• College degree is preferred.
• A combination of practical experience and education may be considered as an alternative.
• Must possess a valid driver’s license and have reliable transportation.
• Must be eligible to work in the United States and agree to a background check.
• Must be ServSafe certified.
• Flexibility of schedule to assume responsibilities as needed, ability to balance personal & professional life.
• Must work nights and weekends.
• Professional appearance, punctual, reliable.
• Hospitality soul with guest friendly demeanor.
• Exhibit a sense of urgency and be able to work in very fast paced environment.
• Must be able to communicate clearly with managers, kitchen and dining room personnel and guests.
• Well organized.
• Proficiency in basic computer apps, word processing, spreadsheet, internet, POS.
• Frequently walk and occasionally bend over, twist, kneel, climb, stoop and crouch. This position requires the ability to lift up to 55 pounds and maneuver 170 pounds.

Compensation

This position starts at $65,000/year based on experience with awesome benefits and employee perks. La Vida Hospitality Group offers unique lifestyle‑based benefits geared towards doing what we do best - Enjoying the Ride & Celebrating our Tribe!

Benefits

• Benefits for our salaried team - PTO & vacation, health insurance, & wellness resources.
• Unlimited growth potential.
• Travel opportunities.
• Team events & outings like our recent ski trip to the Poconos.
• Local lifestyle perks like paddleboarding & kayaking discounts.
• Employee appreciation events & seasonal parties.
• Professional leadership development and continuous coaching, training, and mentorship.
• Food, beverage & retail discounts.

...and tons more! We're firm believers in working & playing hard and we want to find people who share that same passion with us, so if that sounds like your kind of vibe, apply to join our team today!