Kitchen Manager

Black Bear Diner; Redwood City (CA); On-site; USD 72,000 - 90,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Supervisor/Leadership Training

Uniform- Shirts

Employee Meals

Competitive wages

Job summary

Black Bear Diner is seeking a Kitchen Manager to lead the kitchen team, ensure quality and safety standards, and support onboarding and training of new hires. The role reports to the General Manager and requires strong leadership, communication, and organizational skills.

You will oversee daily kitchen operations, collaborate on menu planning, manage inventory with the GM, and maintain a positive, efficient work environment while upholding health and sanitation standards.

Qualifications

• Proven experience in a professional kitchen environment with leadership responsibilities.
• Strong knowledge of food safety and sanitation practices.
• Excellent leadership, communication, and organizational skills.
• Ability to work evenings, weekends, and holidays as required.
• ServSafe certification is required and relevant culinary credentials are a plus.

Responsibilities

• Supervise kitchen operations and coordinate day-to-day staff activities.
• Ensure dishes are prepared and presented to established recipes and standards.
• Train new kitchen staff and certify trainers for the back of the house.
• Monitor inventory levels and coordinate with GM and purchasing for timely orders.
• Enforce health, safety, and sanitation standards in all kitchen areas.
• Collaborate on menu planning, rollouts, and recipe development.
• Address operational issues promptly and escalate as needed.

Skills

Leadership

Communication

Organizational skills

Food safety knowledge

Problem solving

Education

Culinary certification or degree

ServSafe certification

Job description

Black Bear Diner is h

Summary: As a Kitchen Manager, you will play a crucial role in ensuring the smooth and efficient operation of the kitchen in our diner. You will be responsible for overseeing and coordinating the activities of kitchen staff, maintaining food quality and safety standards, and promoting a positive working environment. There may be responsibilites of assistng with the on-boarding and/or training new hires and certfying trainers for the Back of the House. The Kitchen Managerwill report directly to the General Manager.

Responsibilities

1. Supervise Kitchen Operations: Oversee and coordinate the day-to-day activities of the kitchen staff, including line cooks, prep cooks, and dishwashers. Ensure that all tasks are completed efficiently and in accordance with established standards and procedures.
2. Food Preparation and Presentation: Ensure that all dishes are prepared and presented according to the recipes and standards set by the diner. Monitor food quality, portion sizes, and presentation to maintain consistency and customer satisfaction.
3. Training and Development: Train new kitchen staff members on proper food preparation techniques, safety procedures, and sanitation standards. Provide ongoing coaching and feedback to improve performance and enhance skills.
4. Inventory Management: Monitor and manage inventory levels of food ingredients, supplies, and equipment. Coordinate with the GM and purchasing department to ensure timely and accurate ordering of necessary items. Monitoring of daily prep pars and prep production.
5. Safety and Hygiene: Ensure that the kitchen and all food preparation areas comply with health and safety regulations and sanitation standards. Monitor and enforce proper food handling, storage, and labeling practices to prevent contamination and maintain cleanliness.
6. Team Collaboration: Foster a positive and collaborative working environment by promoting effective communication and teamwork among kitchen staff. Encourage creativity, productivity, and a strong work ethic.
7. Menu Planning and New Menu Rollouts: Collaborate with the General Manager to develop and refine menus, including daily specials and seasonal offerings. Provide input on menu engineering, cost control, and recipe development.
8. Problem Solving: Address any operational or personnel issues that arise in the kitchen promptly and effectively. Troubleshoot problems, implement solutions, and escalation issues to management when necessary.
9. Quality Control: Conduct regular inspections of food preparation areas, equipment, and storage areas to ensure compliance with quality and safety standards. Take appropriate corrective actions to maintain quality control.
10. Adherence to Regulations: Stay updated on local health and safety regulations, as well as industry best practices. Ensure that the kitchen operates in compliance with all applicable laws and regulations.
11. Food Safety: assisting with quick line checks daily, monitoring food temperatures and equipment.
12. Overall Safety: Monitor and ensure employee safety, train proper use of PPE personal protective equipment including strict adherence to wearing cut gloves.
13. Ability to open/close the diner.

PHYSICAL DEMAND REQUIREMENTS

Minimum qualifications needed to perform essential job functions. Must be capable of exerting up to 60 pounds of force occasionally or frequently, and/or up to 60 pounds of force constantly to move objects.

Consistently carries products/boxes and miscellaneous weighing no more than 60 pounds.

Consistently climbs ladders to roof to check A/C exhaust fan.

Consistently operates calculators, computers, mail and product.

Consistently handles product preparation.

Consistently kneels to utilize proper lifting procedures.

Consistently lifts for product preparation, stocking and inventory.

Consistently pushes to open and close door to coolers and freezers.

Consistently reaches for product preparation and putting out food on the line and for training.

Frequently stands during cooking and training.

Frequently stoops to pick up supplies and trash. Visual and Auditory sense required.

WORK ENVIRONMENT

Machines, devices, tools, etc. used in job performance and the conditions in which the job is accomplished.

EQUIPMENT

Fryers, broilers, flat top grills, walk in freezer, menu boards, computers, cash registers, warmer lights, filtering machines, oven, steam units, holding cabinets, slicers, storage units, soda fountain hook up station, microwave ovens, insulated oven mitts, toasters, cooking utensils.

ENVIRONMENTAL CONDITIONS

The employee is subject to inside environmental conditions; protection from weather conditions, but not necessarily from temperature changes, including high heat in the kitchen. The employee is subject to both environmental conditions; work activities occur both inside and outside. The employee is subject to extreme cold temperature below 32 degrees for small periods of time when loading the freezer or adding/removing product from the freezer. The employee is exposed to hazards which includes a variety of physical conditions, such as moving mechanical parts, electrical current, exposure to high heat of chemicals. The employee is subject to one or more of the following conditions: fumes, odors, dust, mists, gases or poor ventilation.

Qualifications

• Proven experience working in a professional kitchen environment, preferably in a leadership or supervisory role.
• In-depth knowledge of food preparation techniques, culinary trends, and kitchen management principles.
• Strong understanding of food safety and sanitation practices.
• Excellent leadership, communication, and organizational skills.
• Ability to work well under pressure and handle multiple tasks simultaneously.
• Attention to detail and a commitment to delivering high-quality food and service.
• Flexibility to work evenings, weekends, and holidays as required.
• Relevant culinary certification or degree is a plus. (ServSafe certification is required)
• Must be certified to be a Kitchen Managerby a Certified Trainer.

BENEFITS

• Supervisor/Leadership Training
• Uniform- Shirts
• Employee Meals
• Competitive wages