Kitchen Operations Leader – Training & Growth

Demos' Restaurants; Lebanon (TN); On-site; USD 45,000 - 65,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Management training program

Medical insurance

Retirement plan with company matching

Paid time off

Holiday closures

Chaplains program

Job summary

Demos’ Restaurant is seeking a Kitchen Manager to lead daily back-of-house operations, working closely with the lead Kitchen Manager, General Manager, and company leadership to develop employees, maintain food quality and safety standards, and control costs.

You will be responsible for training, coaching, and deploying staff, ensuring recipes and standards are followed, and maintaining an organized, efficient kitchen with strong leadership and integrity.

Qualifications

• Strong leadership and people skills.
• Excellent communication, organization, and problem-solving abilities.
• A strong work ethic and a continuous desire to improve.
• The ability to coach employees and hold them accountable.

Responsibilities

• Uphold and exemplify Demos’ purpose statement and company values.
• Support the Kitchen Manager and General Manager in leading daily back-of-house operations.
• Open and close the kitchen according to company procedures.
• Maintain uncompromising standards for food quality, consistency, portioning, presentation, and ticket times.
• Ensure that recipes, preparation procedures, and food-handling standards are consistently followed.
• Keep recipe binders and recipe cards current, accessible, and in good condition.
• Make certain employees use the required recipe cards and follow approved recipes.
• Train, coach, and develop back-of-house employees in every assigned position.
• Hold employees accountable while treating them fairly, firmly, and respectfully.
• Lead with integrity, sound judgment, consistency, and respect.
• Monitor staffing and make appropriate deployment adjustments during each shift.
• Assign workstations and communicate priorities to kitchen employees.
• Conduct pre-shift meetings and ensure the kitchen is prepared before service begins.
• Monitor food production and anticipate what will be needed throughout the shift.
• Assist employees during busy periods and provide hands-on leadership when needed.
• Coordinate with front-of-house management to maintain food quality, accuracy, and timely service.
• Identify and correct wasteful practices, overproduction, improper portions, and recipe deviations.
• Help control food, labor, supply, and operating costs.
• Maintain an organized, clean, and professional kitchen.
• Enforce food-safety, sanitation, temperature-control, and workplace-safety procedures.
• Ensure proper receiving, labeling, dating, rotation, storage, and handling of food products.
• Help maintain appropriate inventory and preparation levels.
• Complete required manager checklists, temperature logs, waste records, and shift reports.
• Communicate maintenance, equipment, supply, and operational concerns to the appropriate manager.
• Support employee hiring, onboarding, evaluations, and disciplinary documentation when assigned.
• Help administer employee discipline consistently and appropriately.
• Anticipate operational problems and develop backup plans before they affect customers.
• Ensure employees maintain Demos’ standards for appearance, conduct, cleanliness, and personal hygiene.
• Demonstrate dependability by doing what is expected, when it is expected, whether or not a supervisor is present.

Skills

Leadership

Communication

Problem-solving

Staff development

Job description

Demos’ Restaurant is seeking a Kitchen Manager to lead daily back-of-house operations, working closely with the lead Kitchen Manager, General Manager, and company leadership to develop employees, maintain food quality and safety standards, and control costs.

You will be responsible for training, coaching, and deploying staff, ensuring recipes and standards are followed, and maintaining an organized, efficient kitchen with strong leadership and integrity.