Kitchen Team Lead

Balls Food Stores; Kansas City (KS); On-site; USD 21,000 - 30,000; Full time

Job summary

Balls Food Stores’ Hen House is seeking a skilled Kitchen Team Lead to oversee daily back-of-house operations in our deli, ensuring food quality, efficient workflow, and a well-supported team delivering fresh, ready-to-eat offerings that meet guest expectations.

The ideal candidate leads by example, supervises shifts, enforces food safety and sanitation standards, and collaborates with store leadership on inventory, ordering, and cost control to maintain consistency and drive department success.

Qualifications

• Must have 2+ years of kitchen, deli, or prepared foods experience with leadership or supervisory responsibilities.
• Strong knowledge of food safety, sanitation, and health department regulations preferred.
• Experience with inventory management, ordering, and food cost control preferred.

Responsibilities

• Provide friendly, helpful, and respectful guest service while ensuring a positive food service experience.
• Oversee daily kitchen operations, including food preparation, cooking, and product presentation.
• Ensure timely production of deli items such as sandwiches, salads, hot foods, grab-and-go meals, and catering orders.
• Maintain efficient kitchen workflow during peak service hours and support overall department execution.
• Monitor portion control, product consistency, and minimize food waste.
• Supervise and direct team members, ensuring accountability, productivity, and consistent execution.
• Train team members on recipes, prep procedures, food safety, and sanitation standards.
• Maintain a clean, organized, and safe kitchen environment at all times.
• Enforce all food safety, sanitation, labeling, and rotation standards to ensure compliance.
• Prepare for and support health inspections and ensure adherence to all local regulations.
• Manage inventory levels, order supplies, and track product usage to support availability and reduce shrink.
• Support food and labor cost control efforts in partnership with department leadership.
• Ensure consistency in recipes, food quality, and presentation standards.
• Assist with menu execution, seasonal items, and continuous improvement of offerings.
• Support scheduling, task delegation, and shift execution to meet operational needs.
• Communicate clearly with store leadership and collaborate across departments to support store goals.
• Adhere to all company policies and procedures, including attendance, conduct, and safety standards.
• Support loss prevention efforts and maintain awareness of cost controls.
• Remain hands-on and productive during all shifts, stepping in as needed to support the team.
• Other job duties as assigned

Skills

Leadership experience

Food safety knowledge

Flexibility

Inventory management

Education

High school diploma or GED

Job description

We are looking for a skilled, hands-on Kitchen Team Lead to join our team at Hen House. In this role, you'll oversee daily back-of-house operations within our deli-ensuring food quality, efficient workflow, and a well-supported team-while delivering fresh, high-quality ready-to-eat offerings that meet guest expectations and drive department success.

At Hen House, we're more than a grocery store-we're a team committed to delivering exceptional guest experiences through quality products, strong teamwork, and consistent execution. As part of the Balls Food Stores family, we offer the stability of a locally owned company with deep community roots.

This is a great fit for someone who leads by example, thrives in a fast-paced kitchen environment, and takes ownership of food quality, safety, and team performance.

Key Responsibilities & Job Duties

• Provide friendly, helpful, and respectful guest service while ensuring a positive food service experience
• Oversee daily kitchen operations, including food preparation, cooking, and product presentation
• Ensure timely production of deli items such as sandwiches, salads, hot foods, grab-and-go meals, and catering orders
• Maintain efficient kitchen workflow during peak service hours and support overall department execution
• Monitor portion control, product consistency, and minimize food waste
• Supervise and direct team members, ensuring accountability, productivity, and consistent execution
• Train team members on recipes, prep procedures, food safety, and sanitation standards
• Maintain a clean, organized, and safe kitchen environment at all times
• Enforce all food safety, sanitation, labeling, and rotation standards to ensure compliance
• Prepare for and support health inspections and ensure adherence to all local regulations
• Manage inventory levels, order supplies, and track product usage to support availability and reduce shrink
• Support food and labor cost control efforts in partnership with department leadership
• Ensure consistency in recipes, food quality, and presentation standards
• Assist with menu execution, seasonal items, and continuous improvement of offerings
• Support scheduling, task delegation, and shift execution to meet operational needs
• Communicate clearly with store leadership and collaborate across departments to support store goals
• Adhere to all company policies and procedures, including attendance, conduct, and safety standards
• Support loss prevention efforts and maintain awareness of cost controls
• Remain hands-on and productive during all shifts, stepping in as needed to support the team
• Other job duties as assigned

Minimum Qualifications

• Required: High school diploma, GED, or equivalent work experience
• Required: Ability to work a flexible schedule, including evenings, weekends, and holidays
• Required: 2+ years of kitchen, deli, or prepared foods experience, including leadership or supervisory responsibilities
• Preferred: Strong knowledge of food safety, sanitation, and health department regulations
• Preferred: Experience with inventory management, ordering, and food cost control