Kitchen Team Lead - Hot Food

Balls Food Stores; Olathe (KS); On-site; USD 42,000 - 54,000; Full time

Job summary

Hen House is seeking a Kitchen Team Lead to oversee daily kitchen operations, ensuring high-quality ready-to-eat offerings and exceptional guest experiences. You will lead a team, manage food safety practices, and maintain efficient kitchen workflows in a fast-paced environment.

We value energy, accountability, and hands-on leadership, with a focus on consistent execution, accurate portion control, and proactive cost management.

Qualifications

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

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

Kitchen leadership

Food service experience

Food safety knowledge

Inventory management

Education

High school diploma / GED

Job description

We are seeking a passionate, high-energy Kitchen Team Lead to join our team at Hen House. In this role, you'll bring energy and ownership to the kitchen-driving consistency, inspiring your team, and delivering fresh, high-quality ready-to-eat offerings that elevate the guest experience and keep customers coming back.

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 thrives in a fast-paced environment, loves working with food, and is motivated by building a strong team, delivering great results, and creating a kitchen operation they can truly take pride in.

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