Kitchen Training Lead – Multi-Location Café

Fairgrounds Coffee and Tea; Chicago (IL); On-site; USD 34,000 - 41,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health insurance

Paid time off

Free café food and coffee

Job summary

Fairgrounds Coffee and Tea is expanding its food program in Chicago and seeks a Kitchen Trainer to own kitchen execution across River North, Oak Park, and University of Chicago. You will train staff on prep, plating and quality, lead menu launches, write SOPs, and run audits across all sites.

You will manage prep schedules and batch production, ensuring cross-location consistency and high food safety standards.

Qualifications

• 2+ years in a commercial kitchen (line cook, prep cook, or junior kitchen leadership)
• Experience training people and running hands-on sessions
• Ability to read a recipe and teach it to others who have never cooked it
• Attention to detail and ability to coach in real time to close gaps
• Organizational skill to manage three locations simultaneously
• Food safety knowledge; ServSafe or equivalent certification preferred

Responsibilities

• Train all café staff on food preparation, assembly, plating and quality standards
• Lead hands-on training sessions for new hires and ongoing development
• Roll out new menu items from recipe development to in-café execution; write and refine SOPs
• Audit kitchen execution across three Chicago locations and coach in real time
• Establish prep schedules, par levels and batch production for cross-location consistency
• Standardize build stations, ingredient specs and plating across the market

Job description

Fairgrounds Coffee and Tea is expanding its food program in Chicago and seeks a Kitchen Trainer to own kitchen execution across River North, Oak Park, and University of Chicago. You will train staff on prep, plating and quality, lead menu launches, write SOPs, and run audits across all sites.

You will manage prep schedules and batch production, ensuring cross-location consistency and high food safety standards.