Lead Chef: Menu Mastery, Cost Control & Team Builder

Room 38 Restaurant & Lounge; Columbia Township (MO); On-site; USD 60,000 - 86,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Bonus opportunities

Company cell phone

Job summary

Room 38 Restaurant & Lounge in Columbia, MO seeks an experienced Head Chef to own the kitchen, drive menu direction, and manage costs with ownership and front-of-house leadership.

You’ll lead, train, and develop the kitchen team, ensure food safety, and coordinate staffing for university calendar events while delivering high quality plates for a loyal local dining audience. If you thrive under pressure and want to shape a community-focused menu, this role offers growth and bonus opportunities.

Qualifications

• Proven track record managing and analyzing food and labor costs, with measurable results.
• Experience structuring menus and developing recipes.
• Strong team management and kitchen leadership experience.
• 3+ years of kitchen leadership experience (Head Chef, Executive Sous Chef, or Kitchen Manager).
• Comfort with inventory systems, scheduling tools, and P&L reports.
• ServSafe Manager certification (or ability to obtain within 30 days).
• Calm, organized leadership under pressure.

Responsibilities

• Manage food and labor costs, including ordering, inventory, waste tracking, scheduling, and regular cost analysis.
• Build and refine menus that balance creativity, guest appeal, and profitability, including recipe costing, pricing, and menu engineering.
• Lead, train, and develop the kitchen team, from hiring and onboarding to coaching and performance reviews.
• Build a positive, accountable kitchen culture that keeps good people around.
• Maintain consistent food quality, presentation, and ticket times.
• Uphold all food safety, sanitation, and health code standards.
• Plan and staff for high-volume periods tied to the University of Missouri calendar.

Skills

Food cost analysis

Menu development

Team leadership

P&L familiarity

Inventory systems

Scheduling tools

Tools

Inventory systems

Scheduling tools

P&L reports

Job description

Room 38 Restaurant & Lounge in Columbia, MO seeks an experienced Head Chef to own the kitchen, drive menu direction, and manage costs with ownership and front-of-house leadership.

You’ll lead, train, and develop the kitchen team, ensure food safety, and coordinate staffing for university calendar events while delivering high quality plates for a loyal local dining audience. If you thrive under pressure and want to shape a community-focused menu, this role offers growth and bonus opportunities.