Sous Chef- Chicago

LSF CHICAGO LLC; Chicago (IL); On-site; USD 70,000 - 75,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical, dental, and vision coverage

401(k) with company match

Paid time off

Wellness programs

Manager training and development

Job summary

Legal Sea Foods, Heart of House, is seeking a seasoned Sous Chef to lead a high-volume kitchen in Chicago. You will guide the kitchen team, ensure recipe execution, and uphold quality and safety standards across every service.

You will coach cooks, manage scheduling, and drive cost controls while maintaining guest satisfaction. A culinary background and ServSafe certification are preferred. Competitive benefits accompany this role.

Qualifications

• 3–5 years in professional kitchens with leadership experience.
• Experience leading cooks during busy service and making decisions without constant direction.
• High school diploma; culinary degree or certificate preferred.

Responsibilities

• Lead Heart of House operations and direct the kitchen team during shifts.
• Coach, train, schedule, and evaluate cooks and other team members; address performance issues.
• Run service with attention to recipe execution, product standards, plate quality, timing, and guest concerns.
• Enforce food safety, sanitation, allergy, and workplace safety standards each shift.
• Control food and labor costs through staffing, inventory, ordering, and variance follow-up.
• Use scheduling, inventory, labor, and other restaurant systems to keep operations organized.

Skills

Kitchen leadership

Food safety

Cost management

Staff coaching

Education

High school diploma

Culinary degree/certificate

Tools

Microsoft Outlook

Job description

Job Details: Job Location: LSF Chicago LLC - Chicago, IL 60654, Position Type: Full Time, Education Level: Not Specified, Salary Range: $70,000.00 - $75,000.00 Salary/year, Job Shift: Any, Job Category: Restaurant - Food Service, Sous Chef

Legal Sea Foods | Heart of House

Lead a kitchen where quality, pace, and people matter. At Legal Sea Foods, our Sous Chefs take real ownership of the shift: guiding cooks, protecting food and allergy standards, and making the decisions that keep service consistent. If you have led a busy kitchen and know how to develop a team while managing the numbers, we want to hear from you.

What you will own

• Lead Heart of House operations and direct the kitchen team, including when the Executive Chef or Executive Sous Chef is away.
• Coach, train, schedule, and evaluate cooks and other assigned team members; address performance issues and help build a strong bench.
• Run service with attention to recipe execution, approved products, plate quality, timing, and guest concerns.
• Enforce food safety, sanitation, allergy, and workplace safety standards every shift.
• Control food and labor costs through staffing decisions, receiving, inventory, ordering, and follow-up on variances.
• Use scheduling, inventory, labor, hiring, and other restaurant systems to keep the operation organized and accountable.

Qualifications: What you bring

• 3–5 years in professional kitchens, including at least 1 year as a Sous Chef or in a comparable kitchen leadership role.
• Experience leading cooks through busy service and making sound decisions without constant direction.
• A record of developing people, maintaining high standards, and managing food and labor costs.
• A high school diploma; a culinary degree or certificate is preferred.
• ServSafe Food and Alcohol certification and proficiency with Microsoft Outlook.

What we offer

• Competitive compensation and performance-based incentives.
• Medical, dental, and vision coverage, with health savings options; 401(k) with company match opportunities.
• Paid time off and wellness programs.
• Structured manager training and ongoing development, with paths for advancement. More than half of our managers have been promoted from within.

Legal Sea Foods participates in the federal E-Verify program to confirm employment eligibility of all new hires. E-Verify is an online system that allows businesses to determine the eligibility of their employees to work in the United States. All new hires will be required to complete Form I-9 and successfully participate in the E-Verify process.