Part-Time Executive Chef — Catering & Kitchen Operations

Nonna's Pizza & Ristorante is an established Italian restaurant in Mahwah, NJ, known for authentic Italian cooking, and a loyal local following. We serve pizza, pasta, entrées, sandwiches, and a growing catering business that's central to our continued growth.

We're hiring a Part-Time Executive Chef to take full ownership of our catering operation and serve as a culinary leader in the kitchen. This is a hands-on role for a chef who can run a catering book from quote to delivery, develop and train weekly specials, manage vendor pricing, and step onto the line or pizza station when the kitchen needs support.

You'll work directly with ownership and have full responsibility for the catering side of the business, while collaborating with existing kitchen staff on day-to-day service.

Primary Responsibilities

Catering Ownership

- Own all incoming catering inquiries from first contact through delivery

- Prepare quotes, collect deposits, and confirm orders

- Develop catering menus and pricing

- Manage customer relationships and drive repeat business / customer retention

- Coordinate prep schedules, staffing, and execution for every catering job

Specials & Menu Development

- Develop and submit weekly specials at least one week in advance for ownership approval

- Coordinate ingredient purchasing for specials with vendors and ownership

- Train kitchen staff on each new special recipe, plating, portion, and pricing

Vendor & Pricing Management

- Review vendor invoices and pricing using our shared cloud documents (OneDrive / Google Drive)

- Flag pricing changes, sourcing issues, or cost concerns to ownership

- Submit all inventory and menu change requests to ownership for approval before implementation

Kitchen Leadership & Flexibility

- Prep and coordinate alongside the existing kitchen team

- Jump onto the line, pizza station, or any kitchen role when coverage is needed

- Maintain food safety, portion standards, and recipe consistency across all stations

Requirements

- 3+ years of executive chef, sous chef, or senior kitchen leadership experience

- Demonstrated catering experience quoting, costing, and executing events

- Comfort with Italian cuisine (pasta, sauces, entrées, pizza a plus)

- Computer literate able to log in to cloud-based documents (OneDrive / Google Drive), review pricing spreadsheets, and communicate by email

- Strong organizational skills and the ability to plan a week ahead

- ServSafe certification

- Reliable, professional, and able to lead by example on the line

- Flexible schedule must be available for catering events, including some weekends

What We Offer

- Direct working relationship with ownership and meaningful ownership of the catering business

- Established kitchen, recipes, vendor relationships, and customer base to build on

- Competitive part-time compensation

- Long-term growth potential as catering expands

**To Apply**

Apply directly through our application link: https://form.jotform.com/260435232575152

**We want proactive candidates.** We receive a high volume of applications, and the people we hire are the ones who follow up. After you submit the application, **call us at (201) 529-1151** to introduce yourself. We don't care what you say show us you're active, motivated, and serious about the role. That's who we're looking for.

Qualified candidates will be contacted to schedule an in-person interview at the restaurant.

Nonna's Pizza & Ristorante is an Equal Opportunity Employer.

Pay: $1,050.00 - $1,400.00 per week

Work Location: In person