Sous Chef

Sous Chef Job Description

The Sous Chef is the second-in-command in the kitchen and a critical leader within the back-of-house (BOH) team. They support the Executive Chef (EC) in overseeing daily kitchen operations, ensuring food quality and consistency, managing staff development, and maintaining a clean and organized kitchen. The Sous Chef is expected to lead by example, demonstrating professionalism, efficiency, and a commitment to excellence in every aspect of kitchen management. They work closely with the EC and management team to achieve financial, operational, and guest experience goals while fostering a positive and disciplined kitchen culture.

• Assist in the onboarding and training of new BOH staff, ensuring adherence to kitchen policies, procedures, and safety standards.
• Support the BOH training program, conducting hands-on training sessions as needed.
• Provide coaching and mentorship to cooks and prep staff, assessing their skills and identifying high-potential team members for growth.
• Conduct periodic staff evaluations, offering constructive feedback to enhance performance.
• Ensure all BOH team members have the necessary tools, knowledge, and skills to execute their roles efficiently.
• Support the Executive Chef in conducting performance reviews for BOH staff.
• Address performance issues promptly through coaching and, if necessary, corrective action.
• Foster a positive, disciplined, and team-oriented kitchen environment.

• Food Inventory: Conduct weekly food inventory to track stock levels and minimize waste.
• Ordering and Receiving: Oversee daily food ordering and receiving, ensuring high-quality ingredients and proper cost management.
• Research Food Pricing: Regularly research food pricing trends and maintain vendor relationships to secure competitive rates.
• Smallwares Inventory: Conduct monthly smallwares inventory and manage necessary replacements.
• Cooler & Dry Storage Organization: Ensure weekly organization of coolers, walk-ins, and dry storage areas for efficiency and cleanliness.
• Enforce food safety and sanitation procedures to ensure a clean, compliant, and organized kitchen.
• Assist with daily food safety checks, monitoring proper food handling, storage, and cleanliness.
• Ensure that all BOH staff follow kitchen hygiene protocols and that necessary certifications are maintained.

• Lead the BOH team in daily prep, service, and execution of all dishes to ensure consistency and quality.
• Oversee large party and catering orders, ensuring seamless coordination with the FOH team.
• Assist in preparing BEOs for special events and large groups.
• Collaborate with the Executive Chef to maintain recipe consistency and portion control.
• Work with the Executive Chef on menu innovation and seasonal updates.
• Ensure proper fruit and garnish inventory management for consistency across dishes and beverages.
• Monitor plate inventory monthly to ensure proper dishware availability.
• Ensure that all kitchen equipment and facilities are maintained and functioning properly.
• Identify maintenance needs and coordinate necessary repairs with the management team.

• Lead by example, fostering a culture of teamwork, efficiency, and high culinary standards.
• Support the Executive Chef in managing the kitchen team during service, ensuring a smooth and efficient flow.
• Conduct daily pre-shift meetings to communicate specials, ingredient updates, and service expectations.
• Work closely with FOH managers to ensure seamless service execution.
• Ensure that all dishes meet presentation, flavor, and quality standards before leaving the kitchen.
• Address any food-related guest concerns or complaints promptly and professionally.
• Collaborate with FOH to gather guest feedback and adjust execution accordingly.

• Food Cost: Maintain or improve food cost percentage (25%).
• Labor Management: Ensure BOH labor costs remain within budget while meeting service standards. Maintain a total hourly labor cost 15%.
• Team Development: Improve BOH staff retention and training outcomes. Staff food product knowledge on new menu rollouts and ongoing testing 85%
• Operational Excellence: Achieve consistent execution, minimal waste, and kitchen cleanliness standards. Achieve a minimum of a 4.5/5 average grading on secret shopper reports.
• Guest Satisfaction: Ensure high ratings and positive feedback related to food quality and consistency. No more than 7 negative comments monthly about our food program. Maintain a minimum food rating of 4.7 on Opentable and 4.8 on Google.
• Cleanliness & Hygiene: Maintain a clean kitchen that passes a cleaning audit. Maintain a BOH staff that follows 100% of the uniform and hygiene standards set in the training manuals and the code of conduct statement.

This role requires an organized, innovative, and hands-on leader who can elevate the restaurant’s culinary program while driving financial and operational success.

· Passion for food, beverage, and events industry

· Desire to be a “part of the team”

· Easy to relate to/down to earth

· Desire for and truly open to feedback/open-minded

• Professional Appearance
• Good Communicator
• Good Listener
• Personable
• Passion for Business
• Desire for Personal Growth
• Hardworking, Dedicated & Trustworthy
• Aggressive, Tenacious
• Desire to Learn
• Self-Starter
• A Winning Spirit/ Desire to Succeed
• Sets and Accomplishes Goals
• Consistent
• Eye for Detail and Superior Standards
• Values a Challenge
• Team Player
• A Humble Nature
• Timely
• Self-Accountable
• Efficient and Organized
• Effective
• Creative/Innovative
• Respectful

Pay: $55,000.00 - $60,000.00 per year

Benefits:

• Food provided

Experience:

• Kitchen management: 3 years (Required)

Language:

• English (Required)
• Spanish (Preferred)

Shift availability:

• Day Shift (Required)
• Night Shift (Required)

Ability to Commute:

• Atlanta, GA 30308 (Required)

Work Location: In person