Culinary Director - Tacombi - NYC

Director of Culinary & BOH Operations The Director of Culinary & BOH Operations at Tacombi plays a pivotal role in bringing Mexico's vibrant culinary traditions to life, creating a deep connection between guests and the richness of Mexico through its food. This leader drives culinary innovation and R&D rooted in Mexican regional cooking, ensures flawless execution of our authentic offerings, and upholds Tacombi's sourcing philosophy by working closely with partners to secure the highest-quality ingredients. Expertise in nixtamalization and tortilla-making is integral to this role, reflecting our commitment to sharing the soul of Mexican cuisine through exceptional food. This position leads Tacombi's culinary vision, menu strategy, R&D, and back-of-house culinary standards, translating the richness and diversity of Mexican cooking into distinctive and scalable food experiences across Tacombi's markets. The Director owns the culinary innovation lifecycle—from research and concept development through testing, commercialization, training, launch, and ongoing optimization—while ensuring exceptional food quality, operational execution, and financial performance. Working cross-functionally with Operations, Marketing, Supply Chain, Finance, and the Leadership Team, this leader ensures that culinary innovation strengthens both the Tacombi brand and the guest experience. The Director of Culinary & BOH Operations currently reports to the CEO of Taquerias. Key Responsibilities: Menu Innovation & Execution: Develop and execute innovative menu items rooted in the diversity of Mexican regional cooking, honoring Tacombi's mission to share authentic Mexican culinary traditions. Lead the evolution of Tacombi's menu while protecting the culinary identity, authenticity, and quality of the brand. Oversee food production and culinary standards to ensure consistently high levels of flavor, quality, presentation, and execution across locations. Develop and maintain standardized recipes, yields, preparation methods, plating standards, and product specifications to ensure consistency and scalability. Partner with Operations and restaurant leadership to ensure new and existing menu items can be executed consistently and efficiently in the field. Conduct tastings, workshops, and culinary demonstrations to train and inspire teams in authentic Mexican ingredients, techniques, and culinary traditions. Continuously evaluate existing menu items and identify opportunities to improve quality, execution, profitability, and the guest experience. Culinary Innovation, R&D & Commercialization: Own Tacombi's culinary R&D pipeline from initial concept and recipe development through testing, costing, operational validation, training, launch, and post-launch evaluation. Develop new menu items, Limited Time Offers (LTOs), seasonal offerings, and culinary initiatives that celebrate Mexican regional cuisine while supporting Tacombi's broader brand and business strategy. Develop and manage a culinary innovation calendar and product development roadmap in partnership with Marketing, Operations, Supply Chain, and Finance. Establish a structured R&D and testing process that evaluates flavor, recipe consistency, food cost, yields, ingredient availability, shelf life, equipment requirements, labor impact, throughput, and operational feasibility. Lead restaurant pilots and field testing prior to broader rollout, gathering feedback from restaurant teams, operators, and guests and incorporating learnings into the final product. Develop complete commercialization packages for approved products, including recipes, specifications, yields, prep procedures, plating standards, training materials, and quality-control expectations. Partner with Training and Operations to ensure restaurant teams are fully prepared to execute new products prior to launch. Conduct post-launch evaluations using sales performance, food cost, waste, guest feedback, operational complexity, and executi…

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