Head Chef

Overview Bistro on Main is an eclectic, family-owned restaurant seeking an experienced and creative Head Chef to lead our kitchen and help shape the next chapter of our restaurant. We take pride in providing exceptional food, genuine hospitality, and a memorable dining experience while maintaining the warmth and character of a family-owned restaurant. The ideal candidate is an accomplished culinary professional who brings strong leadership, creativity, consistency, and a passion for developing dishes that keep guests excited to return. This is an opportunity for a chef who wants to have a meaningful influence on the menu and overall dining experience, not simply execute an existing menu. What We're Looking For Previous experience as a Head Chef, Executive Chef, Chef de Cuisine, or comparable kitchen leadership role is required. Candidates must have experience working in an eclectic, high-quality restaurant environment and a demonstrated ability to lead a professional kitchen. We are especially looking for someone who can bring creativity and fresh ideas to the kitchen and menu while respecting the restaurant's identity and established guest favorites. The Head Chef will have the opportunity to develop new dishes, introduce seasonal features, improve existing menu items, and collaborate with ownership on the restaurant's culinary direction. Key Responsibilities Lead, train, mentor, and hold the culinary team accountable to high standards. Maintain exceptional consistency in food quality, flavor, presentation, and execution. Bring creativity to menu development, including new dishes, seasonal offerings, specials, and thoughtful updates to existing items. Collaborate closely with ownership on menu direction and the overall guest experience. Manage food costs, inventory, purchasing, portion control, waste, and kitchen labor. Develop and maintain recipes, preparation standards, plating specifications, and kitchen systems. Oversee daily prep and service to ensure an organized, efficient, and professional kitchen. Recruit, develop, schedule, and retain a strong culinary team. Maintain excellent sanitation, food-safety, cleanliness, and organizational standards. Build productive relationships with vendors and source quality ingredients while balancing quality and cost. Lead by example and create a kitchen culture built around professionalism, teamwork, accountability, respect, and pride in the food we serve. Required Experience & Qualifications Proven experience in a Head Chef, Executive Chef, Chef de Cuisine, or similar leadership position. Experience in an eclectic, chef-driven, or high-quality full-service restaurant is required. Strong culinary fundamentals with demonstrated creativity in menu and recipe development. Proven ability to manage and develop a culinary team in a high-volume service environment. Strong understanding of food and labor costs, inventory management, purchasing, and kitchen profitability. Ability to balance creativity with consistency, operational discipline, and guest expectations. Strong communication, organization, and leadership skills. High standards for food quality, presentation, cleanliness, and hospitality. Ability to work closely and collaboratively with hands-on ownership. The Right Fit Because we are a family-owned restaurant, we are looking for more than technical culinary ability. We want a chef who takes ownership of the kitchen, cares about the success of the entire restaurant, respects the people they work with, and understands the importance of building long-term relationships with both our team and our guests. The right chef will bring experience, leadership, and creativity while also being willing to listen, collaborate, and understand what has made our restaurant successful. We want someone who is excited to put their own creative touch on the menu while helping us continually raise the standard of our food and dining experience. If you are an experienced culinary leader who takes pride …

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