Chef de Cuisine-Iowa City

Big Grove Brewery•Iowa City, IA

4h•Onsite

About The Position

To lead the culinary team at our vibrant brewery taproom, crafting exceptional food experiences that complement our award-winning craft beers. The Chef de Cuisine will innovate menus that celebrate local ingredients, drive customer satisfaction, and elevate our taproom as a destination for outstanding beer and food pairings. This role combines culinary excellence, operational leadership, and a passion for fostering a dynamic and collaborative kitchen environment.

Requirements

Team focused approach
Positive attitude
Safety minded
Advanced culinary skills
High competency in kitchen math
Detailed, Organized and Thorough
Be a high performing Big Grove team member with ability to look at business as a whole, communicate with all people, collaborate with all departments, work to solve organizational problems, and accomplish goals.
Contribute to and exemplify Big Grove values, vision, standards, and culture.
5+ years of experience in a leadership role within a professional kitchen, preferably as a Sous Chef or Chef de Cuisine.
Proven ability to create innovative menus that align with a brewery or taproom’s brand, showcasing expertise in beer and food pairings.
Experience managing high-volume kitchens, ensuring consistency and quality during peak service times.
Demonstrated success in recruiting, training, and mentoring kitchen staff, fostering a positive and collaborative work environment.
Strong understanding of food costing, inventory management, and maintaining budgetary targets.
Mastery of diverse cooking techniques, seasonal menu planning, and working with locally sourced ingredients.
In-depth knowledge of food safety regulations, sanitation standards, and kitchen safety protocols.
Experience thriving in a fast-paced, dynamic environment, with the ability to pivot quickly when needed.

Nice To Haves

Formal culinary training or certification

Responsibilities

Create raving fans of Big Grove through culinary experience through demand, creativity and quality
Menu planning and development. Keep up on culinary trends and continually innovate and improve the menu offerings.
Menu Costing and Pricing: Work with the Culinary Director, Executive Chef, and Store Director to determine menu prices by considering factors such as ingredient costs, labor expenses, and desired profit margins. Analyze menu performance and make adjustments as necessary.
Inventory controls: Order appropriate inventory levels, monitor costs of products, reduce waste, keep accurate inventory records.
Work as a leadership team to hit location goals and metrics; accountable for the financial performance of the Back of House.
Food Safety and Sanitation: enforce strict adherence to food safety regulations and sanitation standards. Ensure proper storage, handling, and cooking of food, as well as cleanliness and maintenance of kitchen equipment and facilities.
LMA. Create an environment for growth for yourself and those around you; responsible for developing the Back of House leadership team.
Staff Training and Development: Provide guidance on cooking techniques, food preparation, and presentation. Conduct training and promote a culture of continuous learning and improvement.
Accountable for Back of House scheduling that achieves labor cost goals
On a daily basis- Ensure pre and post shift tasks are being completed by all to open and close restaurant in tip top condition
Effectively manage the BOH team for the entirety of the employee cycle. Use performance tools tied to values with staff: Quarterly Conversations, Culture Builders, Annual Pay Reviews, PIPs, Write Ups, etc.