Kitchen Manager

California Pizza Kitchen • Ann Arbor, MI

3d

About The Position

The Kitchen Manager oversees the restaurant kitchen’s day-to-day operations, coordinating food preparation, cooking, and plating while maintaining an effective workflow, including during peak periods. The role leads and develops the kitchen team with a people-first approach, supports hospitality and culinary execution, and contributes to sales, profitability, and guest counts. Responsibilities also include managing the restaurant’s P&L and financial objectives, communicating with employees, guests, suppliers, and senior management, and maintaining sanitation standards and procedures to provide a safe, healthy environment.

The position requires at least two years of back-of-house management experience in a high-volume, fast-paced restaurant, along with strong communication and leadership skills. Spanish proficiency is a plus. The role involves frequent exposure to computer terminals and the ability to sit, stand, and/or walk for up to 10 hours a day, with occasional stooping, bending, kneeling, and lifting up to 40 pounds.

California Pizza Kitchen offers an eight-week training program, development opportunities, a company learning platform, meals and a dine-out card, an employee assistance fund, competitive compensation with bonus potential, and a benefits package. Benefits offerings may change over time.

Requirements

• At least two years of back-of-house management experience in a high-volume, fast-paced restaurant.
• Strong verbal and written communication skills.
• Exceptional leadership skills, including the ability to motivate, inspire, and develop a team.
• Passion for execution, hospitality, and service.
• Ability to sit, stand, and/or walk for up to 10 hours a day; occasionally stoop, bend, or kneel; and lift up to 40 pounds.
• Vision requirements include close, distance, peripheral, and depth perception, and the ability to adjust focus.

Nice To Haves

• Proficiency in Spanish.

Responsibilities

• Oversee day-to-day kitchen operations and coordinate food preparation, cooking, and plating.
• Maintain optimal kitchen workflow during peak periods and adapt as needed.
• Lead, inspire, and develop the team, fostering career growth and cross-training.
• Build a team focused on hospitality and culinary execution.
• Contribute to sales, profitability, and guest counts.
• Manage the restaurant’s P&L and meet financial objectives by forecasting, adjusting labor expenditures, practicing portion controls, preparing budgets, and analyzing variances.
• Communicate effectively with employees, guests, suppliers, and senior management.
• Maintain a safe and healthy environment by establishing, following, and complying with sanitation standards and procedures.

Benefits

• Comprehensive eight-week training program with online, book, and shoulder-to-shoulder learning.
• Opportunities for growth and development, including promotion from within.
• Access to the “The Proof” electronic learning platform for continuous development.
• All-you-can-eat pizza and manager meals while working.
• Management Dine-Out card for use with family and friends.
• Kindness Fund employee assistance program.
• Competitive compensation package with bonus potential.
• Comprehensive benefits package, including medical, dental, vision, and disability insurance.
• 401(k).

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Manager
• Education Level: No Education Listed