Line Cook – HopCat

BarFly (Project BarFly)•East Lansing, MI

About The Position

HopCat is seeking a kitchen professional to prepare safe, consistent, high-quality food with speed and precision. The Line Cook is responsible for setting up and maintaining a clean, organized, service-ready station; preparing menu items according to recipes and ticket modifications; meeting ticket-time expectations; and following food-safety, sanitation, allergen, and product-handling standards. The role supports the kitchen team by monitoring inventory, communicating issues early, assisting other stations, and completing prep, closing, and recordkeeping tasks as needed. The ideal candidate takes pride in their craft, works with urgency, communicates consistently, supports teammates, accepts feedback, and takes accountability for their work. Previous line-cook or high-volume kitchen experience is preferred but not required. The position involves standing and moving throughout the shift, lifting and carrying up to 50 pounds, and working around hot surfaces, fryers, sharp tools, steam, cleaning products, and changing temperatures. Flexible availability, including evenings, weekends, and holidays, is required. HopCat offers competitive pay, including tips where applicable, flexible scheduling, employee food discounts, training and skill-development opportunities, and potential growth within HopCat and Project BarFly. BarFly is an equal opportunity workplace that welcomes and supports people from diverse backgrounds.

Requirements

Ability to learn recipes, station procedures, equipment, and food-safety standards.
Dependability and ability to follow direction while working with urgency.
Flexible availability, including evenings, weekends, and holidays.
Ability to stand and move throughout the shift.
Ability to lift and carry up to 50 pounds.
Ability to work safely around hot surfaces, fryers, sharp tools, steam, cleaning products, and changing temperatures.

Nice To Haves

Previous line-cook or high-volume kitchen experience is preferred but not required.
Food-quality focus, urgency, consistency, station organization, teamwork, communication, accountability, and coachability.

Responsibilities

Set up the station with required product, tools, labels, and sanitation supplies before service.
Prepare menu items using approved recipes and cooking procedures, meeting portion, presentation, temperature, and ticket-modification standards.
Read tickets and execute modifications accurately while meeting expected ticket times without compromising safety, accuracy, or quality.
Use cook-to-order and approved production practices to reduce overproduction, extended hot-holding, waste, and variance.
Maintain a clean, organized, stocked, and inspection-ready station throughout the shift.
Follow FIFO, labeling, dating, holding, cooling, and allergen procedures.
Monitor product levels and communicate needs before supplies run out.
Communicate equipment problems, ticket concerns, and food-quality issues promptly.
Maintain equipment, utensils, floors, surfaces, and storage areas.
Record waste and avoid unauthorized food consumption or taking food home.
Complete cooling, labeling, rotation, cleaning, and closing responsibilities accurately.
Assist other stations and complete assigned prep as business needs require.