Restaurant AM Sous Chef - Haven

Haven•Blowing Rock, NC

5d•Onsite

About The Position

A new chef-driven restaurant concept is opening in the Blowing Rock area, backed by Chetola Resort. This role is for an experienced and passionate AM Sous Chef who will take full ownership of the kitchen’s breakfast, brunch, and lunch operations. The restaurant's menu is rooted in Appalachian cuisine, showcasing hyper-seasonal ingredients with global culinary inspirations and modern techniques. The AM Sous Chef will lead daily preparation and service execution, ensure quality standards, direct kitchen staff, manage schedules, purchasing, inventory, sanitation, and financial performance for AM and lunch periods. This is a hands-on leadership role for someone who thrives in a fast-paced environment and takes pride in building a team and creating memorable dining experiences.

Requirements

At least two years of culinary leadership experience in a chef-driven, fine-dining, upscale, resort, or scratch-kitchen environment.
Demonstrated ability to take full ownership of a culinary operation, meal period, or kitchen department.
Strong leadership skills with the ability to set clear expectations, make sound decisions, and inspire, coach, and develop others.
Experience managing kitchen schedules, staffing levels, labor costs, food costs, purchasing, inventory, production, and sanitation.
Proven ability to lead breakfast, brunch, or lunch service in a fast-paced, high-standard environment.
Excellent knife skills and advanced culinary fundamentals.
Strong organizational, planning, communication, and problem-solving skills.
Ability to collaborate effectively with co-equal culinary leaders while maintaining clear ownership of assigned operations.
Ability to remain calm, focused, decisive, and solution-oriented under pressure.
Strong attention to detail and a commitment to consistency.
Passion for seasonal ingredients, craftsmanship, team development, and hospitality.
ServSafe Manager Certification or the ability to obtain it within 60 days of hire.
Ability to work early mornings, weekends, and holidays based on business and operational needs.
Flexibility to work outside the position’s typical schedule when staffing, special events, or business levels require it.
Ability to stand and move throughout the kitchen for extended periods.
Ability to frequently lift, carry, push, or pull up to 50 pounds.
Ability to work safely and effectively in a hot, fast-paced, and physically demanding kitchen environment.

Nice To Haves

Culinary degree preferred but not required.
Humble, hardworking, curious, and excited to help build something meaningful.

Responsibilities

Take full ownership of all kitchen operations supporting breakfast, brunch, and lunch.
Lead daily preparation and service execution with precision, professionalism, efficiency, and urgency.
Ensure all dishes are prepared and presented according to established recipes, quality standards, and the restaurant’s culinary vision.
Serve as the culinary decision-maker during AM and lunch operations.
Direct, supervise, and support all cooks and prep team members assigned to AM and lunch operations.
Establish daily prep priorities, production levels, station assignments, service expectations, and staffing plans.
Maintain appropriate kitchen coverage and adjust staffing and production in response to anticipated and actual business levels.
Resolve food-quality, staffing, equipment, service, and operational issues arising during AM and lunch periods.
Maintain a highly organized, clean, safe, and efficient kitchen environment.
Ensure an effective handoff between AM and PM operations, including clear communication regarding staffing, inventory, preparation, maintenance, and guest-service needs.
Collaborate as an equal partner with the Chef de Cuisine and Banquet Sous Chef to support the overall success of the resort’s culinary operation.
Lead recruiting, selection, onboarding, training, coaching, performance management, and development for cooks and prep team members assigned to AM and lunch operations.
Create and manage AM culinary schedules based on forecasted business levels, operational needs, labor targets, and employee availability.
Assign stations and responsibilities and conduct daily lineups and team communication.
Establish clear expectations and hold team members accountable for performance, attendance, punctuality, food quality, sanitation, safety, and workplace standards.
Provide regular hands-on instruction, constructive feedback, and culinary education.
Address employee performance and conduct concerns promptly and consistently in partnership with the Assistant General Manager and People & Culture.
Foster a positive, respectful, and collaborative kitchen culture built on accountability, communication, teamwork, and continuous improvement.
Lead by example and model professionalism, hospitality, urgency, and respect.
Build effective communication and cooperation among the AM, PM, and banquet culinary teams.
Own the development, execution, and continued improvement of breakfast, brunch, and lunch menus.
Develop and maintain standardized recipes, preparation procedures, plating guides, production pars, and quality standards for AM and lunch offerings.
Lead recipe testing, tastings, seasonal menu changes, daily specials, and AM-focused culinary programming.
Ensure every dish is executed consistently, efficiently, and with careful attention to flavor, presentation, temperature, and timing.
Use guest feedback, sales results, food-cost data, and operational observations to improve menus and execution.
Contribute creative ideas and techniques that enhance the guest experience and support the restaurant’s broader culinary identity.
Work thoughtfully with exceptional regional ingredients while respecting seasonality, quality, and product integrity.
Ensure dietary restrictions, allergies, and special requests are handled accurately and safely.
Coordinate with the Chef de Cuisine and Banquet Sous Chef when menus, products, preparation needs, or staffing responsibilities overlap.
Manage food and labor costs for AM and lunch operations in alignment with established budgets and performance targets.
Forecast production and staffing needs based on reservations, occupancy, historical demand, special events, and anticipated business levels.
Manage ordering, receiving, inventory, product rotation, and production levels for AM and lunch operations.
Coordinate purchasing and shared product utilization with the Chef de Cuisine and Banquet Sous Chef.
Inspect deliveries and stored products for accuracy, freshness, quality, and proper handling.
Control portions, monitor yields, minimize waste, and maximize responsible product utilization.
Maintain accurate inventory records, prep lists, waste logs, production records, temperature logs, and other required kitchen documentation.
Review operational and financial results and take corrective action when food cost, labor cost, waste, or productivity falls outside established expectations.
Maintain full accountability for sanitation, food safety, and workplace safety during AM and lunch operations.
Ensure proper labeling, dating, storage, cooling, reheating, temperature documentation, cleaning, and sanitation procedures are consistently followed.
Maintain compliance with all health department, food-safety, workplace-safety, and resort standards.
Conduct regular inspections of kitchen stations, storage areas, coolers, equipment, and documentation.
Ensure team members are properly trained in food handling, allergy protocols, equipment use, sanitation, and workplace safety.
Identify and promptly report equipment, maintenance, safety, staffing, and product-quality concerns.
Take immediate corrective action when food-safety, sanitation, quality, or workplace-safety standards are not met.