Retail Chef Manager

Compass Group•Kenosha, WI

11d•$70,000 - $80,000•Onsite

About The Position

Our Passion is Food!At Bon Appetit Management Company we are committed to two things, great food and outstanding service! At Bon Appetit you won't find our managers referring to a corporate recipe book or our chefs microwaving the lunch special. We do not have standardized recipes or central commissaries, instead, our chefs and managers are expected to stay abreast of current culinary trends and bring cutting edge food into their cafes. We are a restaurant company that operates in contract food service. That means you will have the freedom to be creative, take risks, and truly shine. We are committed to our staff growing, trying new things, and learning all that they can. Our rapid growth and breadth of accounts translates into exciting opportunities for our people! Job Summary The Retail Chef Manager is the single point of leadership and accountability for both Front-of-House (FOH) and Back-of-House (BOH) operations within Carthage College's retail dining program. This is a true dual-function leadership role that carries equal responsibility for culinary execution, guest experience, operational performance, team development, quality assurance, brand standards, food safety, and sanitation. Unlike traditional chef roles that focus primarily on kitchen operations, the Retail Chef Manager is expected to lead seamlessly between the kitchen and the dining room. This leader maintains a daily knife-in-hand presence in production while also serving as the operational leader for service, hospitality, merchandising, and the overall guest experience. Success in this role requires a leader who is equally passionate about developing culinary teams, engaging guests, driving front-of-house excellence, and ensuring operational execution across every aspect of the retail business.

Requirements

Experience leading both culinary and customer-facing foodservice operations.
Strong culinary foundation with a passion for remaining actively involved in daily food production.
Demonstrated success managing retail dining, restaurant, hospitality, or campus dining operations.
Knowledge of food safety, sanitation, quality assurance, and regulatory compliance.
Ability to lead, coach, and develop both kitchen and service teams.
Strong communication, organization, and problem-solving skills.
Commitment to hospitality, operational excellence, and guest satisfaction.

Nice To Haves

Experience in higher education or campus dining environments.
Culinary degree, certification, or equivalent professional experience.
ServSafe Manager Certification or equivalent food safety credential.
Experience managing retail concepts, merchandising programs, and guest engagement initiatives.

Responsibilities

Serve as the primary leader responsible for the overall success of both Front-of-House and Back-of-House operations.
Balance leadership presence between the kitchen and customer-facing environments to ensure excellence across all aspects of the business.
Create strong alignment between culinary execution, service standards, hospitality, merchandising, and operational goals.
Lead and develop both culinary and service teams, fostering a culture of collaboration, accountability, and guest focus.
Ensure communication, execution, and standards remain consistent across all areas of the operation.
Maintain a daily knife-in-hand presence, actively participating in food preparation, cooking, production, and service execution.
Oversee food quality, recipe adherence, presentation, consistency, and culinary innovation.
Manage production planning, inventory, ordering, waste reduction, and food cost performance.
Ensure compliance with all food safety, sanitation, HACCP, and workplace safety standards.
Train and mentor culinary team members through hands-on coaching and development.
Own the guest experience from entry through service completion.
Lead hospitality standards, customer engagement, retail presentation, merchandising, and brand execution.
Monitor service flow, speed of service, guest satisfaction, and overall dining room performance.
Ensure all customer-facing areas consistently reflect Bon Appétit's standards for cleanliness, organization, and hospitality.
Respond to guest feedback and implement solutions that enhance the dining experience.
Drive overall retail performance through strong leadership of both FOH and BOH teams.
Analyze operational trends and identify opportunities to improve guest satisfaction, efficiency, quality, and financial performance.
Manage labor deployment and staffing strategies across both service and culinary functions.
Partner with campus stakeholders and Bon Appétit leadership to achieve operational and guest experience objectives.