Sous Chef

Wildfire•Oak Brook, IL

5d•$55,000 - $75,000

About The Position

Wildfire, reminiscent of a 1940s supper club, serves classic dishes including its signature crusted steak, salads, and oven-roasted seafood, alongside martini flights, an extensive wine list, and hand-crafted cocktails. Lettuce Entertain You Restaurants is hiring a Sous Chef with 2 years of sous chef experience. The role leads back-of-house shifts and operations, including food preparation and cooking, inventory, kitchen supervision, and coordination with front-of-house teams. The position may involve working across multiple sites and varied shifts, including early mornings, late nights, and weekends, with or without overnight travel as needed. The listed salary range is USD $55,000–$75,000 per year.

Requirements

2–3 years of sous chef experience in a full-service restaurant.
Ability to lead and manage kitchen staff.
Ability to move and lift up to 10 pounds, frequently move and/or lift up to 25 pounds, and occasionally move and/or lift up to 50 pounds.

Responsibilities

Run back-of-house shifts and ensure effective, efficient operations, including food preparation and cooking, adequate food and supply inventory, and supervision of kitchen, dish, and other back-of-house teams.
Lead back-of-house pre-shift meetings and participate in line, temperature, and cooler checks and food tastings.
Partner with the general manager and/or designated managers or chefs to regularly review and maintain recipe books.
Perform regular line checks throughout the day to ensure the quality of menu items.
Purchase and order food products and restaurant supplies, including daily product orders.
Assist with tracking and controlling food costs.
Ensure effective communication of food production and timing issues, needs, and special requests between front-of-house and back-of-house teams.
Partner with the general manager and management team to interview, hire, onboard, train, supervise, and develop back-of-house employees and teams as needed.
Model and promote teamwork across all teams.
Use tact and good judgment when handling challenges involving guests, vendors, and employees, responding with patience and courtesy.
Work a variety of days and shifts, including early mornings, late nights, and weekends, at multiple sites, with or without overnight travel, as needed.