Sous Chef

Black Briar • Chicago, IL

28d • Onsite

About The Position

Black Briar is a creative American restaurant anchored by an open coal grill, a serious raw bar, and ingredient-first cooking with a Chicago tavern soul. Led by Chef Jimmy Papadopoulos, we are opening in the West Loop and building something permanent - a kitchen with a point of view, a team with standards, and a menu that earns its place in the city we love. We are looking for a Sous Chef who is ready to step into real leadership. Someone with strong technique, a coach's instinct, and the discipline to hold a standard shift after shift without being told to.

The Sous Chef is the third in command of the Black Briar kitchen. You support and execute the vision of the Chef de Cuisine (CDC) - owning your station, leading your cooks, and ensuring that every plate leaving the pass meets the standard set by this kitchen. You report directly to the Chef de Cuisine. This is an active, hands-on role. You are cooking, teaching, and holding the line accountable in equal measure. Leadership here is earned on the floor, not assigned by title.

The Black Briar kitchen is built around a coal grill and a raw bar. The menu is live-fire forward, ingredient-driven, and rooted in American tavern cooking - honest, refined, and without unnecessary complexity. Every cook on this team is expected to understand the food, execute it consistently, and take pride in the standard. This is a kitchen where technique matters, culture matters, and showing up fully prepared matters. If you are looking to grow into a CDC role, this is the place to do it.

Requirements

• Minimum 3 years in a professional kitchen, with at least 1 year in a lead cook or Sous Chef role at a full-service concept
• Live-fire cooking experience strongly preferred - this kitchen runs on coal and the candidate should be comfortable with fire
• Raw bar familiarity a plus
• Strong fundamentals - knife skills, station discipline, seasoning instinct, and an understanding of how a kitchen moves
• A genuine interest in developing cooks - patience and precision in equal measure
• Valid City of Chicago and State of Illinois Food Sanitation License required
• Ability to work a flexible schedule including evenings, weekends, and holidays

Responsibilities

• Line execution during service - quality, consistency, timing, and precision at your station and across the kitchen
• Pre-shift prep oversight - readiness, organization, and mise en place to standard before every service
• Real-time coaching and accountability of line and prep cooks during service
• Sanitation and food safety compliance on every shift - no exceptions
• Receivables support and daily product checks in coordination with the CDC
• Kitchen setup and breakdown - executed completely, on time, every time
• Communication between the pass and the team - clear, calm, and effective under pressure
• Menu knowledge across all stations - you can cook every position and teach it

Benefits

• Performance bonus tied to kitchen consistency and team development metric
• Health benefits with employer contribution
• Employee dining benefit
• Annual performance review with merit increase opportunity

What This Job Offers

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