Job Description

The Position:

Chef De Cuisine

The Chef de Cuisine is the star of the restaurant. They will lead and oversee all culinary operations, ensuring the highest standards of food quality, execution, and presentation. The Chef will also be associated with the restaurant’s awards, PR, and marketing efforts, personally reaping the rewards of the work they have executed.

This role requires a passionate, experienced, and innovative leader committed to sustainability, seasonality, and local sourcing. Working closely with the owner and management team, the Chef will help shape an exceptional dining experience that aligns with the restaurant’s vision and values.

GENERAL EXPECTATION:

• Lead and manage all culinary operations, maintaining excellence in food quality, innovation, and consistency.
• Mentor kitchen teams to ensure high food standards, staff growth, and facility upkeep.
• Foster a positive and professional work environment based on respect, teamwork, and continuous learning.
• Ensure all guests receive warm, professional, and gracious service at all times.
• Act with integrity, honesty, and deep knowledge that reflect the restaurant’s culture, values, and mission.
• Oversee operational efficiencies, including finance, hiring, employee development, and customer satisfaction.
• Uphold service standards in line with prestigious industry recognitions, including Zagat, Wine Spectator, and Michelin star expectations.
• Represent the restaurant professionally through effective communication, collaboration, and leadership.
• Adhere to and enforce all policies, procedures, and training programs.
• Provide thoughtful solutions to challenges and contribute to key decision-making processes.

This role is pivotal in Opening, maintaining and elevating the restaurant’s reputation, ensuring a seamless and exceptional dining experience while fostering a culture of excellence and innovation.

RESPONSIBILITY:

Management & Supervisory Tasks:

• Training & Development: Train Kitchen Team on cooking techniques, portion sizes, and garnishing standards. Provide ongoing mentorship to improve performance and develop skills.
• Staffing & Scheduling: Maintain adequate staffing levels based on business volume, and budget. Prepare and post weekly staff schedules, ensuring all staff is present for their shifts.
• Performance Management: Evaluate employee performance through regular reviews and conduct monthly department meetings. Address issues and celebrate successes at the end of shifts.

Food Quality & Cost Control:

• Quality Assurance: Oversee BOH operations, ensuring the quality of food through daily tastings and maintaining relationships with local farmers for the best ingredients.
• Menu Development & Updates: Create new Menus Dishes, that reflect yours creativity and style along the Restaurant identity.
• Cost Control: Monitor food costs through yield tests, adjust purchasing and supply requisitions, and negotiate with vendors to ensure high-quality ingredients are used while controlling costs.
• Compliance: Ensure compliance with health and safety regulations, including HACCP protocols, and maintain required permits and licenses.

Operations & Leadership:

• Employee Development: Foster a culture of respect and development, providing opportunities for staff to grow professionally through training and positive work environment practices.
• Inventory & Purchasing: Oversee inventory management and daily purchasing responsibilities, ensuring the timely receipt of quality products.
• Equipment Maintenance: Ensure kitchen equipment is clean and in working order through regular inspection and preventive maintenance.

REQUIRED QUALITIES:

• Proven leadership traits such as honesty, a strong work ethic, and high moral integrity.
• A belief in hands-on management, fostering a direct and engaged leadership style.
• Minimum of 4 years' experience in a Michelin-starred restaurant.
• Menu development, with a strong ability to create and execute innovative dishes.
• Proficiency in operations management, including cost control, health and safety practices, and upholding five-star service standards.
• Strong verbal communication skills for effective interaction with both internal teams and external partners.
• Skilled in problem-solving and time management, ensuring smooth and efficient operations.
• Proficiency with technology, including tools like Google Suite, Excel, and kitchen-specific software.
• A business philosophy that emphasizes a positive work culture and employee development.
• Knowledge of cooking techniques, knowledge of methods, and use of the latest kitchen equipment technology.

Job type

• Full-time, Salary

Work setting

• Restaurant

What We Offer:

• The opportunity to lead a restaurant with High ambitions from the ground up.
• Creative freedom to develop and innovate a world-class menu.
• A highly professional work environment with top-tier equipment and ingredients.
• Competitive salary and performance-based incentives.
• Fun, dynamic, and innovative atmosphere
• Support in achieving Michelin recognition and establishing your culinary legacy.

Benefits:

• Retirement Plans
• Dental insurance
• Vision insurance
• Health insurance
• Paid vacation, Sick, and Holiday time
• Bonuses to add on
• Free daily meal
• Dining discounts for employees, on our restaurant group
• Career advancement opportunities and progressive development plans

About the Restaurant:

It is a Coastal Italian restaurant set to open in mid-August in La Jolla. Designed by the award-winning design firm Bells & Whistles, the space reflects a blend of elegance and coastal charm. The cuisine is inspired by the flavors of coastal Italy, with an emphasis on fresh, seasonal California ingredients. The menu is chef-driven with Michelin-level aspirations, offering a refined yet approachable dining experience.

From Sd Mag: “We are trying to evoke warm summers in Sicily and also the sort of warm hospitality and welcoming atmosphere that you feel when you walk into someone’s home in Sicily”.

GROOMING:

All employees must maintain a neat/hat, clean and well-groomed appearance per Dora Ristorante standards outlined in the Service manual.

CERTIFICATES, LICENSES, REGISTRATIONS

Must have and maintain a current Food Handlers Card.

REASONING ABILITY

Ability to solve practical problems and deal with a variety of concrete variables in situations where only limited standardization exists. Must be able to solve routine and no routine problems. Ability to interpret a variety of instructions furnished in written, oral, diagram or schedule form.

PHYSICAL DEMANDS

The employee must regularly lift and/or move up to 10 pounds, frequently lift and/or move up to 25 pounds, and occasionally lift and/or move up to 50 pounds.

Statement:

We are an Equal Opportunity Employer that is committed to inclusion and diversity. We take affirmative action to ensure equal opportunity for all applicants without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, veteran status, or other legally protected characteristics.

Qualifications

• Menu planning
• Culinary experience
• Kitchen management
• Catering
• Food management
• Food service management
• Driver's License
• Food Safety Certification
• ServSafe

Qualifications

• Non-CDL Class C
• CDL

Job Type: Salary

Ability to Commute:

• La Jolla, CA 92093 (Required)

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