Esquire Sushi Chef

Location: 58 East Oak Street, Gold Coast, Chicago, IL Employment type: Full-time Classification: Salaried, exempt Reports to: Executive Chef

Why Esquire

Esquire is a 265-seat luxury steakhouse in Chicago’s Gold Coast where Japanese precision meets French technique — anchored by an elite Wagyu and seafood program, a four-level Wine Tower, the OakShō omakase counter, and the invitation-only 58 Club. We hold an uncompromising standard and hire people who want to set it, not just meet it. Esquire is operated by M Street Collective, the group behind Nashville’s Virago, Moto, Kayne Prime, and Saint Añejo.

The Role

Leads the dining-room sushi and raw program — globally sourced fish arriving daily, an in-house fish-aging program, and caviar and shellfish presentations that share top billing with the steak. Distinct from the OakShō omakase brigade, this role carries quality and consistency across high-volume sushi service.

What You’ll Do

• Run the dining-room sushi station; execute nigiri, sashimi, and raw presentations to standard.
• Manage daily fish receiving, the fish-aging program, and impeccable cold-line food safety.
• Develop and hold knife and plating standards across the sushi team.
• Partner with the EC and OakShō brigade on sourcing and quality.

What You Bring

• 5+ years sushi experience in quality-driven Japanese or fine-dining kitchens.
• Expert fish fabrication, aging, and cold-line food-safety discipline.
• Calm precision at high volume.

Certifications & Requirements

• Certified Food Protection Manager (CFPM) — REQUIRED. Current ANSI-CFP–accredited CFPM (valid 5 years); this role serves as an on-duty CFPM. At least one CFPM must be present during all hours of food preparation and service.
• Allergen Awareness (manager) — REQUIRED with CFPM. Illinois-approved, ANSI-accredited allergen training within 30 days; renew every 3 years; kept on site.
• Raw-fish program — REQUIRED to own cold-line HACCP controls, including parasite-destruction (freezing) records, under the Illinois Food Code.

Compensation — Pay Scale

$74,000 to $90,000 per year, paid as an annual salary (market-aligned). The final offer is confirmed in writing. This position is eligible for a performance bonus as a component of total compensation.

Benefits & Perks

Eligible team members receive group medical, dental, and vision insurance (the Company pays part of the premium), a 401(k) plan, Company-paid life insurance, and a confidential Employee Assistance Program. Time off includes Paid Time Off for eligible salaried positions, Chicago Paid Leave and Paid Sick and Safe Leave, and paid bereavement leave, plus the protected leaves required by federal and Illinois law (FMLA, VESSA, military, jury, and voting). Final plan details and eligibility are confirmed in the written offer.

How to Apply

Interested? Send your résumé — and references where applicable — to [email protected] or apply through the platform where you found this role.

Held to Esquire’s four pillars — quality, consistency, hospitality, and innovation — and the five universal competencies: professionalism, teamwork, growth mindset, excellence, and hospitality.

About Esquire

Esquire is a modern luxury steakhouse on Oak Street in Chicago’s Gold Coast — Japanese precision built on a French foundation, anchored by an elite Wagyu program and a seafood-and-sushi program that earns equal billing. Across a 265-seat dining room, a four-level ~5,000-bottle Wine Tower, the Trophy Room, the invitation-only 58 Club, and the OakShō omakase counter, it delivers omotenashi-inspired hospitality and culinary theater in a vintage-Hollywood setting.

About M Street Collective

M Street Collective is the hospitality group behind Esquire, with operations in Nashville and Chicago. Built on four pillars — quality, consistency, hospitality, and innovation — and a commitment to innovation, leadership development and world-class training, the Collective creates restaurants and experiences defined by an uncompromising standard and genuine, anticipatory care.

M Street Collective is an equal opportunity employer. We consider all qualified applicants without regard to race (including traits associated with race under the CROWN Act), color, religion, sex, pregnancy, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, national origin, ancestry, age, marital or family-responsibilities status, disability, military or veteran status, citizenship or immigration status, arrest or conviction record (as limited by law), credit history, genetic information, or any other characteristic protected by federal, Illinois, or Chicago law. Consistent with the Illinois Job Opportunities for Qualified Applicants Act, we do not ask about criminal history on the application, and we do not ask about salary history. Reasonable accommodations are available for applicants with disabilities, for pregnancy and related conditions, and for religious observance — contact People Operations. This position is performed in Chicago, Illinois.

Experience

Required

• 5 year(s): Sushi experience in quality-driven Japanese or fine-dining kitchens

Preferred

• Expert fish fabrication, aging, and cold-line food-safety discipline
• Calm precision at high volume

Licenses & Certifications

Required

• Food Allergen Awareness
• Cert Food Protection Mgr

Equal Opportunity Employer
This employer is required to notify all applicants of their rights pursuant to federal employment laws. For further information, please review the Know Your Rights (https://www.eeoc.gov/poster) notice from the Department of Labor.