Executive Sous Chef

Sous Chef / Executive Sous Chef
Sovana Bistro · Kennett Square, PA
Pay: $70,000–$80,000 per year, plus bonus
Work location: In person

The opportunity

Sovana Bistro is a chef-owned farm-to-table bistro in Kennett Square, minutes from Longwood Gardens. Chef-owner Nick Farrell opened the concept in 1998 and still runs it with his wife, Linda. The kitchen is scratch: house-made pasta, wood-fired pizza, a wood-burning grill, and a menu that turns with Chester County product. Guests are a mix of neighborhood regulars and destination diners. The concept is closed Sunday and Monday.

We are hiring a Sous Chef / Executive Sous Chef to be the operating partner in Nick’s kitchen. This is a hands-on leadership seat in a seasonal, from-scratch kitchen — not a corporate menu matrix and not a tasting-menu lab. You will hold the line, the prep, and the standards when the chef-owner is on events, on the floor, or off the line.

What you will own

• Daily kitchen operations across prep, pasta, wood fire, grill, and the line, with clean execution on lunch, brunch, and dinner.
• Ordering, inventory, and food cost. Walk-ins stay tight and prep lists stay current.
• Training and coaching cooks. Build a team that can hold quality without you standing on every station.
• Menu execution as the seasons change, including house-made gluten-free and vegetarian options that are actually on the menu.
• Food safety, allergy protocols, and sanitation. ServSafe or equivalent preferred.
• Hands-on work on the line and in prep during service. This is a lead-from-the-front seat.
• Partnership with the chef-owner and the front-of-house team so the dining room, bar, terrace, and private dining get the same plate every time.

Who we are looking for

• Progressive experience in a scratch kitchen — Italian, Mediterranean, farm-to-table, or wood-fired — with real station work behind you.
• Comfort running a board and still cooking. You can work any station and teach it.
• Cost, ordering, and organization, not just plating.
• Someone who can work next to a chef-owner without needing to own the brand.
• A coach. The team should get better because you are there.
• Reliable on a restaurant schedule: lunch and dinner, Tuesday through Saturday, including holidays that fall on those days. Sunday and Monday are closed.
• English/Spanish is an advantage, not a requirement.

Compensation and package

• $70,000–$80,000 base, based on experience
• Bonus-eligible
• Full benefits, including medical
• Meals during shift
• Closed Sunday and Monday
• A 28-year owner-operated kitchen with the chef still in the building

Sovana Bistro is at 696 Unionville Road, Kennett Square, PA 19348, in Willowdale Town Center.

Pay: $70,000.00 - $80,000.00 per year

Benefits:

• Dental insurance
• Flexible schedule
• Food provided
• Health insurance
• Paid time off
• Vision insurance

Work Location: In person