Kitchen Chef / Head Chef

Emish Restaurant is a Ukrainian and European restaurant located in Federal Way, WA. We are looking for an experienced and passionate Head Chef to lead our kitchen team and help us deliver authentic, high-quality Ukrainian and European cuisine.

The ideal candidate is an experienced culinary professional with strong leadership skills, excellent knowledge of Ukrainian and European cooking, and a passion for creating high-quality food.

What You'll Do

• Lead and oversee daily kitchen operations
• Prepare and oversee authentic Ukrainian and European dishes
• Develop and improve menu items while maintaining traditional flavors and quality
• Ensure consistency in taste, quality, portion sizes, and presentation
• Train, supervise, and support kitchen staff
• Assign daily tasks and ensure efficient kitchen workflow
• Monitor food preparation, cooking, plating, and service
• Maintain high standards of food quality and presentation
• Manage food inventory, ordering, and product rotation
• Control food waste and help maintain food cost standards
• Ensure proper food storage, labeling, and handling
• Maintain a clean, organized, and safe kitchen
• Ensure compliance with food safety and sanitation standards
• Work closely with restaurant management on menu planning, specials, and kitchen operations
• Lead by example and maintain a professional and respectful kitchen environment

Work Schedule: Full-time; schedule will be discussed during the interview. Weekend and holiday availability is required.

PayCompensation: $27-35 per hour (Competitive pay based on experience and qualifications).

Benefits:
We offer competitive employee benefits including paid sick leave (1 hour per 40 hours worked), partial employer-covered medical insurance (75% for full-time employees), and paid vacation: 1 week after 1 year of employment and 2 weeks after 2 years.

Required Qualifications

• 5+ years of professional experience as a Head Chef, Executive Chef, Chef, or Kitchen Manager.
• Must already have an established kitchen team or have proven experience recruiting and building a kitchen team from the ground up.
• Proven experience managing a restaurant with 110-120+ seats or a similar high-volume operation.
• Proven experience opening a restaurant from the ground up, with the ability to prepare and launch the kitchen operation within approximately 2 months.
• Strong knowledge of recipe and production development, including creating and maintaining standardized recipe/production cards.
• Strong understanding of food costing, cost pricing, portion control, and food cost management.
• Ability to prepare, understand, and manage ProfitLoss (P&L) for the kitchen/restaurant operation.
• Experience planning and managing purchasing, ordering, inventory, and supplier relationships.
• Ability to train, lead, and develop kitchen staff and maintain high performance standards.
• Experience with performance management, disciplinary warnings, employee termination, attendance, and timesheet management.
• Ability to create and manage staff schedules based on business needs, labor requirements, and expected volume.
• Proficiency with restaurant management software, POS systems, scheduling software, and other restaurant technology.
• Experience working in an open-kitchen environment.
• Excellent leadership, communication, and interpersonal skills with strong soft skills and the ability to effectively manage people and resolve conflicts.
• Strong problem-solving and decision-making skills in a fast-paced, high-volume restaurant environment.
• Strong knowledge of food presentation and plating, with the ability to create attractive and consistent plate designs.
• Ability to maintain high standards of food quality, consistency, portioning, presentation, cleanliness, and kitchen organization.
• Experience developing and implementing kitchen SOPs, recipes, production standards, and quality-control procedures.
• Ability to monitor and improve kitchen efficiency, profitability, labor costs, and food costs.
• Strong knowledge of Ukrainian and European cuisine is highly preferred.
• Must be willing to be a hands-on leader and actively participate in kitchen operations, particularly during the restaurant opening and initial development period.