Kitchen Cook & Prep

Starting at $18/hour + shared tips | Full-Time

Blue Ridge Cafe is looking for a dependable, hardworking Kitchen Cook & Prep to join our team.

This is a hands-on position responsible for the day-to-day preparation of our breakfast and grab-and-go food program. You'll be preparing made-to-order breakfast items, producing sandwiches, wraps and salads for our display, and helping us prepare our baked goods.

We're a small neighborhood café, so we're looking for someone who can work independently, stay organized, move quickly, and take pride in the food they prepare.

What You'll Do

Breakfast

• Prepare and cook made-to-order breakfast sandwiches and other breakfast items.
• Prepare ingredients and maintain an organized breakfast station.
• Work efficiently during busy morning service.
• Follow recipes and portion standards consistently.

Sandwiches, Wraps & Salads

• Prepare sandwiches, wraps, salads, and other grab-and-go items for our refrigerated display.
• Wash, cut, portion, and prepare ingredients.
• Assemble and package items consistently and neatly.
• Keep the display stocked throughout the day.
• Properly label, date, store, and rotate prepared foods.

Baking

• Help prepare and bake our café baked goods, including banana breads, muffins, cookies, and seasonal items.
• Follow recipes carefully and maintain consistency from batch to batch.
• Keep track of daily baking needs and communicate when additional production is needed.

Kitchen Organization & Cleaning

• Follow daily prep and production lists.
• Keep the kitchen clean, organized, and ready for service.
• Properly clean and sanitize equipment, work surfaces, and utensils.
• Follow food safety and temperature-control procedures.
• Minimize waste through proper portioning, storage, and rotation.
• Communicate when ingredients or supplies are running low.

We're Looking For Someone Who Is

• Experienced in a café, restaurant, bakery, catering, deli, or similar food-service environment.
• Comfortable with both cooking and food preparation.
• Organized and able to follow prep lists independently.
• Fast and efficient while maintaining quality.
• Reliable and punctual.
• Comfortable working independently as well as with a small team.
• Clean and attentive to food safety.
• Willing to learn our recipes and systems.
• Someone who notices what needs to be done and takes initiative.

Professional kitchen experience is preferred. Baking experience is a plus.

Schedule

Full-time, approximately 35–40 hours per week.

Primarily daytime hours with a focus on breakfast and daytime food production. Weekend availability is required.

Compensation & Growth

We believe in rewarding people who grow with the business. Pay increases are based on demonstrated performance, reliability, speed, consistency, food quality, ability to work independently, and taking greater ownership of the kitchen.

The goal is for the right person to grow into an increasingly important role within our kitchen operation.

Why Join Blue Ridge Cafe?

We are building a neighborhood café where food, coffee, and hospitality all matter. You'll have a meaningful role in shaping and maintaining our food program rather than being one person on a large restaurant line.

If you enjoy cooking, preparing food from scratch, staying organized, and taking pride in what goes out to customers, we'd love to hear from you.

Pay: From $18.00 per hour

Expected hours: 35.0 – 40.0 per week

Benefits:

• Employee discount
• Flexible schedule
• Paid training

Work Location: In person