Kitchen Manager/Head Chef

Head Chef/Kitchen Manager – Serafini's Trattoria

Serafini's Trattoria is a family-owned Italian restaurant located in the heart of downtown Erie at 417 State Street. Built on the Serafini family's restaurant legacy dating back to 1938, we combine classic Italian hospitality with a modern dining experience centered around house-made pasta, scratch cooking, quality ingredients, and consistent execution.

We are seeking an experienced, hands-on Head Chef who can take ownership of back-of-house operations.

This is not simply a senior line-cook position. The Head Chef is expected to actively lead the kitchen, develop the team, manage day-to-day BOH systems, identify problems before they become service issues, and follow through without requiring ownership to continually initiate or manage routine kitchen responsibilities.

Position Summary

The Head Chef is responsible for the performance, organization, consistency, and leadership of the kitchen.

The right candidate will be equally comfortable working a station during a busy service, training a cook, building the BOH schedule, checking inventory, preparing an order, costing a menu item, correcting a plating issue, or leading the line through a difficult dinner rush.

We are looking for someone who demonstrates initiative, accountability, organization, urgency, and follow-through.

Ownership will establish the restaurant's overall direction and standards. The Head Chef is responsible for turning those expectations into consistent daily execution throughout the kitchen.

Core ResponsibilitiesKitchen Leadership & Accountability

• Take day-to-day ownership of BOH operations and kitchen performance
• Lead by example and maintain a professional, organized, calm kitchen
• Identify operational problems and take initiative to resolve them
• Hold employees accountable for recipes, portions, cleanliness, attendance, productivity, and performance
• Communicate clearly with ownership and FOH leadership regarding staffing, product, service, equipment, and operational concerns
• Follow through on assigned responsibilities without requiring repeated reminders or direction

Service & Line Execution

• Be fully capable of working and leading all major kitchen stations
• Direct the line and maintain control of service during high-volume periods
• Effectively manage ticket flow, pacing, communication, and quality control
• Maintain awareness of ticket times and immediately address service bottlenecks
• Inspect food before it leaves the kitchen for accuracy, temperature, portioning, plating, and presentation
• Step into any station necessary to keep service running effectively
• Coordinate closely with FOH leadership to resolve service issues quickly and professionally

Training & Team Development

• Actively train BOH employees rather than relying solely on other cooks to train one another
• Ensure employees are properly trained on recipes, portions, plating, equipment, sanitation, and station procedures
• Cross-train employees to strengthen station coverage and kitchen flexibility
• Coach performance issues promptly and communicate recurring problems to ownership
• Help recruit, interview, onboard, evaluate, and develop BOH employees
• Build a kitchen culture where expectations are clear and employees are held accountable to them

Inventory, Ordering & Receiving

The Head Chef is expected to actively own the kitchen's inventory and ordering process, including:

• Maintain accurate awareness of product levels and kitchen needs
• Complete inventory and prepare accurate orders according to established ordering schedules
• Anticipate upcoming product needs based on sales volume, reservations, events, catering, and menu requirements
• Prevent unnecessary shortages, emergency purchases, and over-ordering
• Verify deliveries for accuracy, quality, quantity, and condition
• Communicate vendor shortages, substitutions, pricing concerns, or product-quality issues
• Maintain proper product rotation and storage using FIFO standards
• Monitor food waste, spoilage, overproduction, and unnecessary purchasing

Food Cost & Recipe Control

• Maintain established recipes, portions, yields, and presentation standards
• Understand the relationship between purchasing, portions, waste, yield, and food cost
• Assist with recipe costing and maintain accurate costs for new dishes and specials
• Ensure new menu items or specials are properly costed, documented, trained, and executable before being introduced during service
• Monitor expensive ingredients and high-volume products for portion and waste control
• Identify opportunities to improve kitchen efficiency without sacrificing quality

Prep & Production Oversight

Serafini's utilizes dedicated prep leadership; however, the Head Chef remains responsible for ensuring production supports the needs of the restaurant.

Responsibilities include:

• Review production needs and communicate priorities
• Ensure appropriate pars are maintained
• Verify that prep is completed correctly, consistently, and on time
• Maintain recipe and yield standards
• Anticipate increased production needs for weekends, events, catering, holidays, and high-volume periods
• Correct production or quality issues before they affect service

Scheduling & Labor Management

• Create and maintain the BOH schedule based on projected business needs
• Ensure appropriate station coverage without unnecessary labor
• Address call-offs and coverage issues
• Monitor overtime and inefficient scheduling
• Balance proper staffing with responsible labor-cost management
• Communicate staffing needs and performance concerns proactively

Food Quality & Consistency

• Protect the consistency of Serafini's established recipes and standards
• Ensure recipes are followed unless changes have been approved
• Maintain consistent portions, preparation methods, temperatures, and presentation
• Conduct regular quality checks during prep and service
• Correct inconsistencies immediately and retrain when necessary
• Maintain high standards for house-made pasta and other scratch-prepared products

Menu Development & Specials

The Head Chef will have opportunities to contribute creatively while working within the restaurant's concept and financial goals.

New dishes and specials should be:

• Appropriate for the Serafini's concept
• Properly tested
• Accurately costed
• Documented with a repeatable recipe
• Taught to the employees responsible for producing them
• Executable consistently during normal service volume
• Approved before implementation

Creativity is valued, but consistent execution comes first.

Sanitation, Organization & Safety

• Maintain all food-safety and sanitation standards
• Ensure proper labeling, dating, storage, cooling, reheating, and temperature controls
• Maintain an organized walk-in, freezer, dry storage, prep areas, and line
• Ensure opening, closing, cleaning, and sanitation procedures are completed
• Maintain readiness for health-department inspections
• Ensure kitchen equipment is properly used and report maintenance issues promptly

What Success Looks Like

A successful Head Chef at Serafini's:

• Knows what the kitchen needs before being asked
• Comes prepared for service
• Maintains accurate inventory and ordering
• Develops stronger cooks rather than simply doing everything personally
• Can confidently lead the line during a busy service
• Keeps ticket flow controlled and organized
• Maintains recipe and plating consistency
• Controls waste and protects food cost
• Builds effective BOH schedules
• Communicates problems early rather than after they become emergencies
• Takes responsibility for mistakes and corrects the underlying problem
• Creates systems that make the kitchen more organized, consistent, and efficient

Qualifications

• REQUIRED prior experience as a Head Chef, Executive Chef, Kitchen Manager, Sous Chef, or comparable culinary leadership position
• Demonstrated experience supervising and developing kitchen employees
• Strong line-cooking and service leadership ability
• Experience with inventory, purchasing, and receiving
• Experience building or managing BOH schedules
• Working knowledge of food cost, recipe costing, portion control, and waste management
• Strong organizational and communication skills
• Thorough understanding of food safety and sanitation requirements
• Ability to prioritize and make decisions during high-volume service
• Comfortable being held accountable for measurable operational standards
• Ability to stand and walk for extended periods and lift up to 40 pounds

Italian cuisine, scratch-kitchen, and fresh-pasta experience are strongly preferred but not required for the right experienced kitchen leader.

The Person We're Looking For

Culinary ability matters, but this position requires more than being a talented cook.

We are looking for someone who is proactive rather than reactive, organized rather than chaotic, and comfortable being accountable for results.

The right Head Chef does not need to be reminded that an order is due, that an employee needs training, that inventory needs to be checked, or that a service problem needs to be corrected. They recognize what needs to happen, communicate when necessary, and take ownership of getting it done.

If you enjoy building strong kitchen systems, developing people, maintaining high standards, and taking genuine ownership of a restaurant's BOH operation, we would like to hear from you.

Benefits

• Competitive salary based on experience
• Flexible scheduling
• Employee dining discount
• Paid Time Off
• Health, Dental & Vision Insurance
• Free employee parking
• Professional growth and advancement opportunities
• Opportunity to have a meaningful role in the continued growth of an established family restaurant

Equal Opportunity Employer

Serafini's Trattoria is an Equal Opportunity Employer. Qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, veteran status, or any other status protected by applicable law.

Job Type: Full-time

Pay: $40,000.00 - $55,000.00 per year

Benefits:

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

Application Question(s):

• Did you attend and complete Culinary School? If yes, where?

Education:

• High school or equivalent (Required)

Experience:

• culinary leadership: 5 years (Required)
• Italian cuisine: 1 year (Preferred)
• Management: 1 year (Preferred)

License/Certification:

• ServSafe (Preferred)

Location:

• Erie, PA 16501 (Preferred)

Shift availability:

• Day Shift (Required)
• Night Shift (Required)

Work Location: In person