Lead Line Cook / Kitchen Manager

Overview
Gasthaus Bavarian Hunter is a beloved German-themed family dining destination rooted in the warmth, tradition, and gemütlichkeit of authentic Bavarian hospitality. We are looking for an experienced, organized, and dependable leader to open our kitchen, oversee daily preparation, and help guide our kitchen team with confidence and care.

This is a hands-on leadership role. You will be the first person in the kitchen each day, responsible for getting everything ready before the rest of the team arrives—and you will stay engaged throughout service, helping cook, plate, and keep things running smoothly. Half of the days wrap up by late-afternoon, giving you some evenings back—a rarity in the restaurant industry.

Regular Duties (Wednesday - Sunday)

Opening (9:00–10:00am)

• Open the kitchen and activate all equipment: lights, vent hoods, ovens, range, flat-top, fryers, dishwasher water booster, warmers, steam tables, soup wells, etc.
• Setup the hot and cold food lines: place food on lines for service no later than 9:30am.
• Inventory prepared food in the cooler and build a prep list pursuant to defined pars and to fulfill event requirements held that day (if any).
• Prepare and place sanitary buckets and trash cans throughout the kitchen.
• Write the daily specials on the kitchen whiteboard for notification to the service staff.

Prep (10:00am–3:00pm)

• Lead and participate in prep alongside the kitchen team, following established recipes.
• At the close of prep: (1) count specific items and enter their availability into the computer system; (2) organize freezers, coolers, and dry storage areas; and (3) check and record food and cooler/freezer temperatures.

Service (11:00am–9:00pm)

• Cook and plate guest orders while prep is ongoing (beginning at 11:00am).
• Assist kitchen staff with cooking and plating through the dinner service (beginning at 3:00pm), as needed.
• If the kitchen is fully staffed and running smoothly, you are free to leave after all of the opening duties are completed and the items on the prep list are manufactured—early release is common on Wednesday and Thursday, with closing generally required on Friday thru Sunday.

Special Duties

Sunday (approximately 2 hours)

• Menu plan for the next week in anticipation of inventory.
• Inventory raw materials in dry storage and in coolers.
• Submit orders to vendors in order to replenish stock to established par levels and upcoming event requirements no later than 4:00pm.

Tuesday (9:00am-4:00pm)

• Receive vendor deliveries, check-in product, put receivables away in their proper place (organizing as necessary), and file incoming invoices in the office.
• While waiting for deliveries, clean the following: (1) range; (2) hood and its vents; (3) steam well pans; (4) fryers; (5) heat lamps; (6) steam oven; and (7) grease trap.
• When the cleaning is complete and all deliveries have been received and properly put away, you are free to leave.

Ongoing

• Direct (and train) kitchen staff as to food preparation, cooking, plating, and safety standards: this includes assigning activities to kitchen staff on a daily basis.
• Oversee the cleanliness and organization of the kitchen throughout the day, including initiation of cleaning projects.
• Maintain a valid Minnesota Certified Food Protection Manager (CFPM) certificate at your own cost.

Compensation

Paid hourly. Expect between $936 to $1,098 per week: 6-7 hours on Tuesday thru Thursday; and 10-11 hours on Friday thru Sunday. You are expected to work at least 45 hours and you are limited to 65 hours (the amount you work is at your discretion within this range, so long as the job duties are fulfilled).

Time off must be approved prior to taking leave. We do not operate on select dates over the 4th Of July, Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Years Eve/Day (about 8 days). You are required to work on Valentine's Day, Easter, Saint Patrick's Day/Weekend, Mother's Day, Father's Day, Labor Day, the two consecutive work weeks following the Monday after Labor Day, and the first Saturday in December.

Pay: $855.00 - $1,395.00 per week

Benefits:

• Paid time off

Education:

• Bachelor's (Preferred)

Experience:

• Kitchen management: 2 years (Required)
• Leadership: 1 year (Preferred)
• Inventory management: 1 year (Required)

Language:

• English (Required)
• German (Preferred)
• Spanish (Preferred)

License/Certification:

• Minnesota Certified Food Protection Manager (CFPM) (Required)

Shift availability:

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

Ability to Commute:

• Stillwater, MN 55082 (Required)

Work Location: In person