Culinary Director

Kizuki International LLC is a dynamic and rapidly growing culinary company dedicated to sharing authentic Asian culinary experiences with a wide audience. The company operates an impressive portfolio of Asian culinary brands, including Kizuki Ramen & Izakaya, Supreme Dumplings, and Tang Bar / Swish Swish, each offering a unique and authentic taste of Asian cuisine. Kizuki Ramen & Izakaya is renowned for delivering the most authentic Japanese ramen experience outside of Japan, crafted with scratch-made broths and designed with Japanese-inspired interiors that capture the essence of traditional craftsmanship. Supreme Dumplings specializes in handcrafted Xiao Long Bao and other small bites, prepared with precision and heartfelt execution, while Tang Bar / Swish Swish is a modern fast-casual concept featuring bold Sichuan malatang flavors served in a customizable and energetic setting.

Together, these concepts share core values of craftsmanship, connection, hospitality, and an unwavering commitment to culinary excellence. Operating over 20 restaurant locations and more than 4 central kitchens and commissary facilities across multiple states, Kizuki International LLC is poised for continued growth and success in the vibrant food industry.

The role of Culinary Director represents a senior leadership position at Kizuki International LLC, central to driving culinary excellence, operational consistency, menu innovation, and food quality across all restaurant brands and commissary kitchens. This full-time role, based in Redmond / Renton, WA but impacting company-wide operations, offers an annual salary range of $110,000 to $130,000, with compensation determined based on experience, skills, and internal equity.

As Culinary Director, you will be charged with overseeing the culinary strategy and execution for over 20 restaurant locations along with multiple central kitchens supporting the company’s distinct brands. This position requires a strategic, hands-on leader who can inspire and coach back-of-house teams, uphold and elevate culinary standards, and closely collaborate with other departments including Operations, Procurement, Marketing, and Executive Leadership. You will report directly to the Director of Operations and play a pivotal role in shaping the company's culinary vision and operational practices.

The Culinary Director will maintain, enforce, and lift culinary standards by ensuring consistency in flavor, texture, presentation, and portioning across all establishments. This role involves conducting thorough audits on food quality, kitchen cleanliness, equipment status, and health-code compliance, as well as standardizing recipes, standard operating procedures, and production systems across concepts. Menu innovation is a key focus area, where the Culinary Director will lead new menu item creation, testing, and rollout, collaborate with Marketing on promotions and culinary storytelling, and identify opportunities to enhance guest experiences through innovation.

Operationally, the Culinary Director will manage food and labor costs, budgets, and optimize key financial metrics including prime cost, cost of goods sold, inventory turnover, and menu profitability. Partnering with Procurement, the role includes sourcing high-quality ingredients while controlling costs and overseeing equipment upkeep, workflow design, and production throughput in kitchens.

The position also demands a strong emphasis on team leadership and development, involving coaching chefs, kitchen managers, and commissary leads, fostering a collaborative kitchen culture, and delivering training on culinary techniques, safety, and operational best practices. Additionally, the Culinary Director champion quality assurance and safety by upholding strict food safety standards, allergen management procedures, maintaining audit scores, and mitigating safety risks.

Interdepartmental collaboration and brand stewardship are also critical, as the role supports resolving staffing challenges, managing vendor relationships, and representing the company at events and community engagements. Success in this role is measured by a variety of financial metrics like prime cost and labor percentage; operational efficiency markers such as order accuracy and equipment uptime; quality indicators including customer feedback and allergen controls; and safety and compliance standards like food safety audits and team retention.

Kizuki International LLC is an equal opportunity employer committed to diversity and inclusion, encouraging applications from individuals of all backgrounds, including those with criminal records. This role offers the chance to join a culinary family passionate about the power of food made with passion to bring people together.