Culinary Field Chef

Vallarta is a prominent foodservice company known for offering a diverse range of culinary experiences across various foodservice concepts such as Taqueria, Tortilleria, Restaurants, Prepared Foods, Juice Bar, Grab & Go, and Catering. With a commitment to delivering outstanding guest experiences and maintaining high standards of consistency and quality, Vallarta emphasizes culinary excellence, operational efficiency, and team development throughout its organization. The company supports its field teams through training, recipe standardization, operational support, and innovative menu development led by its dedicated Corporate Chef team and cross-functional departments. Vallarta fosters a culture of accountability, teamwork, safety, and continuous improvement that aligns with its brand promise to guests and employees alike. This environment allows culinary professionals to thrive while playing a critical role in the growth and success of the organization and its multiple retail locations across its operating regions.

The Culinary Field Chef position at Vallarta is a key exempt role that directly reports to the Director of Culinary and is dedicated to supporting and enhancing day-to-day field culinary operations across all foodservice programs. This role demands a hands-on, operationally focused leader who coaches and supports Kitchen Managers and foodservice teams to deliver consistent execution of company standards. The Culinary Field Chef ensures recipe adherence, portion control, presentation standards, and flavor profile consistency, thereby maintaining product quality and enhancing customer satisfaction. They serve as a vital link between corporate culinary teams and field operations by implementing menu rollouts, leading training for new culinary initiatives, supporting operational improvements, and playing an essential role in new store openings and remodels.

Spending approximately 80 percent of their time in various field locations, the Culinary Field Chef is responsible for reinforcing Vallarta's company culture, operational standards, and guest service expectations within all foodservice facilities. Their operational duties include ensuring compliance with health, safety, and sanitation protocols, supporting food cost control measures, managing inventory, and maintaining a clean and efficient kitchen environment. Additionally, this role requires enforcing food safety standards such as HACCP compliance, monitoring food temperatures and storage conditions, and conducting rigorous quality checks to uphold the brand's reputation for excellence.

The Culinary Field Chef is also deeply involved in cultivating a positive team environment by providing regular coaching, training, and development opportunities to culinary teams, thereby promoting teamwork, accountability, and high-performance standards. Strong communication skills are essential, as the role necessitates coordinating with leadership across different foodservice concepts, escalating issues proactively, and addressing customer feedback professionally to maintain guest satisfaction.

This position is ideal for candidates with a minimum of five years of culinary experience in multi-unit operations leadership, robust knowledge of foodservice operations, and expertise in team development and recipe management. Vallarta values education and experience, requiring at least a high school diploma, with a preference for candidates holding culinary degrees or equivalent experience. The role involves working in fast-paced kitchen and retail environments that demand frequent standing, walking, lifting, and exposure to varying temperature conditions and noise levels. Flexibility in working hours, including evenings, weekends, holidays, and extensive travel within the company’s operating regions with overnight stays, is also required.

Vallarta offers a dynamic work environment where culinary professionals can grow and contribute significantly to delivering exceptional foodservice experiences. The Culinary Field Chef position is not only a leadership role but also a strategic partner in the company’s ongoing success and commitment to quality, innovation, and customer satisfaction.