Culinary Lead

Sweetgreen is a national restaurant brand dedicated to building healthier communities by connecting people to real food. Since its inception in 2007, Sweetgreen has revolutionized the fast food industry by focusing on fresh, flavorful meals that are sourced sustainably and rooted in relationships with local farmers and communities. As a company, Sweetgreen is deeply committed to fostering a culture of inclusivity, growth, and meaningful impact for both its customers and employees. The brand is known not only for its innovative approach to food but also for its dedication to providing equitable opportunities to all team members and applicants regardless of background or identity. Sweetgreen actively participates in federal programs like E-Verify and adheres strictly to equal employment opportunity laws to protect and support its workforce.

The Culinary Lead position at Sweetgreen, also known as Kitchen Lead, is a pivotal role focused on maintaining and elevating food quality within the kitchen. As a Culinary Lead, you are considered the expert on how food is prepped, cooked, and presented during every shift, ensuring it meets the company’s rigorous standards for taste, safety, and appearance. Importantly, this role does not involve traditional people management duties such as scheduling or performance reviews; rather, it concentrates on leading by example and fostering a culture of craftsmanship, consistency, and coaching among kitchen staff. Sweetgreen’s kitchen environment is unique, eschewing grills and fryers in favor of smart, health-conscious systems that emphasize real food prepared the right way.

This role offers a clear career path with top-performing Culinary Leads having the opportunity to advance to General Manager within 2 to 3 years. The Culinary Lead will collaborate closely with Shift Leaders and Managers to uphold not only food quality but also food safety, cleanliness, and operational excellence. Responsibilities include real-time coaching to improve team skills, managing prep timing to keep the kitchen running efficiently, and being the go-to person for addressing any food quality issues immediately.

Sweetgreen values individuals who are passionate about kitchen work, take pride in consistency and quality, and enjoy taking on leadership responsibilities without the full scope of people management. Experience in high-volume kitchen settings, including fast casual, quick service, full service, or corporate dining, is welcomed. Employees in this role benefit from competitive wages, access to medical, dental, and vision insurance options, paid vacation, wellness time, parental leave, and other perks such as free meals every shift and a 401(k) plan. Overall, the Culinary Lead role at Sweetgreen offers a meaningful opportunity to be part of a transformative food movement while building a rewarding career in an innovative and supportive environment.