Culinary Lead

Sweetgreen is a national restaurant brand committed to building healthier communities by connecting people to real food. Since its founding in 2007, Sweetgreen has reinvented fast food by prioritizing fresh, flavorful ingredients and fostering relationships with farmers and local communities. This company operates in the fast-casual dining sector and emphasizes sustainability, quality, and innovation in its kitchen operations and overall guest experience. Sweetgreen is dedicated to developing its people across all levels, ensuring that team members have the opportunity to grow and thrive within the organization. The brand prides itself on creating inclusive workplaces where food, people, and purpose intersect, and it maintains a strong commitment to equal employment opportunities regardless of race, gender, age, or other protected statuses.

The Culinary Lead, known as the Kitchen Lead at Sweetgreen, is a pivotal role focused on maintaining and elevating food quality within the kitchen. This position is not a traditional people management role; rather, it centers on food craftsmanship and kitchen execution. As the food quality expert during shifts, the Culinary Lead oversees how food is prepped, cooked, and presented to meet Sweetgreen’s strict standards for flavor, safety, and presentation. This role involves working with smart kitchen systems and emphasizes a clean cooking environment with no grills or fryers, showcasing Sweetgreen’s unique approach to fast-casual dining.

A Culinary Lead is responsible for leading by example in culinary craft, providing coaching to teammates, and ensuring consistency throughout their shift. They work alongside Shift Leaders and Managers to uphold operational excellence, food safety protocols, and spotless cleanliness. The role requires dynamic multitasking, real-time feedback, and working closely with the entire kitchen team to anticipate volume and manage prep timing effectively. This position is ideal for individuals passionate about food quality, craftsmanship, and leadership without the full responsibility of managing people directly. Sweetgreen offers a clear career path for high performers in this role, with opportunities to advance to General Manager within 2 to 3 years. This role is available for part-time and full-time team members with competitive wages, medical, dental, and vision benefits, paid time off, and other perks such as free meals and employee merchandise. Joining Sweetgreen means contributing to a forward-thinking company dedicated to healthier food and communities while fostering personal career growth.