Culinary Lead

Sweetgreen is a prominent national restaurant brand dedicated to building healthier communities by connecting people to real, wholesome food. Since its inception in 2007, Sweetgreen has revolutionized the fast food industry by promoting fresh, flavorful meals sourced directly from farmers and community partners. With a strong commitment to sustainability, transparency, and quality, Sweetgreen integrates smart kitchen systems with simple, health-conscious ingredients to offer a unique dining experience that supports both wellness and social responsibility. As the company continues to expand across the United States, it remains devoted to cultivating its people and fostering career growth across all levels of its operations, from restaurants to corporate support centers.

At Sweetgreen, the Culinary Lead — known internally as the Kitchen Lead — serves a vital role focused on food quality expertise within the kitchen. This is not a traditional people management position; instead, it emphasizes setting the standard for food preparation, cooking, and presentation during every shift. The Culinary Lead is the authoritative resource on food quality and kitchen execution, partnering with Shift Leaders and Managers to ensure operational excellence and adherence to food safety and cleanliness protocols. Unlike conventional restaurant roles, Sweetgreen kitchens do not involve grills or fryers, reflecting the brand's innovative approach to cooking that centers around healthier food practices.

The Culinary Lead owns the responsibility for maintaining consistent food quality by ensuring every item meets Sweetgreen's high standards for flavor, presentation, and food safety. This involves hands-on preparation and cooking of hot food items using knives, ovens, and kitchen tools without the use of open flames or fryers. In addition, the Culinary Lead plays a crucial role in coaching teammates by providing real-time feedback to improve culinary skills and ensure seamless kitchen operation, especially during high-volume periods. By managing prep timing and par levels efficiently, this role helps the kitchen maintain smooth workflow without sacrificing quality.

This role is ideal for individuals who love working in the kitchen, take pride in delivering consistent and clean execution of food, and have experience in fast-paced culinary environments such as fast casual, quick service restaurants (QSR), full service, or corporate dining. The position offers career growth opportunities, with top-performing Culinary Leads having a clear pathway to advance to General Manager within two to three years. Additional benefits of the position include competitive wages, tips (location and role dependent), free meals during every shift, access to medical, dental, and vision insurance plans for eligible part-time and full-time team members, paid vacation and wellness time, 401(k) options, and exclusive access to the Team Member Merch Shop where employees can earn and purchase custom Sweetgreen gear.

Ultimately, joining Sweetgreen as a Culinary Lead means becoming part of a larger movement to redefine the future of fast food. This role not only shapes the culinary standards on the ground but also contributes to building healthier, community-focused food experiences. It offers a unique blend of leadership without the full administrative responsibilities of people management, empowering individuals to grow their culinary expertise and take pride in their craftsmanship while contributing to the brand’s mission and community well-being.