Culinary Operations Manager

Fresh Kitchen is a revolutionary fast food restaurant chain focused on transforming the perception of fast food by offering real, scratch-made dishes prepared with wholesome ingredients and high standards. The company prides itself on using 100% pure olive oil instead of seed oils, hand-cut vegetables, antibiotic and hormone-free meats, responsibly sourced seafood, and entirely gluten-free recipes. This dedication to 'Good Food Forever' reflects Fresh Kitchen's commitment to quality, health, and sustainability. Established with a vision to open 100 remarkable restaurants by 2034, Fresh Kitchen emphasizes a people-centric culture alongside exceptional food performance and quality to create a lasting brand impact in the food service industry.

The Culinary Operations Manager at Fresh Kitchen plays a pivotal role as the primary leader of the back-of-house (BOH) operations. This role entails total ownership and accountability for food quality, execution speed, kitchen flow, and consistent product delivery. The manager ensures all food safety and sanitation standards are strictly followed, maintaining readiness with zero tolerance for corner-cutting. A key responsibility is the leadership and development of the kitchen team, fostering a culture of accountability, training, and high performance. The Culinary Operations Manager also effectively manages cost controls such as inventory accuracy, par levels, food yields, and waste reduction. They are responsible for strategic labor deployment and smart scheduling, placing the right people in the right positions to optimize efficiency.

This role is not a back-office function but an active, hands-on leadership position focused on coaching stations in real time and building replicable systems that support consistent, high-quality shifts. Reporting directly to the Managing Partner, the Culinary Operations Manager collaborates closely with the Assistant Culinary Manager and the Restaurant Operations Manager to synchronize back-of-house execution with front-of-house operations, online ordering, and catering demand.

Success in this position is demonstrated by delivering incredible food every shift with consistent taste and quality standards, smooth and fast peak service periods, and organized kitchen workflows. The manager cultivates a kitchen environment where high standards for performance and trust prevail, coaching team members with clear expectations and developing future culinary leaders through strong hiring, onboarding, and training practices. They maintain disciplined and cost-smart kitchen operations without compromising quality or efficiency, ensuring readiness for health and safety inspections at any time.

Fresh Kitchen values leadership that combines high standards with a supportive and calm presence, coaches proactively to prevent bad habits, and builds systems and routines that consistently produce excellent results. The ideal candidate for this role brings over five years of management experience in high-volume, food-focused restaurants and demonstrates passion for food, strong leadership, inventory and cost control expertise, and excellent communication skills. This position also requires flexibility with work schedules, ServSafe certification (or willingness to obtain), and the ability to pass background checks. Culinary education is a bonus but not mandatory.

Compensation for this role includes a competitive salary ranging from $65,000 to $75,000 annually, complemented by an 8-12% profit-sharing bonus. Employees benefit from affordable group health, vision, and dental insurance plans, as well as a 401(k) match. Fresh Kitchen offers intentional career development opportunities, allowing team members to grow into leadership roles. Additional perks include free meals during shifts, a values-driven workplace culture, paid time off with balanced scheduling ensuring no more than a 50-hour workweek, closure on nine holidays to support family time, and the chance to be part of a vibrant and well-regarded brand that employees are proud to represent.