Culinary Operations Manager

Fresh Kitchen is a progressive and innovative restaurant company that is redefining the concept of fast food by focusing on real food made from scratch. Founded with the mission to deliver Good Food Forever, Fresh Kitchen stands apart by serving meals prepared using 100 percent pure olive oil, hand-cut vegetables, antibiotic and hormone-free meats, responsibly sourced seafood, and entirely gluten-free recipes. Their commitment to quality ingredients and transparent cooking processes reflects their dedication to providing food that customers can feel truly good about. As a fast-casual dining establishment, Fresh Kitchen is rapidly expanding with an ambitious vision to open 100 remarkable restaurants nationwide by 2034. This growth is fueled by a strong emphasis not only on culinary excellence but also on fostering a people-first culture where leaders thrive and teams are empowered to excel.

The role of Culinary Operations Manager at Fresh Kitchen is a critical leadership position where you will be the primary figure responsible for managing and elevating the back-of-house (BOH) operations. This role demands a hands-on leader who ensures that every dish served meets the company’s exacting standards for product quality, preparation speed, consistency, kitchen workflow, and food safety. The Culinary Operations Manager is accountable for setting and maintaining high standards in sanitation, readiness, and compliance, ensuring that no shortcuts compromise Fresh Kitchen’s commitments. You will lead your kitchen team by coaching in real time, developing training programs, and creating systems that support operational excellence and repeatable success during every shift.

Working closely with the Managing Partner, Assistant Culinary Manager, and the Restaurant Operations Manager, you will align BOH processes with front-of-house (FOH) activities, including online ordering and catering demands. The position requires ownership mentality—being disciplined, highly organized, people-focused, and relentlessly pursuing improvement. Your leadership will cultivate a culture that values high performance, trust, clear feedback, accountability, and employee development. Developing future culinary leaders is central to the role, as is building a kitchen environment characterized by pride, structure, and operational efficiency.

You will be responsible for controlling costs through accurate inventory management, waste reduction, and proper portioning while ensuring the kitchen remains inspection-ready and compliant with health, safety, and sanitation standards. Additionally, you will be expected to foresee and resolve operational bottlenecks related to labor deployment, prep timing, and kitchen flow, keeping the operation running smoothly even during peak service hours.

The company fosters a leadership vibe defined by high standards tempered with genuine care, a calm yet fast-paced approach to problem-solving, and a focus on building systems that make excellence repeatable. As a Culinary Operations Manager, your contribution will not only directly impact the quality of the food served but also shape the work culture and operational success that will support Fresh Kitchen’s exciting growth trajectory. If you have 5 or more years of management experience in high-volume kitchens, strong BOH leadership skills, a passion for scratch cooking and operational excellence, and a desire to grow within a values-driven, people-oriented company, this position offers a rewarding career path with competitive compensation and benefits.