Culinary Operations Manager

Fresh Kitchen is a pioneering fast-casual restaurant brand that is transforming the concept of fast food into a wholesome, health-conscious dining experience. Established with the mission to serve real food made from scratch, Fresh Kitchen emphasizes quality ingredients and uncompromising standards. Their commitment includes using 100% pure olive oil, hand-cut vegetables, antibiotic and hormone-free meats, responsibly sourced seafood, and entirely gluten-free recipes. This approach embodies their philosophy of Good Food Forever, aiming to provide meals that customers can enjoy guilt-free while maintaining exceptional taste and nutrition.

The company has an ambitious vision to expand to 100 remarkable restaurants by 2034, which showcases their dedication not only to culinary excellence but to creating an outstanding workplace where people and culture are as prioritized as food quality and performance. Fresh Kitchen is actively seeking talented leaders who share this vision and want to contribute to building a lasting brand that inspires and delivers consistently high standards.

The role of Culinary Operations Manager is essential to this goal. As the primary leader of the back-of-house (BOH), the manager holds full accountability for maintaining food quality, kitchen efficiency, and staff development. This is a hands-on leadership position, which goes beyond traditional management to include active coaching and real-time problem-solving on the kitchen floor. The Culinary Operations Manager is tasked with ensuring the highest standards in food safety, operational flow, labor scheduling, cost controls, and team culture.

This role requires partnering closely with the Managing Partner, Assistant Culinary Manager, and Restaurant Operations Manager to align back-of-house activities with front-of-house operations, catering volume, and online ordering demands. The Culinary Operations Manager operates with an ownership mentality, consistently raising the bar and fostering a disciplined, organized kitchen environment where every shift runs smoothly and every dish meets Fresh Kitchen’s exemplary standards.

The key responsibilities span monitoring and controlling food quality and consistency, overseeing sanitation and food safety measures, managing inventory accuracy and waste reduction, and building a motivated, well-trained team. This leader also ensures the kitchen is always inspection-ready and actively contributes to hiring, training, and developing future culinary leaders within the organization.

Fresh Kitchen values high standards combined with heartfelt leadership. The Culinary Operations Manager embodies this approach by coaching promptly, maintaining a calm presence in fast-paced situations, and establishing systems that make great shifts repeatable. They energize the kitchen environment, inspiring accountability, pride, and ownership while efficiently supporting high-volume, quality-focused food production.

This career opportunity offers competitive compensation, including a salary range of $65,000 to $75,000 plus an 8-12% profit-sharing bonus. Additional benefits include comprehensive group health, vision, and dental plans, 401(k) matching, paid time off, and a positive work-life balance with progressive scheduling policies. Fresh Kitchen also provides free meals during shifts and fosters a values-driven culture that supports intentional people development and a vibrant brand presence.

If you have a passion for culinary leadership, operational excellence, and building strong teams, and if you thrive in a fast-paced, high-energy kitchen environment, Fresh Kitchen invites you to join them as a Culinary Operations Manager to help shape the future of fast, fresh, and fantastic food.