Kitchen Lead

Sweetgreen is a vibrant and innovative restaurant chain dedicated to building healthier communities by connecting people to real food. With over 5,000 passionate team members across multiple locations, Sweetgreen is committed to making fresh, wholesome meals accessible and convenient for everyone. The company prides itself on using fresh ingredients and produce delivered daily, ensuring every meal is crafted with care and quality. Sweetgreen’s mission extends beyond just food – it aims to leave people and communities better than they found them by promoting health, sustainability, and inclusiveness. The company stands as a movement rewriting the future of fast food, emphasizing transparency, nutrition, and environmental responsibility. As a Kitchen Lead at Sweetgreen, you are more than just a cook – you are an ambassador for the mission, serving as the backbone of the hot food preparation team. This role demands exceptional culinary skills, leadership abilities, and keen operational awareness to manage all aspects of kitchen operations during various service periods. The Kitchen Lead ensures that every guest receives high-quality, properly cooked, and beautifully presented food, maintaining the standards Sweetgreen is known for. This position not only involves hands-on cooking and food preparation but also requires overseeing kitchen cleanliness, organization, food safety protocols, and kitchen inventory management. In this role, you will facilitate smooth transitions between service periods while coordinating with other kitchen and front-of-house teams, such as MOD (Manager on Duty), Cold Prep, and Service teams. Your leadership will be instrumental in conducting taste tests, supporting new menu training, managing oven capacity and maintenance, and maintaining food safety standards, including proper FIFO (First In, First Out) rotation. The Kitchen Lead will also play a crucial part in monitoring waste due to quality or expiration issues and recording such data to keep the kitchen efficient and sustainable. Sweetgreen values growth and development and offers career advancement opportunities, with top-performing Kitchen Leads having the potential to become General Managers within 36 months. This role is designed for individuals passionate about food quality and community wellness, who thrive in a fast-paced environment and value teamwork. The company fosters a culture of inclusivity and diversity, providing equal opportunities to all employees and applicants regardless of background or identity. Sweetgreen also offers competitive wages, tips, medical, dental, and vision insurance options for part-time and full-time employees, paid vacation and wellness time, parental leave, a 401(k) plan, free healthy shift meals, and access to unique merchandise through the SG Swag Marketplace. Joining Sweetgreen as a Kitchen Lead means becoming part of a movement dedicated to changing how fast food is perceived and experienced. You will play a vital role in ensuring that every meal served not only meets but exceeds customer expectations while contributing to a healthier planet and community. This dynamic and rewarding position requires physical stamina, including the ability to lift up to 25 lbs and stand for extended periods, reflecting the active and hands-on nature of the role. If you are motivated by teamwork, quality food, and operational excellence, this is the perfect opportunity to develop your culinary and leadership skills while making a positive impact.