Kitchen Manager

Chick-fil-A, Inc. is a renowned family-owned and privately held restaurant company established in 1967 by S. Truett Cathy. Known for its iconic original chicken sandwich, Chick-fil-A has grown into a significant player in the American fast-food industry with over 2,300 restaurants operating across 47 states and Washington, D.C. The company's commitment to excellent customer service, community involvement, and fresh, crave-worthy food has solidified its reputation as a leader in the quick-service restaurant sector. Chick-fil-A locations focus not only on providing delicious meals but also on fostering a positive and welcoming environment for both employees and guests.

The Kitchen Manager role at Chick-fil-A is a pivotal position that requires a dedicated individual to oversee all aspects of kitchen operations. This role is primarily focused on consistently delivering crave-able food that meets or exceeds Chick-fil-A's stringent quality standards in a timely manner. As a Kitchen Manager, you will be responsible for coaching and guiding the behaviors of Team Leaders and Team Members within the kitchen. This means instilling a strong sense of urgency to achieve surprisingly fast speed of service, ensuring meticulous attention to detail in preparation and production procedures, and maintaining a refreshingly clean and safe work environment.

The position demands vigilance in the organization and appearance of the kitchen while upholding food safety standards at all times. Beyond managing the immediate kitchen workflow, the Kitchen Manager handles critical operational tasks such as inventory management, maintaining accurate transfer logs, efficient ordering, and end-of-month counts and input. Managing a LEAN production environment that eliminates waste and maximizes efficiency is also key to this role. Additionally, the Kitchen Manager is expected to provide continuous coaching, evaluation, and accountability to all kitchen team members, fostering a culture of innovation, responsibility, and excellence.

Technical responsibility includes troubleshooting and repairing kitchen equipment and facilities and ensuring all preventative maintenance and cleaning are performed according to set schedules. The role involves working up to forty hours per week on-site, with at least two hours dedicated weekly to strategic planning. Effective communication of kitchen goals and success factors to the team is critical, as is the ability to combine critical thinking with practical leadership to nurture and grow strong team relationships.

The ideal candidate will be a passionate leader able to connect with a multicultural team, aligning hiring, training, daily practices, and evaluations with Chick-fil-A's vision and annual thematic goals. Enthusiasm and passion are essential for leading the kitchen team toward ongoing success. They are expected to demonstrate strong leadership skills by effectively coaching and giving directions, intentionally building relationships with staff, and fostering an environment that encourages growth and innovation.

Beyond the Kitchen Manager responsibilities, Chick-fil-A Restaurant Managers are called to demonstrate an overarching passion for the business and operational excellence. They find and develop the best talent, ensure excellent customer service for guests, maintain a keen focus on food quality and safety, and adapt to the dynamic nature of restaurant demands and priorities. This role offers a unique opportunity to belong to a highly respected company that values family principles, community engagement, employee development, and high standards of food service quality.