Cook

Cook

We are seeking a skilled, experienced, and fast-paced Cook to join our team at Just Love Coffee & Café at Fair Oaks Mall in Virginia. In this role, you will be responsible for preparing our signature gourmet menu items ranging from specialty waffles and breakfast sandwiches to paninis, ensuring every plate meets our high standards for taste, presentation, and food safety.

Key Responsibilities

• Prepare, cook, and assemble all food items quickly and accurately according to established recipes and corporate plating guides.
• Operate specialty waffle irons, panini presses, ovens, and prep stations efficiently while implementing a "clean-as-you-go" mentality and monitoring overall kitchen cleanliness.
• Adhere strictly to Virginia health department regulations, safe food handling guidelines, and proper temperature logging for all ingredients.
• Monitor station inventory levels, restock walk-ins and line units, and prep ingredients ahead of peak meal periods to prevent bottlenecks.
• Maintain steady ticket times during rushes without ever compromising on the quality or presentation of the food.

Qualifications & Requirements

• Minimum 1 to 2 years of professional cooking experience in a fast-casual kitchen, cafe, or high-volume restaurant environment.
• Strong knife skills and comprehensive understanding of commercial kitchen equipment and food safety protocols.
• Ability to work cleanly and efficiently under pressure in a high-heat, fast-paced environment.
• Dependable team player with flexible availability for morning, weekend, and evening shifts.
• Physical stamina to stand for long shifts, bend, and lift up to 40 pounds.

Expectations & Benchmarks

• Running successful shifts and maintaining comprehensive knowledge of all menu items and corporate plating standards.
• Generating sales growth by consistently delivering a positive guest experience and executing local restaurant marketing and catering initiatives.
• Initiating corrective actions promptly when there are guest issues or performance gaps.

Employment Details

• Reports to: General Manager
• Employment Status: At-Will employment. Your first 90 days serve as an evaluation period, and either you or the company may terminate employment for any reason at any time.
• Training: You will be provided with a written training manual and a logical progression training outline to ensure proper orientation into our processes and procedures.
• Compensation: $15.00 – $18.00 per hour, plus tips paid bi-weekly on every other Friday.
• Tips: Our cafe utilizes tip pooling for our barista and cook employees.
• Hours of Operations: Monday – Sunday: 7:30 AM – 8:30 PM