Kitchen Manager

At Flock & Fresh, taking care is not optional - it is our responsibility. To our food. To our people. To every guest.

The Kitchen Manager is a hands-on restaurant leader responsible for the daily execution, organization, and readiness of the kitchen. This role protects food quality, food safety, consistency, speed, cleanliness, and product availability while developing Team Members and supporting strong performance across kitchen shifts. The Kitchen Manager works closely with the General Manager and other restaurant leaders to ensure recipes, procedures, prep levels, pars, inventory practices, and sanitation standards are consistently followed. This role is expected to recognize issues early, take appropriate action within established authority, and communicate trends or concerns that require additional

leadership support.

Supervisory Responsibilities:

• Directs and supports Team Members during assigned shifts.
• Provides real-time training, coaching, and follow-up related to station execution, food safety, cleanliness, productivity, and kitchen readiness.
• May provide input regarding training progress, performance, scheduling, and corrective action; final employment decisions remain with designated restaurant leadership.

Essential Functions / Major Responsibilities:

• Lead kitchen shifts with clear direction, appropriate deployment, and consistent accountability.
• Maintain a visible, hands-on presence in food preparation, cooking, breading, assembly, dishwashing, and other kitchen stations as needed.
• Protect recipe accuracy, portioning, presentation, cook times, hold times, food quality, and speed of service during every shift.
• Ensure all food is prepared, labeled, dated, stored, handled, and discarded in accordance with company standards and food safety requirements.
• Monitor preparation levels, product pars, thawing, batch cooking, and station readiness to support service without unnecessary waste or shortages.
• Anticipate kitchen needs and adjust positions, breaks, production priorities, and prep assignments to support proper coverage and smooth execution.
• Ensure opening, transition, and closing procedures are completed accurately, thoroughly, and on time.
• Own kitchen cleanliness, sanitation, organization, equipment care, and overall back-of-house readiness throughout the day.
• Complete and verify required food safety, temperature, cooling, cleaning, and operational logs accurately and on time.
• Support the onboarding and training of new Team Members and verify station certification and readiness before independent assignment.
• Coach Team Members in real time, recognize strong performance, and address gaps early, clearly, and respectfully.
• Lead by example and promote a work environment that is steady, fair, respectful, and accountable.
• Help verify that recipes, training materials, checklists, and operational routines are consistently followed across kitchen shifts.
• Monitor product usage, yields, portion control, waste, and inventory levels; identify trends and take action to protect food cost and product availability.
• Support accurate ordering, receiving, invoice verification, product rotation, and storage practices.
• Receive deliveries, verify product quality, quantity, condition, and temperature, and ensure items are stored promptly and correctly.
• Conduct or support inventory counts and communicate shortages, variances, or recurring product concerns to the General Manager.
• Identify and report maintenance, equipment, safety, pest-control, or facility concerns and follow through on assigned next steps.
• Coordinate with front-of-house leaders and Team Members to support accurate orders, timely service, and effective communication during service.
• Review kitchen results, recurring issues, food quality concerns, waste, guest feedback, and team needs with the General Manager.
• Support implementation of new recipes, menu updates, promotions, equipment, procedures, and operational initiatives.
• Follow all company policies, food safety requirements, employment practices, and applicable laws.
• Step into any restaurant position as needed to support the team and protect the guest experience.

Required Skills / Abilities / Competencies:

• Ability to lead a fast-paced kitchen with structure, urgency, composure, and attention to detail.
• Working knowledge of food preparation, cooking procedures, food safety, sanitation, allergen awareness, and kitchen organization.
• Ability to read, follow, teach, and reinforce recipes, production procedures, portion standards, and hold times.
• Ability to coach others clearly and respectfully while maintaining performance and food safety expectations.
• Strong judgment and problem-solving skills, including knowing when to act and when to escalate.
• Ability to organize work, set production priorities, and adjust deployment based on sales volume and business needs.
• Ability to review basic operational information such as sales, labor, food cost, waste, yields, inventory, and shift reports.
• Clear and professional communication with Team Members, leaders, vendors, delivery partners, and guests.
• Ability to hold standards consistently and address concerns calmly, directly, and without disrespect.
• Consistent follow-through, personal accountability, and attention to detail.
• Commitment to protecting Flock & Fresh standards, developing kitchen Team Members, and delivering a consistent guest experience.
• Ability to remain solutions-oriented during busy, changing, or challenging situations. 

Education and Experience:

• Must be at least eighteen (18) years of age.
• Possess a current Manager Food Handler’s certification before starting work.
• Previous experience in a fast-casual, quick-service, or high-volume kitchen environment strongly preferred.
• Two (2) or more years of restaurant kitchen experience, including at least one (1) year in a lead, supervisory, or management role, preferred.

Work Environment:

• Work is performed in a fast-paced restaurant environment that may include high-volume service and tight or confined workspaces.
• Regular exposure may include hot equipment, open flames, sharp tools, cold storage areas, raw food products, common allergens, cleaning chemicals, and temperature variations.
• This role requires frequent standing, movement, and the ability to lift or move restaurant supplies, equipment, pots, pans, and food items as needed.
• The schedule may include mornings, evenings, weekends, holidays, and changing shifts based on business needs.
• The role requires frequent interaction with guests and coworkers and may involve addressing operational or guest concerns in real time.

Physical Requirements:

• Must be able to stand and move for periods of up to eight (8) hours or more based on shift requirements.
• Must be able to lift and carry objects weighing up to fifty (50) pounds, using assistance when available, including hand trucks, ramps, or another Team Member.
• Must be able to safely operate and work around hot surfaces, open flames, sharp equipment, kitchen appliances, and cleaning products.
• Must have the strength and endurance to perform repetitive and physically demanding kitchen tasks, including bending, reaching, pushing, pulling, lifting, and maneuvering food products, containers, utensils, pots, pans, and equipment.

Other Duties:

Please note this job description is not designed to cover or contain a comprehensive listing of activities, duties, or responsibilities that are required of the team member for this job. Duties, responsibilities, and activities may change at any time with or without notice.

What We Offer:

At Flock & Fresh, hospitality is at the center of who we are. We believe our people are the heart of the guest experience, and we are committed to creating a workplace where each team member feels respected, supported, and valued. Flock & Fresh is proud to be an equal opportunity employer. We consider all qualified candidates without regard

to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, ancestry, age, genetic information, sexual orientation, gender identity, marital or family status, veteran status, medical condition, or disability.

Flock and Fresh is our newest brand, featuring simple, customizable, and made-to-order items. There will be grilled and crispy chicken (cage-free and raised without hormones or antibiotics), which can be built your way as tenders, in a sandwich, or in a salad. Homemade sauces include curry ranch, “Flock Sauce,” Cajun sauce, and K-sauce, as well as salad dressings such as yuzu citrus and avocado ranch.