Sushi Chef Trainer

Sushi Chef Trainer

The Sushi Chef Trainer is responsible for traveling between restaurant locations to train, mentor, and develop Sushi Chefs while ensuring consistency in food quality, preparation techniques, presentation, and operational standards. This hands-on role works directly alongside kitchen teams to onboard new chefs, reinforce best practices, and maintain a high level of culinary excellence across all locations.

The ideal candidate is an experienced Sushi Chef with a passion for teaching, coaching, and helping others grow. This individual enjoys traveling, working with diverse teams, and ensuring every restaurant delivers an exceptional guest experience.

Key Responsibilities

• Travel regularly to restaurant locations to train and mentor Sushi Chefs and kitchen staff.
• Provide hands-on instruction in sushi preparation, knife skills, fish fabrication, rice preparation, nigiri, sashimi, specialty rolls, and presentation techniques.
• Train newly hired Sushi Chefs on recipes, preparation methods, food safety, and company operating standards.
• Evaluate chef performance and provide coaching to improve quality, consistency, speed, and efficiency.
• Ensure all menu items are prepared consistently according to established recipes and presentation standards.
• Reinforce proper food handling, seafood storage, sanitation, and HACCP procedures.
• Assist restaurant managers with onboarding and developing new culinary team members.
• Identify training opportunities and recommend improvements to kitchen operations.
• Conduct restaurant visits and provide feedback on food quality, kitchen organization, and execution.
• Assist with new restaurant openings by training culinary staff before and after opening.
• Develop strong working relationships with restaurant managers and culinary teams.
• Help maintain consistent guest experiences across all restaurant locations.

Qualifications

• Minimum of 5 years of experience as a Sushi Chef in a high-volume restaurant environment.
• Previous experience training, mentoring, or leading Sushi Chefs or kitchen staff.
• Expert knowledge of sushi preparation, fish fabrication, knife skills, and Japanese cuisine.
• Experience preparing nigiri, sashimi, specialty rolls, hand rolls, and traditional sushi.
• Strong understanding of food safety, sanitation, HACCP, and health department regulations.
• Excellent communication and coaching skills.
• Ability to demonstrate techniques and train chefs through hands-on instruction.
• Strong organizational and time-management skills.
• Willingness to travel frequently between restaurant locations, including overnight travel when needed.
• Valid driver's license and reliable transportation.

Preferred Qualifications

• Culinary degree or formal culinary training preferred.
• Experience opening new restaurant locations.
• Multi-unit restaurant experience.
• ServSafe Manager Certification or equivalent food safety certification.
• Bilingual English and Spanish or English and Japanese is a plus.
• Experience creating or following culinary training programs and standard operating procedures.
• Knowledge of inventory management and kitchen operations.