Kitchen Captain (Line Cook Shift Lead)

General Intro / About Cheeky Noodles

Cheeky Noodles was born of a love of comfort food (maybe more of an obsession, if we're being honest) and a passion for taking care of people through sharing food. There's something special about a handful of people sat around a table, smiling and satisfied because of a meal you prepared for them. We started Cheeky Noodles to expand that idea of a handful of people to our entire community and to create a place where we can share our love of soul-quenching comfort food.

A few ideas power how we think about the restaurant:

1. We believe taking care of our people is how we ultimately take care of our customers. We set the tone of hospitality and look out for each other within our team so they can turn around and provide that same care to our community.
2. We believe a business is a member of the community. We exist to be part of the fabric of life in the neighborhoods around us. We think about how the things we do affect the community and we look for ways to take an active role in making life enjoyable. 
3. We take seriously the things that should be taken seriously – food safety, the quality of our food, respecting our customers and community, to name a few. For everything else, we encourage license to be goofy and playful. We've all got to show up to work to make a living, we might as well try to enjoy it.
4. Work doesn't have to suck. Sometimes it will be hard, there's no denying that – especially in a restaurant. But we believe that surrounded by the right team and supported by the right culture, we can sand the edges off of some of the roughest parts. We may be exhausted at the end of the day, but we still want to be able to call it a good day.

We're a new restaurant opening in a brand new space, complete with a shiny new kitchen and a spotless and airy dining room. This is our first location, tucked in the middle of a rapidly growing city and we are STOKED to be hiring our inaugural team who will help us define our culture and who will ultimately be delivering on our community-driven mission. If this sounds exciting to you, we can't wait to talk to you.

Role Summary

An important note : we're looking for the first Kitchen Captains hired to take an active role in the design of our kitchen processes, before the restaurant opens to customers, to make sure the team is set up for success once it's showtime. This includes storage optimization, station design, prep protocols, and production plans for service. This will happen as paid shift work before the restaurant opens and before formal training with the rest of the team begins. 

A Kitchen Captain is the squadron leader of the busy kitchen. A skilled cook who thrives in the intensity of a busy service, this is an embedded shift lead position who ensures the team is firing on all cylinders and who can provide guidance and direction to the broader culinary team to keep things moving. Kitchen Captains are the last word on food quality and are responsible for ensuring every dish that leaves the kitchen clears the bars for quality and consistency. During a shift, these leads work the line for prep and service, are chiefly responsible for proper maintenance of the kitchen, oversee kitchen ops and logistics, and open or close the kitchen for the day.

An ideal Kitchen Captain has an innate desire to lead and the people skills to match. They take good food seriously and are excited about an opportunity to help everyone on the team achieve excellence. They thrive under pressure and know that you can find a solution to any problem with a positive attitude.

This is a keyholder position that is granted broad operating leeway and carries commensurate accountability.

A Note from the GM

I'm super excited to bring this role to Cheeky Noodles. The people in this role will play a huge part in defining the overall culture of the kitchen and ultimately the working environment we create. I'm looking for team members who will help us create an environment where the team feels trusted, valued, and proud of the work they do. Kitchen Captains are empowered to make critical decisions on the floor – decisions that impact how guests experience our food and how employees experience their jobs…which is sort of the whole game. We have ambitions to open more locations in the future and we hope this role will serve as a training ground for future leadership needs as we grow and expand. 

If you're equally passionate about crafting excellent food and boosting up teammates to help them succeed, let's talk. 

Responsibilities

• Be the menu expert and prepare menu items consistently according to recipes, and in line with quality, plating, and portioning standards
• Be the exemplar of a clean and organized station, even when the kitchen is at its busiest
• Facilitate strong communication during service, ensuring the team stays connected and functions as a unit
• Coordinate kitchen and station set up and ensure all areas are adequately stocked for service
• Ensure kitchen is properly broken down and thoroughly cleaned and sanitized at the end of the day
• Monitor kitchen equipment and alert GM of any performance issues or maintenance needs
• As the designated Person-In-Charge, ensure safe food handling procedures are followed by every member of the team at all times; when it comes to food safety during your shift, the buck stops with you
• Facilitate and coordinate receiving, date marking, inventory rotation, and stock counting as needed
• Ensure food waste is monitored and reported accurately
• Model effective communication and partnership between back and front of house to deliver the best possible guest experience
• Coordinate replacements for call-outs or if someone must be sent home during a shift, working with the GM as necessary
• Take an active role in our processes, sharing your observations and ideas on how to improve prep, production, organization, inventory, or any other part of the business
• Participate in interviews and support training for new team members

Qualities

• A Cheeky attitude; you're energized by service to others, you default to a positive attitude, you're always looking for ways to have fun, and you know that you can still be serious about your performance while being a little bit foolish
• An innate understanding of effective leadership; you know you can get more done through influence and respect than authority and you lead by example
• Passionate about food and take your craft seriously
• You thrive in a team-oriented environment, with strong communication skills and an innate desire to help your teammates succeed – and you ask for help when YOU need it
• A growth mindset mindset, with an eagerness to learn
• Punctual and professional; you know what behavior is appropriate when and with whom
• You act with integrity, and you do the right thing even when no one is watching

Requirements & Qualifications

• At least 3 years experience working the line in a fast-paced kitchen environment
• Strong ability to multitask and execute multiple dishes or tickets simultaneously while staying organized
• Familiarity with managing kitchen tickets, preferably on a digital kitchen display system (KDS) (we use Square)
• Ability to lift and carry up to 50lbs
• Ability to stand for the full duration of your shift (outside of breaks)
• Valid Washington state food handlers card (at start time)
• Valid Certified Food Protection Manager (CFPM) (we'll cover the cost of your test if you need to take it)
• 18 years or older
• Evening and weekend availability

Perks & Benefits

• Competitive wages, with no awkward tipping interactions
• Access to company-sponsored medical insurance after 30 days of service (for full-time employees) 
• Access to company-sponsored 401(k) savings plan after 90 days of service (for full-time employees)
• Paid time off that begins accruing on your first day of work, in addition to required paid sick leave
• Steeply discounted meals during your shift, and a meal discount to use whenever you want, including dining with friends and family
• Discounts with our neighbors, like FIKA Coffee
• A culture that invests in those who want to learn and expand their skill set, and that prioritizes hiring and promoting from within

Reports to: General Manager

Role type: Shift lead / Keyholder

Hours: Full-time

Pay: $24-25/hr