Retail Chef Manager

Salary: $70,000 -$80,000

Other Forms of Compensation: Comprehensive Benefit Package

Our Passion is Food!

At Bon Appetit Management Company we are committed to two things, great food and outstanding service! At Bon Appetit you won't find our managers referring to a corporate recipe book or our chefs microwaving the lunch special. We do not have standardized recipes or central commissaries, instead, our chefs and managers are expected to stay abreast of current culinary trends and bring cutting edge food into their cafes. We are a restaurant company that operates in contract food service. That means you will have the freedom to be creative, take risks, and truly shine. We are committed to our staff growing, trying new things, and learning all that they can. Our rapid growth and breadth of accounts translates into exciting opportunities for our people!

Job Summary

The Retail Chef Manager is the single point of leadership and accountability for both Front-of-House (FOH) and Back-of-House (BOH) operations within Carthage College's retail dining program. This is a true dual-function leadership role that carries equal responsibility for culinary execution, guest experience, operational performance, team development, quality assurance, brand standards, food safety, and sanitation.

Unlike traditional chef roles that focus primarily on kitchen operations, the Retail Chef Manager is expected to lead seamlessly between the kitchen and the dining room. This leader maintains a daily knife-in-hand presence in production while also serving as the operational leader for service, hospitality, merchandising, and the overall guest experience.

Success in this role requires a leader who is equally passionate about developing culinary teams, engaging guests, driving front-of-house excellence, and ensuring operational execution across every aspect of the retail business.

Key Responsibilities

Dual FOH & BOH Leadership

• Serve as the primary leader responsible for the overall success of both Front-of-House and Back-of-House operations.
• Balance leadership presence between the kitchen and customer-facing environments to ensure excellence across all aspects of the business.
• Create strong alignment between culinary execution, service standards, hospitality, merchandising, and operational goals.
• Lead and develop both culinary and service teams, fostering a culture of collaboration, accountability, and guest focus.
• Ensure communication, execution, and standards remain consistent across all areas of the operation.

Back-of-House Accountability

• Maintain a daily knife-in-hand presence, actively participating in food preparation, cooking, production, and service execution.
• Oversee food quality, recipe adherence, presentation, consistency, and culinary innovation.
• Manage production planning, inventory, ordering, waste reduction, and food cost performance.
• Ensure compliance with all food safety, sanitation, HACCP, and workplace safety standards.
• Train and mentor culinary team members through hands-on coaching and development.

Front-of-House Accountability

• Own the guest experience from entry through service completion.
• Lead hospitality standards, customer engagement, retail presentation, merchandising, and brand execution.
• Monitor service flow, speed of service, guest satisfaction, and overall dining room performance.
• Ensure all customer-facing areas consistently reflect Bon Appétit's standards for cleanliness, organization, and hospitality.
• Respond to guest feedback and implement solutions that enhance the dining experience.

Operational Excellence

• Drive overall retail performance through strong leadership of both FOH and BOH teams.
• Analyze operational trends and identify opportunities to improve guest satisfaction, efficiency, quality, and financial performance.
• Manage labor deployment and staffing strategies across both service and culinary functions.
• Partner with campus stakeholders and Bon Appétit leadership to achieve operational and guest experience objectives.

What We're Looking For

Required Qualifications

• Experience leading both culinary and customer-facing foodservice operations.
• Strong culinary foundation with a passion for remaining actively involved in daily food production.
• Demonstrated success managing retail dining, restaurant, hospitality, or campus dining operations.
• Knowledge of food safety, sanitation, quality assurance, and regulatory compliance.
• Ability to lead, coach, and develop both kitchen and service teams.
• Strong communication, organization, and problem-solving skills.
• Commitment to hospitality, operational excellence, and guest satisfaction.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience in higher education or campus dining environments.
• Culinary degree, certification, or equivalent professional experience.
• ServSafe Manager Certification or equivalent food safety credential.
• Experience managing retail concepts, merchandising programs, and guest engagement initiatives.

Apply to Bon Appetit today!

Bon Appetit is a member of Compass Group USA.

Click here to Learn More about the Compass Story

Associates at Bon Appetit are offered many fantastic benefits.

• Medical
• Dental
• Vision
• Life Insurance/ AD
• Disability Insurance
• Retirement Plan
• Paid Time Off
• Holiday Time Off (varies by site/state)
• Associate Shopping Program
• Health and Wellness Programs
• Discount Marketplace
• Identity Theft Protection
• Pet Insurance
• Commuter Benefits
• Employee Assistance Program
• Flexible Spending Accounts (FSAs)
• Paid Parental Leave
• Personal Leave

Associates may also be eligible for paid and/or unpaid time off benefits in accordance with applicable federal, state, and local laws. For positions in Washington State, Maryland, or to be performed Remotely, click here or copy/paste the link below for paid time off benefits information.

Compass Group is an equal opportunity employer. At Compass, we are committed to treating all Applicants and Associates fairly based on their abilities, achievements, and experience without regard to race, national origin, sex, age, disability, veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity, or any other classification protected by law.

Qualified candidates must be able to perform the essential functions of this position satisfactorily with or without a reasonable accommodation. Disclaimer: this job post is not necessarily an exhaustive list of all essential responsibilities, skills, tasks, or requirements associated with this position. While this is intended to be an accurate reflection of the position posted, the Company reserves the right to modify or change the essential functions of the job based on business necessity. We will consider for employment all qualified applicants, including those with a criminal history (including relevant driving history), in a manner consistent with all applicable federal, state, and local laws, including the City of Los Angeles’ Fair Chance Initiative for Hiring Ordinance, the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance, and the New York Fair Chance Act.

Certain positions may require Florida Level 2 background screening. Details:

Applications are accepted on an ongoing basis.

Bon Appetit maintains a drug-free workplace.

Req ID: 1575366

Bon Appetit

Michael Abbey