Executive Chef

Job Description

Job Description

Executive Chef | The Mooring, Newport, RI

$105,000 – $120,000 / year | Performance bonus up to 20% | $500 quarterly dining allowance

Running a kitchen is one thing. Running a kitchen where you are also an owner, where every great dish, every tight labor cost, and every cook you develop directly grows your own stake in the company, is something else entirely.

We are partnering with a well-established, employee-owned restaurant group in Newport, RI to place an Executive Chef for The Mooring who does not just want to lead a kitchen. They want to own it.

This is a confidential search. All inquiries are handled with discretion.

The Operation

Before we go any further, it is critical to understand the scope and intensity of this role. The Mooring is a high-volume, single-venue, full-service operation, and the right candidate must have direct experience operating at this scale:

• Approximately $16 million in annual revenue
• High seasonality (May–September): roughly $500K in weekly sales
• Approximately 1,200 covers per day at peak
• A back-of-house team of 50+ employees

This is a high-intensity environment. If you have thrived in operations of this size, you will feel right at home.

What You'll Own

This is a full-ownership role covering the food, the people, and the numbers.

• Set and execute the culinary vision consistently across every service
• Engineer a menu built around seasonality, scratch cooking, and cost-conscious creativity that keeps guests coming back
• Own your numbers: labor cost, food cost, and budget performance
• Hire, develop, and retain a kitchen team worth staying on
• Hold high standards fairly, clearly, and consistently
• Keep kitchen operations efficient, safe, and sanitary at all times

What's In It For You

Compensation & Benefits

• $105,000 – $120,000 annually
• Performance bonus up to 20%
• $500 quarterly dining allowance
• Paid sick, holiday, and vacation time
• Medical, dental, and vision coverage
• Flexible Spending Account (FSA) and Dependent Care options
• Health Reimbursement Account (HRA)

Financial & Ownership

• 100% company-paid LTD, Life & AD&D Insurance
• Generous 401(k) company match
• Employee ownership opportunities. Your work builds real equity.

Perks

• Dining card program
• 35% discount across group locations (food and beverage)
• Employee Assistance Program (EAP)
• Wholesaler Club reimbursement
• Tenure recognition program
• Referral bonus program
• Telemedicine access

Relocation assistance and a sign-on bonus are available for qualified out-of-area candidates.

Who You Are

You take pride in what leaves your kitchen. And you understand that a strong team is as important as a strong menu.

You bring:

• A genuine passion for food and the guest experience, visible in every plate
• A leadership style that builds an equitable, respectful kitchen culture
• Composure and strategic thinking when service gets chaotic
• Sharp financial instincts. You know your food cost and you manage to it.
• Clear communication across all levels, from line cooks to front-of-house leadership
• Flexibility to work days, nights, weekends, and holidays. This is hospitality.

What You Bring on Paper

• 3–5+ years of Executive Chef experience in a high-volume establishment
• A proven track record of scratch cuisine, with high-volume seafood experience a strong advantage
• Culinary Arts degree preferred, though exceptional experience carries equal weight
• Demonstrated success with cost controls and kitchen financials

Candidate Requirements

To be considered, candidates must meet all of the following:

• Demonstrated high-volume, full-service restaurant experience of no less than $10M in revenue
• A strong seafood and coastal cuisine background (need not be the most recent role, but must be substantial)
• Menu development and ownership experience. You must have developed and driven your own culinary vision, not solely executed someone else's.
• Direct leadership of a large BOH team. This unit requires strong people leadership.
• Stable tenure. Repetitive short stints must come with well-documented reasons.
• Independent or chef-driven concept background strongly preferred

We are unable to consider candidates whose most recent or primary experience is in:

• Hotel, country club, or resort food & beverage (an exception applies when a singular high-end restaurant is connected)
• Catering or banquet operations
• Corporate or contract dining

Geography

We have expanded this search nationally. While our New England candidate pool has been largely reviewed, we welcome qualified candidates from outside the region. Relocation assistance is available for the right person.

This is a confidential search. All inquiries are handled with discretion, and qualified candidates will receive full concept details upon our initial conversation.

Gecko Hospitality in New England is a premier North American recruitment firm. Covering MA, NH, ME, VT, RI, and CT, the branch connects top-tier management and executive talent with leading hospitality organizations.

Led by experienced former hospitality operators, including Franchise Partners Evan Kaplan and Brian Blum, the New England team leverages their firsthand industry knowledge to carefully assess candidates for both operational competency and cultural fit.

Key Focus Areas:

Target Sectors: Restaurants (quick service to fine dining), hotels, resorts, private clubs, casinos, catering, and corporate dining.
Roles Placed: Executive and senior leadership, including General Managers, Executive Chefs, Directors of Operations, and C-suite executives.
Core Services: Executive search, talent strategy, organizational design, and leadership pipeline development.

Operating exclusively within the hospitality niche, the firm provides customized, relationship-driven recruitment solutions that accelerate business performance and advance professional careers.

Company Description

Gecko Hospitality in New England is a premier North American recruitment firm. Covering MA, NH, ME, VT, RI, and CT, the branch connects top-tier management and executive talent with leading hospitality organizations.\r\n\r\nLed by experienced former hospitality operators, including Franchise Partners Evan Kaplan and Brian Blum, the New England team leverages their firsthand industry knowledge to carefully assess candidates for both operational competency and cultural fit.\r\n\r\nKey Focus Areas:\r\n\r\nTarget Sectors: Restaurants (quick service to fine dining), hotels, resorts, private clubs, casinos, catering, and corporate dining.\r\nRoles Placed: Executive and senior leadership, including General Managers, Executive Chefs, Directors of Operations, and C-suite executives.\r\nCore Services: Executive search, talent strategy, organizational design, and leadership pipeline development.\r\n\r\nOperating exclusively within the hospitality niche, the firm provides customized, relationship-driven recruitment solutions that accelerate business performance and advance professional careers.