Executive Chef

Del Pez is more than your traditional restaurant. We built our name on creative flavor, artful plating, and the kind of food that makes people put their phones down. We're looking for an Executive Chef to own the kitchen, mentor a hungry team, and push the menu somewhere new — the creative and operational heartbeat of the room. Del Pez is part of Hakuna Hospitality Group — the team behind Del Pez, Santa Fe and Savora Catering — whose mission is to enrich the lives of our guests, team, and community through exceptional hospitality. Opportunity to become the culinary director Responsibilities Design, cost, and evolve a menu that keeps Del Pez a destination Lead, hire, train, and mentor the back-of-house team Own kitchen financials — food cost, labor, inventory, and waste Hold the line on quality, consistency, and sanitation every shift Partner with ownership and FOH to deliver a seamless guest experience Qualifications 10+ years of progressive leadership in a high-volume, from-scratch kitchen Strong record of developing hourly employees into leadership roles Menu development experience and a genuine culinary point of view Strong grasp of P&L, scheduling, and inventory systems Latin or Mexican cuisine experience a plus Calm, respectful leadership that develops and retains talent ServSafe (or equivalent) certification What You Get $85K–$95K BOE base + performance bonus Health benefits, PTO, 401K and dining perks across the Hakuna family Creative ownership and a clear path to grow as the group grows #J-18808-Ljbffr Hakuna Hospitality Group