Garde Manger

$23–$30+ per hour | Full-Time | Benefits | Growth Opportunity

JT’s Buffalo is a busy, contemporary Italian restaurant located in Buffalo’s Elmwood Village. We are part of a locally owned restaurant group that has been operating in Western New York for more than 30 years.

We offer something that can be difficult to find in the restaurant industry: the stability, benefits, and advancement opportunities of an established restaurant group while still operating with the standards, energy, and attention to detail of an independently run restaurant.

We are currently looking for an experienced Garde Manger / Pantry Cook who can take ownership of a high-volume station and execute consistently at a high level.

This is an opportunity to earn strong hourly pay, work with an experienced culinary team, continue developing your skills, and build a long-term position within an established local restaurant group.

• Independently setting up, stocking, and operating the garde manger station

• Executing cold appetizers, salads, crudo, charcuterie, garnishes, and other pantry items

• Maintaining consistent plating, portions, recipes, and presentation on every dish

• Completing daily prep accurately and on schedule

• Maintaining clean, organized, labeled, dated, and properly rotated mise en place

• Monitoring pars and communicating product needs before shortages become a problem

• Communicating clearly with the chef, expo, and other stations throughout service

• Working with urgency while maintaining composure during high-volume dinner service

• Following food-safety, sanitation, opening, and closing procedures

• Helping maintain a clean, professional, organized, and respectful kitchen

We are looking for cooks who take pride in their station and their work.

Ideal candidates will have:

• At least 2 years of professional restaurant-kitchen experience

• Previous experience independently running a pantry, garde manger, appetizer, or comparable service station

• Fine-dining, upscale-casual, or high-volume full-service, Italian cuisine experience strongly preferred

• Strong knife skills and cold-preparation fundamentals

• Excellent organization and time-management skills

• A sense of urgency during service

• Strong attention to detail and consistency

• The ability to follow recipes and reproduce dishes accurately every time

• The ability to stay organized and composed during a busy service

• A professional, dependable, team-first attitude

• Reliable attendance and transportation

• Evening, weekend, and holiday availability

• Full-time position

• Approximately 35–40 hours per week

• Five shifts per week

• Primarily evening shifts

• Weekend availability required

$23–$30+ per hour, based on experience and ability

We are willing to pay aggressively for experienced cooks who can independently operate a station and perform at a high level.

In addition, we offer:

• Paid time off

• 401(k) eligibility

• Performance-based bonuses

• Dining discounts across all four of our restaurants

• Opportunities to cross-train on additional stations

• Opportunities for advancement into higher-level culinary positions

• An experienced culinary leadership team

• Clearly defined standards and expectations

• Consistent full-time hours

• A stable position with an established, locally owned restaurant company
  

• Opportunities across four locally owned restaurants

• More than 30 years of restaurant experience and stability within our group

• Closed on major holidays

Please submit a current résumé outlining your recent restaurant experience and which stations you have independently worked.

If you have experience in a high-volume, upscale kitchen and are looking for strong pay, consistent hours, professional standards, and an opportunity to grow, we would like to hear from you.

Qualified candidates will be contacted directly to schedule an interview.