Culinary Director

CONFIDENTIAL SEARCH

Culinary Director

Food & Beverage • Multi-Unit Culinary Leadership

Grand Rapids, Michigan | Three restaurants | Reports to the Partners

Compensation: $125,000 - $142,000 range, plus bonus structure, plus benefits.

The Group

A hospitality group in Grand Rapids operating three restaurants under one culinary brand. This search is being conducted confidentially. The Culinary Director owns food quality, consistency, menu, training, and culinary financial results across all locations. Each restaurant has an Executive Chef (or CDC) who owns day-to-day kitchen operations. The Culinary Director leads those chefs.

Position Summary

This is a hands-on, in-the-restaurants role — not a corporate desk job. You will taste, train, write recipes, walk lines, coach chefs, and protect the brand on the plate. You will also own food cost, vendor specs, health scores, and menu rollouts.

We are looking for a chef-leader first. Someone who has run kitchens, developed people, and can hold a standard at more than one address.

What We Are Looking For

· Proven kitchen leadership — Executive Chef, CDC, or multi-unit culinary role. Bib Gourmand Experience, Trained for excellence

· A track record of food quality and consistency across more than one daypart (lunch, dinner, brunch).

· Menu development and rollout experience: recipes, costing, training, and follow-through.

· Comfort with food cost, center-of-plate costing, vendor pricing, and period reporting.

· Ability to coach Executive Chefs and sous chefs in weekly 1:1s and hold them accountable.

· Presence on the floor during service. This is not a Monday–Friday office schedule.

· Health-inspection discipline (target 94 or better) and clean, organized kitchens.

Core Responsibilities

Culinary & Brand

· Set and protect the culinary direction for the brand at all three locations.

· Own menu development and rollout with the Executive Chefs — brand fit, sourcing, perceived value, taste, balance, seasonality, and presentation.

· Maintain and update the brand recipe file.

· Elevate execution through observation, tasting, training, and follow-up.

People

· Weekly 1:1s with each Executive Chef / CDC. Hold them to the culinary side of their job description.

· Develop ECs, CDCs, and sous chefs through training, R&D, workshops, vendor visits, and continued education.

· Keep BOH culinary training checklists current and actually used.

· Participate in EC / CDC evaluations.

· Partner with GMs, District / Directors of Ops, and Partners on BOH staffing for openings. Help interview and hire kitchen leadership.

· Support hiring and training of ECs, CDCs, sous chefs, and FOH managers as needed.

Financial & Admin

· Hit food-cost targets: purchasing, menu costing, center-of-plate, and full-menu cost.

· Update vendor food and supply costs weekly by location.

· Report required culinary financials each period and quarter to the Partners.

· Flag spec changes and cost swings. Protect the purchasing program.

· Enforce company policies and see that ECs and sous chefs do the same.

· Implement new programs and procedures the company rolls out.

Operations

· Own food quality and consistency through the ECs and sous chefs.

· Drive health-inspection readiness. Target score of 94 or better.

· Plan special events, receptions, charity, and marketing dinners — costing and execution.

· Attend selected marketing and public events as a brand representative.

· Work lunch, dinner, and brunch services every week. Taste. Watch ticket times. Correct in the moment.

· Dine at each restaurant at least once per week in addition to scheduled hours.

Schedule

· 50–55 hours per week on a consistent pattern.

· Weekends and holidays required.

· Hours will increase around new restaurant openings.

· This role lives in the three kitchens, not behind a laptop.

How Success Will Be Measured

· Food quality and consistency across all three restaurants.

· Guest feedback and plate standards.

· Food cost vs. target.

· Health scores.

· Strength of the EC / CDC team — retention, development, accountability.

· Clean menu rollouts that hit the calendar and the spec.

· Partnership with GMs and Partners.

Qualifications

· Kitchen leadership experience required (Executive Chef, CDC, or multi-unit culinary).

· Multi-unit or multi-concept experience strongly preferred.

· Working knowledge of food cost, recipes, inventory, and vendors.

· Able to work nights, weekends, holidays, and opening periods.

· Clear communicator. Direct with chefs. Professional with Partners.

· Culinary degree helpful, not required. Results on the plate matter more.

Reporting

This position reports to the Partners and works daily with Executive Chefs, GMs, and operations leadership.

The Culinary Director owns the food. The Executive Chef owns the kitchen that day. Together they own the guest’s plate.

Compensation

$120,000 base salary. Bonus opportunity up to $20,000 based on culinary and financial results (food cost, consistency, health scores, and agreed targets). Benefits package to be confirmed with the Partners.

This search is confidential. Do not contact the restaurants directly.