Lead Pastry/Dessert Chef

Job Description

Job Description

About Us

We are an upscale dessert café opening in Stamford, CT dedicated to crafting premium crepes, artisanal waffles, elegant desserts, and specialty coffee in a modern, welcoming atmosphere. We are seeking a passionate, creative, and skilled Pastry & Dessert Chef to join us during our pre-opening phase.

This is a unique opportunity to help build our dessert program from the ground up, influence the menu, establish kitchen standards, and become a key part of our brand before transitioning into a full-time leadership role when the café opens.

Responsibilities

• Develop innovative, visually stunning desserts that combine classic pastry techniques with modern presentation and exceptional flavor profiles.
• Create, test, and standardize recipes for crepes, waffles, pastries, mousses, creams, ganaches, sauces, fillings, and seasonal dessert specials while maintaining consistency and food cost efficiency.
• Demonstrate strong pastry fundamentals, including dough preparation, laminated pastries, chocolate work, sugar work, piping, tempering, and elegant dessert plating.
• Collaborate with ownership to source premium ingredients, develop new menu items, and help design efficient kitchen workflow and production processes.
• Maintain the highest standards of food safety, sanitation, organization, and quality control while ensuring every dessert reflects our premium brand.
• Assist in training future kitchen staff on recipes, preparation methods, presentation standards, and best culinary practices before and after opening.
• Comfortable participating in social media content, including Instagram Reels, TikTok videos, behind-the-scenes content, dessert demonstrations, and promotional campaigns. Our social media presence will be a major part of our brand, and we are looking for someone who enjoys showcasing their creativity, craftsmanship, and passion on camera.

Qualifications

• Professional experience as a Pastry Chef, Dessert Chef, Baker, or in a similar culinary role is preferred , but talented and passionate candidates with exceptional pastry skills are encouraged to apply.
• Strong knowledge of classical pastry fundamentals and modern dessert techniques.
• Passion for creativity, flavor development, and exceptional visual presentation.
• Ability to work independently, manage multiple projects, and thrive in a fast-paced kitchen environment.
• Comfortable working in a social media-driven environment and participating in marketing initiatives. Experience creating culinary content for Instagram, TikTok, or other social media platforms is a plus, but not required.
• Excellent attention to detail, organization, and commitment to consistency.
• Experience in upscale cafés, bakeries, hotels, restaurants, or dessert concepts is highly preferred.

Why Join Our Team?

• Creative Freedom: Help design and develop our signature dessert menu while introducing your own recipes, seasonal features, and creative ideas.
• Flexible Schedule: Enjoy a flexible part-time schedule during the pre-opening phase while helping bring a new concept to life.
• Leadership Opportunity: Play a key role in establishing kitchen operations, workflow, quality standards, and training procedures, with the opportunity to transition into a full-time leadership position upon opening.
• Professional Kitchen Environment: We are committed to investing in high-quality equipment, tools, and smallware. We welcome your recommendations and will work with you to purchase the equipment that best supports your techniques, workflow, and creativity.
• Build Your Personal Brand: Our chefs will be an important part of our story. You'll have the opportunity to showcase your culinary talent through professionally produced Instagram and TikTok content, helping build both the café's brand and your own professional portfolio.
• Employee Perks: Complimentary meals and beverages during shifts, employee discounts, and the opportunity to be part of a supportive, collaborative, and respectful team culture.
• Build Something from the Ground Up: This is a rare opportunity to help create an upscale dessert café from day one. The selected chef will have significant creative input in developing our signature menu, establishing kitchen standards, and shaping the future of the brand. Outstanding performance during the pre-opening phase will lead to a full-time leadership position as our Head Pastry Chef .

Compensation

• $22.00 per hour during the pre-opening phase.
• Opportunity to transition into a full-time Lead Pastry Chef position when the café opens in approximately four months.

If you are passionate about pastry, thrive on creativity, enjoy sharing your craft, and are excited by the opportunity to build something exceptional from the ground up, we would love to hear from you.