Culinary Crew (Line Cook)

About Cheeky Noodles

Cheeky Noodles was born of a love of comfort food (maybe more of an obsession, if we're being honest) and a passion for taking care of people through sharing food. There's something special about a handful of people sat around a table, smiling and satisfied because of a meal you prepared for them. We started Cheeky Noodles to expand that idea of a handful of people to our entire community and to create a place where we can share our love of soul-quenching comfort food.

A few ideas power how we think about the restaurant:

1. We believe taking care of our people is how we ultimately take care of our customers. We set the tone of hospitality and look out for each other within our team so they can turn around and provide that same care to our community.
2. We believe a business is a member of the community. We exist to be part of the fabric of life in the neighborhoods around us. We think about how the things we do affect the community and we look for ways to take an active role in making life enjoyable. 
3. We take seriously the things that should be taken seriously – food safety, the quality of our food, respecting our customers and community, to name a few. For everything else, we encourage license to be goofy and playful. We've all got to show up to work to make a living, we might as well try to enjoy it.
4. Work doesn't have to suck. Sometimes it will be hard, there's no denying that – especially in a restaurant. But we believe that surrounded by the right team and supported by the right culture, we can sand the edges off of some of the roughest parts. We may be exhausted at the end of the day, but we still want to be able to call it a good day.

We're a new restaurant opening in a brand new space, complete with a shiny new kitchen and a spotless and airy dining room. This is our first location, tucked in the middle of a rapidly growing city and we are STOKED to be hiring our inaugural team who will help us define our culture and who will ultimately be delivering on our community-driven mission. If this sounds exciting to you, we can't wait to talk to you.

Role Summary

Our food is at the heart of the Cheeky Noodles customer experience; it's how we take care of our community members who choose to dine with us. We rely on the guys and gals of the Culinary Crew to execute every recipe with excellence, delivering to our guests homestyle comfort and nostalgia with elevated restaurant quality. Members of the Culinary Crew work the line for prep and service, maintain the kitchen in exceptional condition, set up and tear down the kitchen for the day, and act as champions for our commitment to safe food handling.

An ideal Culinary Crew teammate is passionate about good food and views their cooking as a craft. They understand that they're an absolutely critical part of serving our guests with consistency, which is how we earn long-term relationships. And they know that working as a team – both back of house and front – is how we deliver on our goal to provide excellent hospitality to every guest on every visit.

A Note from the GM

We're building something at Cheeky Noodles that I'm incredibly proud of, and it's not just serving our guests craveworthy food that keeps them coming back (though yes, that's obviously hugely important). I'm also focused on building a crew that's excited to be here. I'm looking for exceptional craftspeople who want to operate at a high level, and who in return will be part of a team that is treated with a high degree of trust, autonomy, and flexibility. I'm looking for the kinds of people who will share their ideas when they see ways for something to improve and who feel a sense of pride and ownership in the way the kitchen operates. 

If this resonates with you, I want to talk with you about joining the inaugural Culinary Crew at Cheeky Noodles.

Responsibilities

• Know the menu intimately and prepare menu items consistently according to recipes, and in line with quality, plating, and portioning standards
• Effectively manage the flow of orders through both slow and busy times, communicating with teammates proactively when you're headed into the weeds
• Prep ingredients and sub-recipes for the day or upcoming meal period
• Properly store and mark all prepared foods, strictly following safe food handling protocols
• Set up, stock for service, and break down kitchen stations
• Be vigilant and act as a champion for safe food handling, for your own work and your team's
• Check produce and ingredients, organizing and rotating as needed
• Thoroughly complete open, close, pre-shift, and post-shift tasks assigned for your shift
• Assist with receiving and stocking inventory, as necessary

Qualities

• A Cheeky attitude; you're energized by service to others, you default to a positive attitude, you're always looking for ways to have fun, and you know that you can still be serious about your performance while being a little bit foolish
• Passionate about food and take your craft seriously
• You thrive in a team-oriented environment, with strong communication skills and an innate desire to help your teammates succeed – and you ask for help when YOU need it
• A growth mindset mindset, with an eagerness to learn
• Punctual and professional; you know what behavior is appropriate when and with whom
• You act with integrity, and you do the right thing even when no one is watching

Requirements & Qualifications

• At least 1 year experience working the line in a fast-paced kitchen environment (2+ years preferred)
• Strong ability to multitask and execute multiple dishes or tickets simultaneously while staying organized
• Familiarity with managing kitchen tickets, preferably on a digital kitchen display system (KDS) (we use Square)
• Ability to lift and carry up to 50lbs
• Ability to stand for the full duration of your shift (outside of breaks)
• Valid Washington state food handlers card (at start time)
• 18 years or older
• Evening and weekend availability

Benefits

• Health insurance after 30 days for full-time employees
• Discounted meal benefit
• Hillhurst Center discount benefit

Hours:  Full-time

Pay: $21-22/hr

Reports to:  General Manager

Shift Lead:  Kitchen Captain