Prep Cook

Prep Cook

At Hometown Coffee & Juice, great service starts with great prep. As a Prep Cook, you'll play an essential role in keeping the kitchen ready for a successful day by preparing ingredients and menu components accurately, safely, and efficiently.

You'll follow recipes and production standards, complete prep lists, maintain strong organization, and ensure products are properly portioned, labeled, stored, and rotated. Your work directly supports the kitchen's ability to deliver speed, consistency, and quality to every customer.

What You'll Do

Own Prep Execution

• Complete assigned prep tasks accurately and within expected timelines.
• Follow recipes, batch guidelines, and production standards.
• Maintain consistency in portioning, labeling, storage, and presentation.
• Keep your prep area clean, organized, stocked, and ready for the next task.
• Communicate progress, concerns, or product needs to kitchen leadership.

Support Food Safety & Quality

• Follow all food safety and sanitation procedures.
• Use proper FIFO, labeling, dating, storage, and rotation practices.
• Maintain strong attention to product quality and communicate issues promptly.
• Use knives and kitchen equipment safely and correctly.

Help Keep the Kitchen Ready

• Complete prep lists to help ensure the kitchen is prepared for service.
• Maintain organized storage areas and assist with inventory organization as needed.
• Support other kitchen areas when business needs require.
• Stay aware of how prep impacts service speed, accuracy, and consistency.

Practice Ownership

• Follow portion standards to minimize waste and protect food cost.
• Use ingredients efficiently and avoid unnecessary overproduction.
• Communicate low stock, quality concerns, or prep issues to leadership.
• Take pride in completing work accurately and leaving your workspace ready for the next teammate.

Be a Great Teammate

• Work closely with kitchen leadership and teammates to complete prep needs on time.
• Follow direction, communicate clearly, and ask questions when clarification is needed.
• Bring a positive, respectful, and collaborative approach to every shift.
• Support Hometown's culture by learning our standards, helping others succeed, and bringing those values to life every day.

What You Bring

• One to two years of prep or kitchen experience is preferred, but we are happy to train the right person.
• Knowledge of food safety practices.
• ServSafe certification is preferred or can be obtained upon hiring.
• Strong knife skills, organization, and attention to detail.
• Ability to work efficiently both independently and as part of a team.

Physical Requirements

• Ability to stand and move throughout the kitchen for extended periods.
• Ability to lift and carry up to 50 pounds.
• Comfortable working in a fast-paced kitchen environment.

Why You'll Love Working Here

• Be an essential part of a supportive and collaborative kitchen team.
• Build strong culinary, prep, and food safety skills.
• See the direct impact your work has on the success of every service.
• Grow with a company that values quality, teamwork, ownership, and development.

Pay & Benefits

Pay: Starting at $17/hour, with opportunities for increases based on experience and performance.

Benefits & Perks:

• Employee Meal & Employee Discount Benefits
• Paid Breaks
• 401(k)
• Great Work-Life Balance - No late nights, our cafes close at 5pm
• Paid Leave and Sick Leave
• Health Insurance offered to all regular full-time employees
• Growth and development opportunities
• Supportive and collaborative team environment

EEO Statement

Hometown Coffee & Juice is an Equal Opportunity Employer, committed to creating a diverse and inclusive workplace.