Head Chef

Head Chef

Hot Ticket is a new intimate restaurant, cocktail bar, and music lounge built around great food, hospitality, music, and connection. We're creating a space that feels equally at home as a neighborhood restaurant, late-night lounge, creative gathering place, and platform for artists.

Our food program combines Dutch-inspired fries and sauces, elevated small plates, steak frites, hot dogs, seafood, charcuterie, and seasonal dishes with an emphasis on quality ingredients, local sourcing, and thoughtful technique.

We are looking for a Head Chef who wants to help build the kitchen from the ground up and become an important part of the identity of Hot Ticket.

The Head Chef will lead the culinary operation and work closely with the Culinary Director and ownership to develop, execute, and continuously improve the Hot Ticket food program.

This is a hands-on leadership position. We are looking for someone who enjoys cooking, teaching, building systems, developing dishes, working with vendors, and creating a kitchen culture where quality and hospitality come first.

Key Responsibilities:

• Lead daily kitchen operations and maintain high culinary standards
• Work with the Culinary Director on menu development and seasonal changes
• Develop and refine recipes, sauces, preparations, and plating
• Build and maintain prep lists, recipes, par levels, and kitchen systems
• Train, mentor, and lead cooks and kitchen staff
• Maintain consistent food quality, portion control, presentation, and execution
• Manage ordering, receiving, storage, inventory, and product rotation
• Work with local farms, small producers, distributors, and specialty vendors
• Maintain food safety, sanitation, and health-code standards
• Control food costs, waste, and labor while maintaining quality
• Help establish kitchen opening, closing, prep, and service procedures
• Collaborate with the bar and FOH teams on specials, events, and menu pairings
• Participate in special dinners, DJ nights, artist events, pop-ups, and future culinary programming
• Help create a positive, professional, creative kitchen culture
• Document recipes and systems so the culinary program can grow consistently

Culinary Direction:

• Dutch-style fries and fry culture
• House-made sauces including Dutch and European-inspired preparations
• Steak frites
• Elevated hot dogs
• Small plates and shareable food
• Seafood, oysters, and lobster
• Charcuterie and cheese
• Seasonal vegetables
• Creative late-night food
• Quality desserts and soft serve

We value technique, creativity, simplicity, consistency, and excellent ingredients over unnecessary complexity.

What We're Looking For:

• Previous experience as a Sous Chef, Chef de Cuisine, Executive Chef, or strong kitchen leader
• Strong understanding of professional kitchen operations
• Excellent cooking and organizational skills
• Ability to lead a team while remaining hands-on
• Strong communication and training skills
• Knowledge of food costing, ordering, inventory, and waste control
• Comfortable working in a fast-paced restaurant and nightlife environment
• Passion for hospitality and creating memorable food experiences
• Someone who takes pride in building systems rather than simply maintaining them
• A creative thinker who can contribute ideas while respecting the overall culinary direction

The Right Person:

The ideal candidate is part chef, part leader, and part builder. You don't have to come from a traditional fine-dining background. We care more about your ability to execute great food, lead people, solve problems, and build something from the ground up.

If you are the type of chef who gets excited about developing a signature sauce, finding a great local farmer, dialing in the perfect fry, teaching a cook a new technique, or turning a simple dish into something people remember we'd like to meet you.

What We Offer:

• Full-time leadership position
• Opportunity to help build a new culinary program from the beginning
• Creative input into menus and culinary direction
• Collaborative environment with ownership, Culinary Director, FOH, musicians, and artists
• Opportunity for involvement in special events, pop-ups, and future culinary programming
• A restaurant designed around food, music, culture, and community
• Opportunity to grow with the Hot Ticket concept

Compensation: Competitive salary based on experience, with additional opportunities to be discussed as the business grows.

Location: Nashville, TN

Position: Head Chef / Culinary Leader