Culinary Experience Architect

Description

Job Title: Culinary Experience Architect                             Department:        Culinary

FLSA: Exempt                                                                           Status: Full Time

Reports to: Executive Chef 

Customary Days: Sunday - Saturday

Customary Hours: Varies to include evenings, holidays, and extended hours as business requires

Are You Ready to Shape Unforgettable Culinary Experiences?

At Blue Plate, we believe food us just the beginning. Every meal is more than the food alone—it’s an entire experience. Whether it's a corporate power lunch, an intimate social gathering, or a last-minute client meeting, we craft moments that leave a lasting impression. For more than 40 years, Blue Plate has led the way in Chicago’s catering scene, building a reputation for exceptional cuisine and unforgettable experiences. We’ve partnered with more than 100 of the city’s top venues, earning the trust of clients who demand the best. 

Now, we’re setting our sights on the corporate market with creativity, innovation, and freshness. This is where you come in. As our Chef – Culinary Experience Architect, you’ll have the unique opportunity to lead the culinary operations for our corporate foodservice delivery business, shaping the future of corporate dining. From innovative meal planning to flawless execution, your culinary vision will set the standard for exceptional food that fuels teams, inspires creativity, and enhances workplace culture across Chicago’s most dynamic organizations.

This is your chance to drive culinary innovation, refine delivery strategies, and lead a passionate team to deliver excellence every time. Ready to leave your mark on the corporate foodservice world? We’d love to have you join us in this high-energy, fast-paced environment where creativity and precision are the foundation of everything we do.

What You’ll Do:

• Lead & Inspire Your Culinary Team – As the Food Experience Architect, you’ll mentor and develop your team, instilling a passion for creativity, high standards, and collaboration.
• Innovate Menu Offerings – Drive the evolution of our delivery menu, bringing fresh, exciting ideas that surprise and delight clients while ensuring operational efficiency.
• Elevate Consistency & Quality – Oversee food preparation, conduct regular kitchen walkthroughs, and implement quality control measures to exceed client expectations at every turn.
• Design Food for Delivery Excellence – Curate dishes that are designed to travel well, maintaining peak flavor, texture, and presentation from the kitchen to the client. Your expertise will ensure every dish arrives in perfect form.
• Collaborate Across Teams – Work hand-in-hand with the Sales and Operations teams to ensure seamless execution of every client order, ensuring that our culinary offerings are integrated seamlessly into our delivery process.
• Set the Standard for Excellence – Maintain Blue Plate’s high standards of food safety, sanitation, and organization while ensuring all kitchen operations comply with health and safety regulations.
• Manage Inventory & Cost Control – Oversee kitchen inventory, vendor relationships, and cost management to ensure efficiency without compromising quality or service.
• Deliver Culinary Perfection – Lead tastings, refine portioning and plating standards, and ensure every meal embodies the best of Blue Plate's reputation for excellence.

Requirements

Who You Are:

You are more than just a chef—you’re a culinary innovator, a leader, and a visionary. You thrive in fast-paced, high-energy environments and balance creativity with operational precision, ensuring your team delivers with consistency, passion, and a relentless drive for excellence.

• An Expert in Delivery-Ready Cuisine – You understand the nuances of crafting dishes that stay fresh and flavorful, from packaging to presentation. You know how to create meals that travel well and deliver a premium experience every time.
• A Creative Culinary Mastermind – Whether it’s with cold preparations, intricate plating, or bold new ideas, you bring a fresh perspective to every dish. You’re constantly thinking of ways to push culinary boundaries while maintaining practicality.
• A Visionary Leader & Mentor –  You understand that great food starts with a great team. You inspire, mentor, and hold your culinary staff to the highest standards, cultivating a culture of excellence, creativity, and accountability.
• Detail-Oriented & Results-Driven – Consistency and precision are your trademarks. You thrive on ensuring every detail is flawless, from the quality of the ingredients to the final presentation.
• A Creative Problem-Solver – Challenges don’t intimidate you—they spark new solutions. You excel at finding creative, innovative solutions in a high-volume, fast-paced kitchen environment.
• Operationally Savvy – You have a deep understanding of kitchen logistics, inventory management, and cost control, ensuring operations run smoothly while maintaining top-quality foodservice.
• Client-Focused & Collaborative – You thrive in a collaborative environment and work seamlessly with Sales and Operations to ensure client needs are met with culinary excellence, on-time delivery, and an unforgettable experience.

What You Bring to the Table:

Education and Experience: The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability required.

• 6 years of culinary experience, preferably in      high-volume foodservice, catering, or hospitality.
• Culinary Arts degree or certification (preferred).
• City of Chicago Food Service Manager Certification (or      ability to obtain within 90 days).
• A passion for food that delivers memorable      experiences—your creativity, precision, and leadership will set the tone      for every dish that leaves the kitchen.

Compensation and Benefits:

Salary Range: $85,000–$100,000 annually, based on experience and qualifications.

Benefits Overview
At Blue Plate Catering, we live our core values: Happy, Joyful & Fun; We Care More; Humbly Confident; Genuine & Authentic; Goes Beyond. Our comprehensive benefits package reflects our commitment to supporting our team’s well-being and growth. Benefits include medical, dental, and vision insurance, a 401(k)-retirement plan, and paid time off (PTO) with sick leave. Additional perks such as commuter benefits, Flexible Spending Accounts (FSA), free meals, and pet insurance options ensure our team feels valued. We also offer wellness rewards, an Employee Assistance Program (EAP), and resources to help you thrive in work and life.

Blue Plate Catering complies with all applicable federal, state, and local laws governing non-discrimination in employment, including protections related to race, color, religion, sex (including sexual orientation, gender identity, or pregnancy), national origin, age, disability, or genetic information.

Salary : $85,000 - $100,000