What are the responsibilities and job description for the Executive Chef position at Cornerstone Restaurant Group?
Cornerstone Restaurant Group (“CRG”), based in Fulton Market, is seeking a talented and creative Executive Chef with Italian cuisine expertise to lead the opening of CRG’s newest restaurant, nestled in the Lincoln Park neighborhood, set to open Spring 2025!
CRG is reimagining the iconic neighborhood Italian spot with bold red-sauce staples, classic cocktails, and a warm, buzzing vibe. It’s where timeless tradition meets modern energy, brought to life with heartfelt hospitality and moments made to share.
The Restaurant will feature 90 seats inside and 40 additional seats outside during patio season.
The Executive Chef will be a key part of the Restaurant and charged with menu creation, execution, and overall management of the kitchen operations. The ideal candidate has a focus on culinary excellence, community building, pushing standards, and building strong teams.
About Us:
Cornerstone Restaurant Group offers full-service management, concept and brand licensing and consultation services for the hospitality industry. Founded in 1993, CRG is a trusted partner with a family of restaurants, including iconic brands like Michael Jordan’s Steak House, MJ23 Sports Bar & Grill, Urbanbelly, Sol Toro and The Table at Crate, Crate & Barrel's first full-service restaurant. For more information, please visit us at www.cornerstonerestaurants.com.
Culinary:
- Responsible for menu creation and planning.
- Responsible for quality and execution of all menu items.
- Oversight of all ordering and purchasing
- Ensures compliance with food safety regulations and maintaining a clean, sanitary kitchen.
Employee Relations
- Oversight of all kitchen team members
- Manage the interviewing, hiring, and effective onboarding of new hires.
- Manage the effective training of all kitchen team members in collaboration with the Learning & Development Manager.
- Build and maintain a strategic relationship with all members of management.
- Build and maintain a good rapport between kitchen and front of house staff to increase communication and collaboration.
- Collaborate with HR to appropriately resolve employee coaching and counseling issues.
- Create and post weekly staff schedules.
- Maintain a sound and stress-free environment for all team members.
- Maintain an employee recognition and incentive program to maintain high morale.
- Monitor staff appearance and take corrective action as necessary.
- Perform timely employee reviews.
General Operations
- Accurately perform monthly inventories.
- Analyze sales figures to set, monitor, and control budget for the kitchen.
- Collaborate with the Culinary Director in the planning and pricing of menus.
- Conduct daily pre-shift/post-shift and other periodic meetings with line staff to increase communication and to discuss department performance, areas of concern, priorities, and the strategic vision moving forward.
- Consistently monitor labor costs to remain within labor budgets when scheduling staff.
- Develop efficient processes to manage and control food inventory.
- Ensure proper operation and maintenance of equipment.
- Establish and maintain kitchen opening and closing procedures.
- Monitor the quality and presentation of dishes so that only those that meet our high standard are served to our customers.
- Maintain relationships with vendors and manage the ordering and receiving cycle for the kitchen and develop efficient receiving processes.
- Maintain proper safety and sanitation expectations.
- Perform administrative duties as needed.
- Respond to any guest complaints and take appropriate and necessary action.
- Run the line during the service to ensure we achieve the highest standards and communication between all stations is efficient.
- Standardizing production recipes to ensure consistent quality.
Benefits
- Quarterly Bonus Program
- Annual Bonus Program
- 401k plan with company match
- Paid Vacation
- Paid Sick Leave
- Floating Holidays
- Dining Privileges
- Monthly Competitive Dining Allowance
- Monthly Cell Phone Reimbursement
- Medical, Dental and Vision Insurance Offerings
- Employer Paid Life Insurance and Long Term
- Employee Paid Voluntary Short-Term Disability, Critical Illness, and Critical Accident Insurance
- Paid Parental Leave (2 weeks)
- Pre-tax Commuter Benefits
Job Requirements
- Minimum 3 years of experience as a Head Chef.
- Strong overall food & beverage knowledge, including basic food/labor costing.
- Good general knowledge of kitchen equipment operations, maintenance & troubleshooting.
- Prior experience with training and developing culinary staff.
- Good working knowledge & skill in Word, Excel & Outlook; POS experience.
- Excellent communication skills.
- Excellent math and analytical skills to effectively maintain a budget when ordering ingredients, calculating recipes, and determining portion size.
- Valid food safety manager certificate.
- Bilingual (English/Spanish) preferred.
Physical Requirements
- Ability to move and lift up to 25 pounds, occasionally move and lift up to 50 pounds.
- Standing and walking, for long periods, is necessary to oversee the daily operation.
- Ability to reach objects, stoop or bend as needed. May be required to utilize a ladder.
- Ability to see and hear adequately to monitor operations and interact with staff and clients.
Salary : $95,000 - $105,000
