Line Cook

Reports to: Kitchen Manager

Job Description -Line Cook

Title: Line Cook Description

It is the obligation of the line cook to ensure that food is made to the exact specifications of the establishment, the chef and the customer. As the line cook you must be ready to work in a high pressure, fast paced work environment, while retaining organizational ability to see and act on work duties quickly and efficiently. Line cook job description usually include taking responsibility for daily chores of preparing food items in the pantry, stations or any other areas of the kitchen. Most restaurants have set specifications like portion control, presentation specifications and unique recipes which should be followed. Set up stations according to the restaurant rules and restock all items needed during the shift. The responsibility of cleaning and maintaining station by exercising good safety, sanitation and organizational skills lies within you. As the line cook, you should have an understanding and knowledge on how to use and maintain all equipment in the station and to cook food items as required in a clean and timely manner.

Responsibilities
Station Set Up- The line cook is responsible for preparing his or her station before the start of each service. The line cook must make sure that all the supplies that will be needed for the night are available and ready for use. This can include preparing some items in advance, or performing simple tasks such as stocking the station with plates and bowls.
Prepping Food - The line cook will be asked to prep food for service each day. This can mean chopping vegetables,making basic sauces. Depending on the needs of the kitchen, the line cook may also be asked to prepare items for other stations or for special events.
Cooking - During meal service, the line cook is responsible for preparing the items requested from his or her station. This requires working with other cooks in the kitchen to make sure that food is ready at the right time, in the right order so that it arrives at the customers table ready to eat and at the right temperature. A line cook will often be directed by a Kitchen Manager or Shift lead as he prepares food.
Waste Log - As a Line cook it is your responsibility to check the quality of items on your station before serving them to the customer. If you have something you are questionable about alert a shift lead or Kitchen manager to confirm. Any waste including but not limited to mistakes, overproduction, bad quality, out of date, or spoiled shall be recorded by you in the designated waste log.
Clean Up - At the end of service, the line cook is responsible for cleaning his or her station, and may be asked to help other cooks clean up their stations. This means disposing of garbage, cleaning utensils, pots, and pans, and cleaning cooking surfaces. The line cook will also be responsible for taking care of leftover food, whether that means disposing of it, returning unused items to the correct inventory location, or storing cooked goods for use at another service.
Stocking - The line cook is also required to store inventory correctly. This can mean stocking pantries or walk in refrigerators, or simply inventorying items and reporting to the Kitchen Manager.

High school diploma/GED required
2 years’ experience as a Cook in the restaurant industry
Able to read and follow standardized recipes
Strong knowledge of proper food handling procedures
Able to work as part of a team in a busy kitchen atmosphere
ServeSafe Certification preferred
Be 18 years of age.
Be able to communicate and understand the predominant language(s) of the restaurant’s trading area.
Be able to work in a standing position for long periods of time (up to 5 hours).
Be able to reach, bend, stoop and frequently lift up to 50 pounds.
Must have the stamina to work 50 to 60 hours per week.