Position Summary

Title: Kitchen Manager (KM)

Reports to: General Manager (General Manager Role & Expectations )

Direct Reports: Assistant Kitchen Manager, Line Cooks, Prep Cooks, Dishwasher

The Kitchen ****Manager is responsible for the leadership, performance, and culture of the back-of-house team. This role oversees all aspects of kitchen operations, from prep and production to service execution and cleanup, ensuring that every dish leaving the kitchen meets Waverly Stone’s standards of consistency, quality, and presentation.

The Kitchen Manager is both a hands-on operator and a strategic leader. On a day-to-day basis, they manage production, line execution, food safety, and sanitation standards, while also taking a longer-term view of staff development, food cost management, equipment maintenance, and process improvement. Success in this role means not only producing excellent food but also building and sustaining a team that is disciplined, professional, and engaged.

This role requires culinary expertise, operational discipline, and servant leadership. The Kitchen Manager sets the tone in the kitchen, ensuring it remains organized, efficient, and solution-focused, especially during high-pressure service. They actively train and mentor staff, enforce accountability, and step in to work any station when needed. The expectation is not to manage from a distance but to lead from within the team, modeling professionalism and humility.

The Kitchen Manager is also a critical business partner to the General Manager and FOH Managers. Together, they coordinate labor schedules, food cost targets, and service standards to ensure a seamless guest experience. The Kitchen Manager is accountable for reducing waste, monitoring portion control, and aligning daily kitchen operations with broader financial goals.

At its core, the role exists to create a kitchen culture of consistency, accountability, and pride in execution, where every member understands that no task is beneath them and that the ultimate measure of success is exceeding guest expectations through food quality, service speed, and teamwork.

Purpose of the Role

• Ensure every plate leaving the kitchen reflects Waverly Stone’s standards for taste, presentation, and timing. The Kitchen Manager is the safeguard against inconsistency or mediocrity in execution.
• Take full ownership of back-of-house operations so the GM can focus on overall restaurant leadership, financial performance, and cultural alignment across the organization.
• Provide training, mentorship, and accountability for cooks, prep staff, and dish staff. Build a pipeline of talent by developing future leaders and holding team members to high standards of professionalism.
• Ensure compliance with health codes, sanitation standards, and safe work practices. Protect guests, staff, and the business by preventing foodborne illness, injuries, and costly violations.
• Partner with GM to achieve and maintain food cost targets. Manage waste, portion control, and purchasing efficiency to protect margins and strengthen profitability.
• Collaborate with FOH managers to align kitchen timing, communication, and presentation with guest-facing service standards. The BOH must enhance, never hinder, the overall dining experience.
• Reinforce Waverly Stone’s cultural standards: timeliness, follow-through, servant leadership, and “nobody is above any job.” Set the example by leading with professionalism, humility, and accountability.

Core Responsibilities

Operational Leadership

• Oversee daily BOH operations: prep, line, expo, and dish.
• Maintain station readiness and enforce pre-shift setup standards.
• Partner with GM on BOH scheduling, labor budgeting, and shift coverage.
• Ensure efficient service flow during peak hours, proactively solving bottlenecks.
• Lead expo and kitchen communication with FOH to ensure ticket accuracy and speed.