Sous Chef, Longleaf Restaurant

Description

About the Atlanta Botanical Garden

The Atlanta Botanical Garden is a world-class cultural destination dedicated to connecting people with plants and nature. The Longleaf Restaurant extends this mission through an exceptional culinary experience rooted in sustainability, freshness, and Southern hospitality.

Position Summary

The Sous Chef plays a key leadership role in the daily operations of Longleaf kitchen. Working closely with the Executive Chef, this position ensures excellence in food preparation, presentation, and service. The Sous Chef helps maintain the highest standards of culinary quality, cleanliness, and food safety, while fostering a positive, educational, and collaborative environment for the kitchen team.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

• Supervise and actively participate in the preparation and execution of menu items
• Lead pre-shift meetings with the culinary and front-of-house teams to ensure service alignment
• Expedite during service and provide on-the-line support as needed
• Ensure the kitchen consistently meets or exceeds health inspection standards, maintaining an “A” rating
• Uphold all Garden standards, state, and local sanitation regulations
• Conduct daily kitchen walk-throughs to verify product freshness, proper storage, and mise in place readiness
• Manage hourly kitchen staff, including scheduling, attendance, training, and performance coaching
• Attend weekly leadership and BEO (Banquet Event Order) meetings as needed
• Document incidents and ensure adherence to HR policies and procedures
• Assist the Executive Chef in menu development, cost control, and operational excellence
• Promote teamwork, culinary education, and consistent service quality across all food outlets

Requirements

• Minimum 3 years of progressive culinary experience, including leadership responsibilities
• Deep knowledge of culinary techniques, ingredients, and kitchen equipment
• Excellent knife skills and understanding of diverse cooking methods
• Strong record of kitchen management, staff supervision, and training
• Exceptional organizational skills, communication, and problem-solving abilities
• Working knowledge of restaurant software systems (MS Office, POS, or similar)
• ServSafe certification preferred

Physical Requirements

• Ability to stand and walk for extended periods
• Must be able to bend, lift, and carry up to 40 lbs.
• Availability for weekends, evenings, and holidays as needed to support Garden operations

The above job duties and responsibilities describe the general nature and level of work for employees in this position, but this is not intended as an exclusive or all-inclusive inventory of all duties required of employees in this job.

It is the policy of the Atlanta Botanical Garden to provide equal employment opportunity (EEO) to all persons regardless of age, color, national origin, citizenship status, physical or mental disability, race, religion, creed, gender, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity and/or expression, genetic information, marital status, status with regard to public assistance, veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local law. In addition, reasonable accommodations will be made for qualified individuals with disabilities.

Atlanta Botanical Garden Core Values

• Conservation: We value natural resources and ecosystems, making choices with the long-term sustainability of our planet in mind 
• Excellence: We hold ourselves to high standards and expect commitment from each other to contribute to a positive image and reputation for the Garden 
• Inspiration: We inspire through the creation of an environment that supports imagination and expression of beauty, providing joy, delight, and a deeper appreciation of plants for everyone
• Integrity: We demonstrate honesty, transparency, accountability, trustworthiness, and ethical behavior, exercising good judgment in our actions and communication 
• Respect: We value the diversity of our coworkers, volunteers, and guests, holding each other in the highest regard