Kitchen Manager

Kitchen Manager

Job Type: Full-Time, Exempt

Salary Range: $78,000 - $82,000 annually, depending on experience, plus quarterly bonus eligibility

Benefits: Medical, dental, and vision insurance; paid vacation, paid sick leave, 401(k) participation (subject to plan terms), and eligibility for company-sponsored benefit programs.

Location: Los Angeles, CA

PRESS START to join our team!

We're all about classic arcade games, craft beer, and loud fun. We built it this way. 

Barcade® is hands-on by design. Since opening our first location in an old metal shop in Williamsburg, Brooklyn in 2004, we’ve grown to nine locations across six states, all still owned and operated by the original co-founders.

What You’ll Do 

At Barcade®, the Kitchen Manager leads all back-of-house operations as both a working chef and a team leader. This role is responsible for delivering consistent, high-quality food while maintaining strong standards for safety, cleanliness, and execution.

Our Kitchen Managers are present, organized, and hands-on in the kitchen. You'll be supporting the line, guiding the team, and ensuring service runs smoothly. You’ll be expected to maintain standards and lead effectively during high-volume service, where consistency, speed, and communication all matter at once. You’ll be trusted to manage costs, develop your staff, and uphold culinary standards. This is an exempt leadership role involving supervision of employees, management of kitchen operations, and the exercise of independent judgment on operational decisions.

Job Snapshot

• Provide hands-on leadership in the kitchen, supporting the line and expo during peak service 
• Track food and labor costs, monitor breakage/spoilage, and support location financial goals
• Conduct weekly and monthly inventory counts; monitor spoilage, waste, and beer usage in recipes
• Verify delivery quality and accuracy, sign off on invoices, and resolve discrepancies with vendors
• Ensure health department compliance and daily sanitation standards
• Enforce storage and safety protocols, including proper footwear, lifting, and hygiene practices
• Maintain recipe consistency and help develop specials in coordination with the Culinary Director
• Build BOH schedules based on business volume and labor targets
• Hire, train, coach, and lead a high-performing kitchen team
• Deliver timely coaching and feedback to staff; escalate performance issues to GM as needed
• Partner with FOH and the GM to align on events, prep, communication, and execution
• Ensure consistent communication across kitchen staff and between front- and back-of-house teams

What You’ll Need to Succeed 

• A minimum of 3 years of experience as a kitchen manager in a high-volume setting
• Ability to lead in a fast-paced, ticket-driven kitchen during nights, weekends, and holidays
• Strong leadership experience including staff supervision, scheduling, and performance management
• Proficiency in line work, prep, station setup, and recipe execution
• Experience with inventory management, vendor communication, and cost control
• Knowledge of local food safety regulations, inspections, and cleaning protocols
• Ability to perform the essential functions of the role, including remaining on your feet for extended periods and lifting up to 60 lbs, with or without reasonable accommodation
• Strong interpersonal and communication skills across teams and departments
• ServSafe Food Manager Certification (or ability to obtain within 30 days of hire)

The Original Arcade Bar 

Barcade® is the originator of the arcade bar concept and the largest operator of arcade bars in the United States. Barcade locations feature 40 to 75 video games and pinball machines mostly from the classic period of the 1980s as well as 24 American craft beers on draft. In addition to beer, Barcade locations offer a full bar with craft spirits and cocktails and creative variations on classic pub food. All Barcade locations are certified green by the Green Restaurant Association, a national non-profit organization that recognizes and certifies environmentally responsible restaurant and bar operations. 

Disclosures

Barcade will consider qualified applicants with criminal histories in a manner consistent with the California Fair Chance Act and the Los Angeles Fair Chance Initiative for Hiring Ordinance.

Barcade provides reasonable accommodations for applicants and employees with disabilities. If you require assistance or accommodation during the hiring process, please let us know.

Barcade is proud to be an Equal Opportunity Employer. We’re committed to building a diverse and inclusive team and do not discriminate based on race, color, religion, national origin, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, age, disability, genetic information, marital status, veteran status, or any other protected category under applicable law. Barcade participates in E-Verify to confirm the identity and employment eligibility of all new hires. All employment offers are contingent upon the successful completion of Form I-9 and E-Verify verification.

Employment with Barcade is at-will and may be terminated by either the employee or the company at any time, with or without cause or notice, in accordance with applicable law.