Head Chef / Kitchen Manager

WE'RE HIRING: HEAD CHEF / KITCHEN MANAGER

📍 Cedar Cove Ranch | The Republic Lodge | Eustace, TX

💰 Competitive Pay Benefits | Optional On-Site Lodging

🌲 Luxury Ranch & Resort | East Texas

Ready to lead your own kitchen?

Cedar Cove Ranch is looking for a talented, hands-on Head Chef / Kitchen Manager to help build and shape the culinary program at The Republic Lodge, our new flagship lodge.

We're looking for someone who can partner closely with our F&B/Hospitality Director to create an exceptional overall food and beverage experience — bringing strong culinary leadership to the kitchen while collaborating on menus, service standards, guest experience, food costs, staffing, and operational execution.

This isn't a traditional restaurant chef position.

Our culinary team creates experiences ranging from intimate multi-course dinners and executive retreats to weddings, private events, hunting groups, and elevated outdoor dining across the ranch.

One day you might prepare a plated dinner for 10 executives. The next, you'll lead culinary service for a 50-person retreat or create a private dinner overlooking the lake.

We're looking for someone who wants to cook, lead, collaborate, create, and grow.

Strong Sous Chefs ready to take the next step and lead their own kitchen are especially encouraged to apply.

THE ROLE

This is a working chef position. You'll lead from the kitchen—not from an office.

You'll take ownership of:

• Daily culinary execution and kitchen operations

• Elevated plated and multi-course dining

• Retreats, weddings, private events, and guest dining

• Menu development and creative dining experiences

• Food quality, plating, consistency, and presentation

• Food cost, purchasing, inventory, and waste management

• Recipes, prep standards, kitchen SOPs, and production systems

• Hiring, training, scheduling, and developing the culinary team

• Food safety, sanitation, and kitchen organization

You'll work hand-in-hand with our F&B/Hospitality Director on menu planning, costing and profitability, staffing, service standards, event execution, and continually elevating the guest dining experience.

WHO WE'RE LOOKING FOR

We're less concerned about having the perfect title on your resume and more interested in whether you can cook, lead a kitchen, collaborate with hospitality leadership, and consistently deliver an exceptional guest experience.

You may currently be a:

Sous Chef | Head Chef | Chef de Cuisine | Banquet Chef | Executive Chef | Kitchen Manager

Experience in upscale restaurants, resorts, hotels, private clubs, catering, banquets, private dining, or special events is particularly valuable.

We're looking for someone with strong culinary fundamentals, excellent presentation and plating skills, kitchen leadership experience, an understanding of food cost and operational discipline, and — importantly — someone who works well as part of a leadership team.

COMPENSATION & BENEFITS

$50,000–$55,000 annually, based on experience Gratuity Potential Lodging on-site

• Health insurance

• Paid time off

• Flexible scheduling based on operations

• Professional growth and advancement opportunities

• Optional on-site lodging for the right candidate

WHY CEDAR COVE RANCH?

Cedar Cove Ranch is a growing luxury ranch, resort, and retreat destination in East Texas, where exceptional food is central to the guest experience.

With the opening of The Republic Lodge, this is an opportunity to work alongside our F&B/Hospitality Director to build and elevate a culinary program from the ground up.

If you're a talented chef who's ready for more responsibility, more creativity, and the opportunity to lead a kitchen while being part of a collaborative hospitality team, we'd like to meet you.

📩 Apply on Indeed or email us directly on jobs@CedarCoveRanchcom with your resume and a brief introduction.

We strongly encourage photos or examples of your culinary and plated work.

Know a great chef who's ready for their next opportunity? Please tag them or share this post.

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