What are the responsibilities and job description for the Executive Chef/Kitchen Manager position at Lake Anna Restaurant Group?
Executive Chef
Lake Anna Restaurant Group – Lake Anna / Mineral, VA
Lake Anna Restaurant Group is seeking an experienced, hands-on Executive Chef to lead the culinary operations of our two distinct restaurant concepts:
A high-volume Italian restaurant with a fast-paced kitchen, significant takeout business, pizza, classic Italian dishes, and a strong focus on consistency, speed, and efficient execution.
A higher-end dining establishment focused on elevated food, thoughtful presentation, quality ingredients, seasonal offerings, and a more refined guest experience.
This is not a position for someone who simply wants to cook great food. We are looking for a leader and operator who can build strong kitchens, develop people, control costs, create systems, and hold both restaurants to a consistently high standard.
What You’ll Own
- Oversee BOH operations across both restaurant concepts
- Lead, coach, and develop chefs, sous chefs, line cooks, prep cooks, and dish teams
- Build a strong kitchen culture based on accountability, professionalism, teamwork, and pride
- Ensure food is consistently prepared and presented to established standards
- Maintain high standards of kitchen cleanliness and organization
- Establish and enforce recipes, prep systems, pars, station standards, and opening/closing procedures
- Ensure employees are properly trained before being expected to independently run a station
- Manage BOH scheduling and labor within established budgets
- Monitor food cost and identify and correct unusual variances
- Reduce waste, over-portioning, and unnecessary purchasing
- Maintain appropriate inventory levels and oversee ordering
- Work with management on menu development, specials, seasonal dishes, and pricing
- Ensure kitchens are properly prepared for high-volume services
- Take ownership of kitchen equipment, maintenance needs, and operational problems
- Develop leaders within the kitchens rather than relying on the Executive Chef to solve every problem
- Work closely with restaurant leadership to improve sales, profitability, and the overall guest experience
What We’re Looking For
The right candidate should have:
- Proven Executive Chef, Head Chef, or senior culinary leadership experience
- Experience in high-volume restaurant operations
- Experience with upscale or fine-dining food and presentation
- Strong understanding of food cost, labor cost, purchasing, inventory, and waste
- Experience managing and developing other kitchen leaders
- Strong organizational and systems-building skills
- Ability to move between two very different restaurant concepts without trying to make them the same
- Ability to hold people accountable while maintaining a strong team culture
- Excellent communication with both BOH and FOH leadership
- A hands-on leadership style and willingness to be present during important services
- Strong understanding of sanitation, food safety, and kitchen cleanliness
The Person We’re Looking For
We want someone who sees a problem and takes ownership of it.
If a station isn’t properly trained, you fix the training.
If food cost is too high, you find out why.
If the kitchen isn’t clean enough, you establish the standard and hold the team accountable.
If Saturday night isn’t running smoothly, you don’t just jump on the line every week—you build a team and a system that can execute without constantly depending on you.
The goal is to build two strong, well-run kitchens with capable leaders underneath you.
Why This Role Is Different
Our two restaurants require different strengths.
One operation requires volume, speed, consistency, organization, and efficiency.
The other requires refinement, creativity, presentation, attention to detail, and elevated execution.
We’re looking for an Executive Chef who understands both worlds and can build systems and teams that allow each concept to excel at what it is meant to be.
Full-time leadership position
Compensation is competitive and based on experience.
If you have a proven track record of building strong kitchens, developing teams, controlling costs, and delivering consistently excellent food, we’d like to hear from you.
Pay: $60,000.00 - $70,000.00 per year
Benefits:
- Dental insurance
- Health insurance
- Paid time off
Experience:
- Cooking: 8 years (Required)
- Executive Chef: 3 years (Required)
Work Location: In person
Salary : $60,000 - $70,000