Kitchen Lead

ROOSTER | BAGEL CAFE KITCHEN BAR

Kitchen Lead

$23–$26 per hour | Team Tips | Full-Time Hourly Role

Medical, Dental & Vision Benefits | Annual Performance Bonus Eligibility

Edmonds, WA | Reports to: Assistant General Manager

When the AGM is unavailable, reports to: Director of Operations

The ROOSTER Way

ROOSTER is an all-day bagel cafe, kitchen and bar built around one purpose: Leave Every Guest Better Than We Found Them.

To us, hospitality is more than friendly service. It is how people feel when they are with us—welcomed, noticed and genuinely cared for. It belongs to everyone, regardless of position. We are one team with distinct specialties and shared responsibility for the guest experience.

We hire first for character, judgment, initiative and hospitality instincts. Skills can be taught; caring cannot.

People thrive at ROOSTER when they notice what needs to happen next, move with purpose and take pride in doing things well. They are kind without being flimsy, fast without becoming frantic and professional without feeling fake. They ask questions, accept coaching, offer ideas, acknowledge their mistakes and step in when a guest or teammate needs help. “That’s not my job” is not part of how we work.

Our culture is guided by four promises:

Make Different Mistakes. We expect people to try, learn and grow—not to be perfect.

Get Better Every Day. Curiosity is stronger than ego, and there is always a better way.

Be Good to One Another. We assume positive intent, communicate directly and treat one another with respect. Gossip, back-channel conflict, territorial behavior and side conversations that divide the team do not belong here.

Do the Right Thing. We act with integrity, follow through and make good decisions even when no one is watching.

The Director of Operations and ROOSTER’s restaurant leaders are responsible for protecting this culture. That means setting clear expectations, listening, coaching privately, recognizing great work and creating an environment where people can ask for help, challenge an idea respectfully and be honest about a mistake.

We work hard, hold high standards and have fun doing it. We want thoughtful, accountable and generous people who care about their craft, their teammates and the experience we create together.

If you take initiative, stay steady when things get busy and believe the details matter, you may be our kind of person.

The Role

The Kitchen Lead is a hands-on working leader responsible for ROOSTER’s day-to-day kitchen execution. Reporting to the Assistant General Manager, you’ll lead the kitchen team and maintain the systems and daily discipline required to prepare and deliver consistent food safely, efficiently and with care.

This role is for a capable kitchen professional who is ready to lead a full shift, develop people and improve the operation—not simply work the strongest station. You’ll coordinate readiness, production, quality, sanitation, training and deployment; work alongside the team when needed; and communicate clearly with the rest of the restaurant.

Decision-Making & Accountability

The Director of Operations provides overall operational leadership, and the AGM leads the whole restaurant’s day-to-day operation. Within that structure, the Kitchen Lead makes routine kitchen decisions that protect food quality, food safety, kitchen readiness and service flow.

Formal discipline, hiring or termination, compensation, unplanned spending, menu or recipe changes, new vendor commitments and decisions affecting the broader restaurant must be escalated first to the AGM and then to the Director of Operations. You’ll coach to established standards and document recurring concerns; formal employment decisions remain with the AGM and Director of Operations. Owner involvement is reserved for exceptional matters.

What You Will Do

• Lead kitchen opening, production, service, daypart transitions and closing.
• Deploy team members across cooking, prep, dish, bagel production and kitchen expo based on volume, preparation needs and operating priorities.
• Maintain recipe, portion, preparation, presentation and order-accuracy standards.
• Manage sanitation, labeling, temperature controls, required food-safety logs and corrective action.
• Plan production using forecasted demand, established pars, sales patterns and current product levels.
• Maintain practical station guides, prep plans, checklists and opening and closing systems.
• Monitor labor, waste and product usage; complete routine purchasing using approved vendors and established pars; and oversee receiving and inventory controls.
• Maintain an organized, clean, stocked and service-ready kitchen.
• Communicate shortages, delays, equipment concerns and operational risks early and coordinate handoffs with the bar and hospitality teams.
• Support onboarding and training; coach performance; recognize strong work; and document recurring concerns for the AGM.
• Work alongside the team when needed while continuing to direct the kitchen and remain aware of the whole kitchen and its effect on the broader operation.

You Will Thrive Here If You...

• Lead calmly and hold clear, consistent standards.
• Build dependable systems instead of relying on heroics.
• Coach people directly, fairly and respectfully.
• Understand how food quality, labor, waste and production planning affect one another.
• Value every kitchen role and understand how each contributes to service.
• Make sound decisions, communicate concerns early and ask for support when needed.
• See the kitchen as part of one connected restaurant.
• Take pride in developing people and leaving the kitchen stronger than you found it.

What You Bring

• Kitchen experience that includes full-shift, team and operational accountability.
• Experience training, coaching and directing people during service.
• Working knowledge of food quality, production planning, labor, waste, receiving and inventory controls.
• Sound judgment, clear communication and practical problem-solving skills.
• The ability to manage competing priorities and collaborate across kitchen, bar and hospitality operations.
• The ability to obtain and maintain required Washington food-safety permits or certifications.
• The ability, with or without reasonable accommodation, to perform the role’s essential responsibilities safely throughout active kitchen shifts.

We value demonstrated capability over a particular career path. Experience gained in a complex, high-volume kitchen or hospitality operation will be considered.

Schedule & Availability

This full-time hourly role requires availability that aligns with production and peak operating periods, including early mornings, evenings, weekends, holidays, opening shifts and closing shifts based on restaurant needs.

This does not mean working every early morning, night, weekend or holiday. Leadership coverage will be planned with consideration for business needs, team sustainability and equitable distribution of opening, closing, weekend and holiday responsibilities. Greater flexibility may be required during opening and other high-demand periods.

How Success Is Measured

Success is evaluated through a balanced scorecard. Specific targets are established through ROOSTER’s operating plan and reviewed regularly. No single metric defines success, and financial results are never achieved at the expense of safety, quality, culture or hospitality.

• People and culture: Increase training completion, station proficiency, team capability, retention and accountability while reducing avoidable turnover and unresolved performance concerns.
• Food quality and service: Meet standards for recipes, portions, presentation, order accuracy, ticket flow and handoffs while reducing remakes, delays and recurring quality concerns.
• Readiness and production: Complete preparation to established pars and timelines while reducing preventable shortages, outages and service disruptions.
• Financial stewardship: Achieve targets for kitchen labor, food cost, waste and inventory variance while reducing unnecessary overtime, overproduction, spoilage and unexplained loss.
• Safety and compliance: Maintain current certifications, strong sanitation and safety results and accurate labels and logs; complete corrective actions promptly.
• Leadership and The ROOSTER Way: Develop capable people, communicate early, complete commitments and ensure the kitchen operates as part of one connected team.

Compensation, Benefits & Growth

• $23–$26 per hour, based on relevant experience and demonstrated capability.
• Eligible to participate in ROOSTER’s team tip pool. Tip amounts vary and are not guaranteed.
• Medical, dental and vision benefits.
• Quarterly growth and performance reviews.
• Eligibility for an annual performance bonus based on individual scorecard results and overall company performance.

ROOSTER believes strong performance deserves recognition and that team members should receive clear, regular feedback about where they stand, how they are growing and what comes next. Quarterly reviews focus on results, leadership impact, development priorities and expectations for the next quarter.

Compensation adjustments and bonus payouts are not guaranteed and are subject to individual performance, company results and applicable plan eligibility requirements.

Pay: $22.00 - $25.00 per hour

Benefits:

• Dental insurance
• Health insurance
• Vision insurance

Work Location: In person

Salary : $22 - $25