Executive Kitchen Manager / Chef

Executive Kitchen Manager / Chef

Urban Plates Restaurants
Location: 60 Crescent Drive, Pleasant Hill, CA 94523
Pay: $75,000–$90,000 per year, based on experience, including bonus potential
Job Type: Full-time

Lead the Kitchen. Grow Your Career.

Urban Plates is seeking an experienced Executive Kitchen Manager / Chef to lead our restaurant's Back-of-House (BOH) culinary operations in Davis, CA.

This hands-on leadership position is responsible for food quality, kitchen execution, team development, food safety, inventory, cost control, and profitability. The ideal candidate is a passionate culinary leader who enjoys scratch cooking, developing people, and building a high-performing kitchen team.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead daily restaurant kitchen and culinary operations to ensure excellent food quality and consistent execution.
• Lead, coach, train, and develop Prep Cooks, Line Cooks, Sous Chefs, and Junior Sous Chefs.
• Cook from scratch using fresh, high-quality ingredients.
• Maintain food quality, recipe, portion, presentation, sanitation, and food safety standards.
• Manage food cost, COGS, inventory, waste, labor, and kitchen profitability.
• Oversee kitchen staffing, scheduling, deployment, and shift execution.
• Partner with the General Manager and regional leadership to achieve operational and financial goals.
• Support hiring, onboarding, training, coaching, and performance management.
• Maintain a positive, accountable, and high-performance kitchen culture.
• Lead menu rollouts, operational initiatives, and continuous improvement.

Qualifications

• Experience as an Executive Chef, Executive Kitchen Manager, Kitchen Manager, Chef de Cuisine, Sous Chef, or similar culinary leadership role.
• Strong scratch-cooking and restaurant kitchen operations experience.
• Proven ability to lead and develop BOH teams.
• Experience with food cost, COGS, inventory, labor, waste, and profitability.
• Strong knowledge of food safety and sanitation.
• Excellent leadership, communication, organization, and problem-solving skills.
• Ability to thrive in a fast-paced, high-volume restaurant.

Experience with Rational ovens, blast chillers, KDS, Date Code Genie, CTUIT, Dayforce, LMS, and Brink POS is a plus.

Why Urban Plates?

• $75,000–$90,000 annual compensation, including bonus potential
• Realistic and achievable monthly and quarterly bonus plan
• Two days off per week and no late-night shifts
• Paid Time Off
• Company-paid 9-week Management Training Program
• Monthly cell phone/internet allowance
• Free meal during your workday
• 75% off meals when not working
• $12/month Urban Plates Health & Wellness Plan
• Medical, dental, vision, life, disability, and supplemental insurance options
• 401(k) for eligible Team Members
• Career advancement and leadership development opportunities
• UPLift Emergency Grant Program

Build Your Career with Urban Plates

Urban Plates was founded in 2011 with a mission to serve scratch-made, craveable food using quality ingredients while creating a workplace where talented people can grow.

With 22 locations throughout California, we offer culinary leaders strong training, career development, competitive compensation, and an exceptional work-life balance.

If you're an experienced Executive Chef or Kitchen Manager ready to lead a great team without the late-night restaurant schedule, apply today!

Equal Opportunity Employer

Urban Plates LLC is an Equal Opportunity Employer. Qualified applicants with arrest or conviction records will be considered in accordance with applicable Fair Chance ordinances and the California Fair Chance Act.

Urban Plates LLC does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, creed, national origin, ancestry, sex/gender, pregnancy, age, disability, genetic information, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, citizenship status, military/veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by applicable federal, state, or local law.

Reasonable accommodations are available throughout the hiring process for qualified individuals with disabilities and for religious needs.

Apply Today and Join the Urban Plates Team!

Pay: $75,000.00 - $90,000.00 per year

Benefits:

• 401(k)
• Dental insurance
• Health insurance
• Paid time off
• Vision insurance

Work Location: In person

Salary : $75,000 - $90,000