Benefits:

Employee discounts

Free food & snacks

Free uniforms

Paid time off

Experienced banquet / catering cook in West Michigan? Want steady hours, no late night bar rush, and a quiet, low‑drama kitchen?

Catered Creations is hiring a Catering Line Cook to own hot‑food production for multiple catered events, with a clear path to $23/hr and then Sous Chef based on performance.

This is a quiet, focused back‑of‑house role. You’ll work most days in a small kitchen with our Executive Chef. Other departments are in separate storefronts. If you need a big, chatty line to feel alive, this is not the place.

Why this job is different

Pay: Starts at $21/hr

Weekend events: + $2/hr on Friday, Saturday, Sunday event shifts

Tip share: Pooled tips for prep, kitchen, events, dish (historically adds ~+$2/hr, not guaranteed)

Hours: Over a full year this role averages around 45 hours per week.

Peak season (May–Oct + early Dec): many weeks in the 50–60 hr range with overtime

Slower season (Jan–March): more weeks in the 30–40 hr range

Very little late‑night work; no 2 am bar rush

Environment: Small, quiet, PG catering kitchen in Grand Rapids – no swearing, no drama, headphones allowed

Growth: Clear, written path to $22/hr, $23/hr, and then Sous Chef as you demonstrate higher levels of responsibility

Free shift meals, uniforms provided, PTO and paid holidays after 1 year (per company policy)

Pay & growth path

Catering Line Cook 1 – $21/hr – training phase, learning our menu and standards

Catering Line Cook 2 – $22/hr – after you independently run ovens for single‑event days to our standard for 90 days (no missed items, temps, or timing issues that reach the client)

Catering Line Cook 3 – $23/hr – after you can handle multi‑event oven days and help lead hot‑food production

Future Sous Chef – higher band above $23/hr once you’re helping run overall production, not just ovens

What you’ll do

Chef designs the game plan. Your job is to execute it at a high standard:

Work from detailed job sheets and a whiteboard plan

Prep hot items and store them on correctly labeled racks/shelves for each event

On event days, pull the right racks, wrap and label pans and Cambros (event, item, counts)

Fire hot food in commercial ovens so it cooks evenly and is ready on time, not blasted last‑minute

Transfer hot pans into the correct Cambros, manage holding temps, and stage for loading without needing to be babysat

Help pull and load vans, work BOH at events when scheduled, and jump in on prep, dishes, cleaning, and trash as needed

Schedule

Client‑driven, not 9–5:

Mon–Thu: Kitchen prep + corporate catering, typically ~8:00 am to around 5:00 pm (longer in busy season)

Fri–Sat (May–Dec): Frequent event days, late morning into evening depending on events

Jan–March: Fewer weekend shifts; mostly weekday prep with smaller events

Expect 1–2 days off per week, not always Saturday/Sunday. If you need fixed hours or guaranteed weekends off, this is not a fit.

Who this is perfect for

You have experience with hot food in high‑volume banquet, catering, or production kitchens

You’re comfortable on hot stations and commercial ovens, not just cold prep

You like quiet, focused work more than kitchen banter

You’re self‑motivated, take pride in clean, on‑time execution, and want to be trusted to run your lane

You’re interested in growing into a Sous Chef role in a small, stable kitchen

Basic requirements

Experience cooking hot food in commercial ovens in a professional kitchen

Able to stand for long shifts and lift/carry 40–60+ lbs

Comfortable working most Fridays and Saturdays May–December

Comfortable working overtime

Valid driver’s license and insurable driving record

Authorized to work in the U.S.

If this sounds like your kind of kitchen, apply here with your resume and a short note about your banquet / catering experience.