Compensation

• Estimated total compensation potential: $110,000–$120,000 annually
• $80,000–$90,000 base salary
• Additional incentive equal to 0.5% of event bookings
• Paid on regular company payroll schedule

Benefits

• Medical benefits
• Paid time off
• Paid sick days
• Bonus pay
• Free parking

Schedule

• Full-time
• Approximately 45–50 hours per week
• 5-day workweek
• Day, evening, weekend, holiday, and event availability required
• Event-driven scheduling flexibility required

About the Role

Walnut Street Café is seeking a hands-on Executive Chef or strong Executive Sous Chef to lead kitchen operations inside a polished, high-volume restaurant with a strong private event business and an established kitchen team.

This role is focused on stabilizing kitchen leadership, maintaining consistency during active service, supporting the current team, and strengthening operational structure across both restaurant and event production.

We are looking for a chef who can lead from the floor during service, communicate professionally with ownership and staff, and maintain strong execution standards while continuing to improve kitchen systems, organization, and accountability.

This is not a purely creative chef role. Success in this position requires disciplined execution, operational leadership, organization, and the ability to manage both restaurant service and event production consistently.

About the Restaurant

Walnut Street Café is a polished, high-volume University City restaurant with a strong mix of daily dining and private events.

The kitchen supports both restaurant service and event production, requiring a chef who can move between structured daily operations and higher-volume event execution without losing organization or consistency.

The operation offers the infrastructure and stability of an established restaurant while still giving leadership the opportunity to make a meaningful operational impact on kitchen systems, standards, team performance, and overall execution.

Responsibilities

• Lead daily BOH operations during prep, production, and service
• Maintain food quality, consistency, and execution standards
• Support and stabilize the existing kitchen team
• Lead hands-on during active service periods
• Oversee ordering, inventory, receiving, and vendor relationships
• Manage scheduling, labor control, and payroll coordination
• Support private event and catering execution
• Train, coach, and develop hourly kitchen staff
• Maintain food safety, sanitation, and kitchen organization
• Control food cost, waste, prep systems, and pars
• Communicate professionally with ownership, management, FOH, and BOH teams
• Support operational improvements and menu execution

Qualifications

• 5+ years of progressive kitchen leadership experience preferred
• Executive Chef, Executive Sous Chef, Chef de Cuisine, or senior sous chef experience strongly preferred
• Experience in polished casual, upscale casual, hotel, event-driven, or high-volume restaurant environments preferred
• Strong leadership and communication skills
• Experience managing both restaurant and event production
• Ability to lead calmly and effectively during busy service
• Strong organizational and cost-control skills
• Comfortable maintaining structure while improving systems and standards
• Ability to lift 50 lbs., stand for extended periods, and work active kitchen shifts
• English required
• Spanish proficiency is a plus

Ideal Candidate Traits

• Hands-on leadership style
• Reliable and accountable
• Organized under pressure
• Strong operational discipline
• Consistent communicator
• Adaptable during busy service
• Comfortable balancing repetitive operational structure with fast-moving service demands

How to Apply

Please submit your resume with full contact information and three professional references. Supervisor email addresses are required. Qualified candidates will be contacted directly.