Culinary Operations Partner
Tampa, Florida•Full-time
$75,000 - $100,000 annually
$75,000 - $100,000 annually
About the Job
Location: St. Petersburg, FL
Job Type: Full-Time | Managing Partnership Opportunity
Job Type: Full-Time | Managing Partnership Opportunity
About Salem's Restaurant Group:
We are seeking an experienced, entrepreneurial Culinary Operations Partner to help launch and grow an exciting new seafood-focused fast-casual restaurant concept.
Built around fresh, flavorful, made-to-order food, this innovative concept combines quality, convenience, and value. The menu will feature seafood favorites designed for dine-in, drive-thru, takeout, and delivery.
This is more than a chef position. It's an opportunity to become a key partner in launching and scaling a restaurant brand from day one.
Why Join Us?
This concept is designed for long-term growth, multiple revenue streams, and future expansion. As a Culinary Operations Partner, you will have the unique opportunity to influence the culinary vision, operational systems, customer experience, and overall growth strategy of the business.
If you are passionate about seafood, restaurant innovation, and building something special, we'd love to meet you.
Position Summary:
The Culinary Operations Partner will lead all culinary operations while playing an active role in strategic business growth. This hands-on leader will develop a high-quality seafood menu optimized for dine-in, drive-thru, and takeaway, ensuring exceptional taste, consistency, speed, and profitability.
The ideal candidate is a strong operator who can balance culinary creativity with operational excellence while building and developing a high-performing team.
Key Responsibilities:
Culinary Leadership:
- Create and develop a scalable seafood-focused menu for dine-in, drive-thru, and takeaway.
- Design menu offerings that leverage our state-of-the-art equipment and give the customer an amazing experience at a great value.
- Standardize recipes, portioning, presentation, and preparation methods.
- Maintain exceptional food quality, consistency, and customer satisfaction.
- Partner on future menu innovation and product development.
Operations Management:
- Establish kitchen systems, workflows, and procedures to maximize efficiency.
- Develop operational processes that support high-volume dine-in, drive-thru, and takeaway sales.
- Monitor food costs, labor costs, inventory, and profitability.
- Ensure compliance with all food safety, sanitation, and health regulations.
- Oversee purchasing, vendor relationships, and product sourcing.
Team Leadership:
- Recruit, train, develop, and mentor kitchen team members.
- Foster a culture of accountability, teamwork, and excellence.
- Create scheduling strategies that support business demands while controlling labor costs.
- Lead by example through active participation in daily operations.
Strategic Partnership:
- Collaborate on business planning, marketing initiatives, and growth strategies.
- Contribute ideas for menu expansion, and operational scalability.
- Support the development of brand standards and company culture.
- Act as a key stakeholder in the long-term success of the concept.
What You Bring:
- Proven success leading kitchen operations as an Executive Chef, Chef Partner, Culinary Director, or comparable leadership role.
- Strong seafood knowledge and experience preferred.
- Demonstrated ability to create profitable menus and manage food cost controls.
- Experience in fast-casual, casual dining, high-volume, or multi-channel restaurant operations.
- Passion for food quality, customer satisfaction, and management.
- Proven ability to recruit, train, and develop high-performing teams.
- Strong knowledge of restaurant systems, processes, and operational best practices.
- Stable employment history demonstrating career growth and leadership success.
- Entrepreneurial mindset with a desire to help build and scale a restaurant brand.
What We Offer:
- Unique Managing Partnership opportunity.
- Ability to influence and shape a new restaurant concept.
- Leadership role with significant growth potential.
- Competitive compensation package.
- Performance-based incentives and partnership opportunities.
- Opportunity to help build a future multi-unit restaurant brand.
Join the Ground Floor of Something Special:
If you're a passionate culinary leader with a vision for seafood innovation and the drive to help build a successful restaurant concept, we invite you to apply for this exciting opportunity.
Perks & Benefits:
- Competitive salary.
- Growth opportunities within a dynamic and expanding brand.
- Health, dental, and vision insurance
- Paid time off and holiday pay.
- Continuous leadership and development training.
- A vibrant, collaborative culture that celebrates success and promotes from within.
Benefits:
- Dental insurance.
- Employee discount.
- Health insurance.
- Paid time off.
- Paid training.
- Vision insurance.