Director of Culinary Operations Cantina Lime Restaurant Group North Texas / Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex Compensation $65,000-$80,000 annual base salary, depending on experience Performance-based bonus opportunity Catering incentive program Mileage or travel reimbursement between locations Advancement opportunity as the restaurant group expands About Cantina Lime Cantina Lime is a growing Mexican restaurant group with two locations in North Texas. We specialize in fresh, scratch-made Mexican cuisine, quality ingredients, bold flavors, and approachable hospitality. Our next objective is to grow from two restaurants to approximately five locations throughout the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex. We are strengthening our culinary systems, leadership structure, and operating standards to support that expansion. We are seeking an experienced Director of Culinary Operations with a strong background in Mexican, Tex-Mex, or Latin cuisine to protect our food quality while improving consistency, profitability, training, and kitchen execution across multiple locations. Position Summary The Director of Culinary Operations will oversee culinary standards and back-of-house performance across Cantina Lime's current and future locations. This is a hands-on, multi-unit leadership position. The selected candidate will work closely with ownership, the Director of Operations, General Managers, Kitchen Managers, and an outside culinary consultant. The primary responsibility is to establish and enforce consistent kitchen systems without eliminating the fresh ingredients, scratch preparation, marinades, and flavors that distinguish Cantina Lime. Primary Responsibilities Culinary Standards and Recipe Execution Maintain and protect Cantina Lime's established flavor profile and culinary identity Standardize recipes, portions, preparation procedures, plating, and product specifications Maintain complete recipe books with measurements, yields, photographs, procedures, and food costs Ensure consistent food quality across all locations Test proposed recipe or menu improvements and present them to ownership for approval Obtain ownership approval before implementing material recipe, product, plating, or menu changes Kitchen Systems and Operations Develop and maintain prep lists, production pars, batch schedules, station diagrams, and opening and closing procedures Establish proper kitchen staffing models based on projected sales Improve ticket times, line organization, prep readiness, and shift execution Conduct regular kitchen inspections and operational audits Maintain labeling, shelf-life, temperature-control, sanitation, and food-safety standards Assist with kitchen layouts, equipment organization, and future restaurant openings Food Cost and Inventory Control Maintain accurate recipe and plate costing Monitor food cost, waste, yields, portions, purchasing, and inventory accuracy Identify cost-saving opportunities without reducing ingredient quality or compromising flavor Establish approved product specifications and substitution procedures Collaborate with vendors and ownership on purchasing and procurement Participate in menu engineering and profitability reviews Leadership and Training Recruit, train, coach, and evaluate Kitchen Managers, Assistant Kitchen Managers, Lead Cooks, and culinary team members Build a kitchen-management bench capable of supporting future openings Establish structured onboarding and station-certification programs Hold kitchen leaders accountable for food quality, labor, cleanliness, food cost, training, and execution Work collaboratively with General Managers and the Director of Operations Help create a consistent and respectful kitchen culture across all locations Catering and Additional Revenue Develop and enforce catering production and execution systems Ensure catering orders meet quality, presentation, timing, and profitability standards Assist in growing catering sales and operational capacity Participate in catering incentives based on mutually established performance and profitability requirements Culinary Non-Negotiables Cantina Lime is not seeking to replace its food with generic corporate products or unnecessary shortcuts.

The Culinary Director must protect:

Fresh marinades and sauces Scratch-made recipes and preparations Quality proteins and produce Bold, consistent Mexican flavors Proper portions and presentation Food safety and cleanliness Efficient execution without sacrificing quality Operational improvements are expected, but material changes to recipes, ingredients, menu items, or culinary identity require ownership approval. Required Qualifications At least five years of progressive kitchen leadership experience Professional experience with Mexican, Tex-Mex, regional Mexican, or Latin cuisine Strong knowledge of Mexican ingredients, cooking techniques, sauces, marinades, proteins, and production methods Experience managing food cost, kitchen labor, purchasing, inventory, and waste Experience creating or enforcing standardized recipes, prep systems, and kitchen SOPs Ability to train and hold kitchen leaders accountable Experience in high-volume restaurant operations ServSafe Manager or equivalent food-safety certification Ability to travel regularly between North Texas locations Availability to work selected nights, weekends, holidays, and restaurant openings when operationally necessary Preferred Qualifications Multi-unit culinary leadership experience Experience supporting two or more restaurant locations New restaurant opening experience Spanish-language proficiency Catering operations experience Menu engineering and recipe-costing experience Experience developing Kitchen Managers and opening teams Knowledge of Texas and Dallas-Fort Worth restaurant markets Performance Expectations The Culinary Director will be evaluated based on: Food quality and recipe consistency Food-cost and waste performance Kitchen-labor productivity Recipe and portion compliance Ticket times and prep readiness Food-safety and cleanliness audit results Development and retention of Kitchen Managers Completion and maintenance of culinary systems Successful preparation for future restaurant openings Growth Opportunity Cantina Lime currently operates two locations and plans to expand to approximately five restaurants in the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex. This position offers the opportunity to help build the culinary infrastructure, leadership bench, and operating systems required to support that growth. As the company expands, the role may develop into a more senior culinary leadership position with increased compensation and responsibility. Indeed Summary Cantina Lime is hiring a hands-on Director of Culinary Operations with professional Mexican or Tex-Mex culinary experience. This multi-unit position will oversee food quality, recipes, kitchen systems, food cost, labor, training, and future openings as we grow from two North Texas locations to five restaurants across the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex. Salary is $60,000-$80,000 plus bonus and catering incentives.