THE COOPPastry & Sous Chef —

Brunch Culinary Lead Location:

1012

South Main Street, Fort Worth, TX Position:

Pastry & Sous Chef /

Brunch Culinary Lead Employment Type:

Full-Time /

Part-Time Reports To:

General Manager /

Executive Kitchen Leadership Compensation:

Hourly or salary based on experience About The Coop The Coop is a vibrant restaurant and bar located in Fort Worth's South Main area, combining great food, signature drinks, music, entertainment, and an energetic social atmosphere. Brunch at The Coop is designed to be more than a meal—it should be an experience. Our brunch program combines creative Southern-inspired dishes, elevated comfort food, fresh pastries and desserts, signature cocktails, music, and presentation that encourages guests to celebrate, socialize, and return. Position Summary The Pastry & Sous Chef - Brunch Culinary Lead is a hybrid culinary position responsible for supporting overall kitchen operations while taking a lead role in The Coop's brunch, pastry, dessert, and specialty food programs. This position requires someone who can move comfortably between pastry production and the hot line. The ideal candidate understands breakfast and brunch preparation, baking and desserts, kitchen organization, food presentation, recipe execution, food-cost control, and high-volume restaurant service. The position will work closely with management to make The Coop Brunch one of the restaurant's signature experiences. Brunch Leadership The Pastry & Sous Chef will help develop and execute a brunch experience that is creative, consistent, visually appealing, and profitable. Responsibilities may include preparation and execution of items such as: Chicken & waffles and other signature Coop brunch dishes French toast and specialty French toast creations Pancakes and specialty pancake dishes Biscuits and house-made breakfast breads Cinnamon rolls and specialty pastries Brunch sandwiches and breakfast entrées Egg dishes and omelets Breakfast potatoes and brunch sides Shrimp & grits and Southern-inspired brunch selections Seasonal fruit and lighter brunch selections Brunch boards and shareable dishes Specialty desserts Celebration and birthday desserts Seasonal brunch specials Items designed to complement The Coop's mimosa, cocktail, and beverage program The goal is to create brunch dishes that guests want to taste, photograph, share, and come back for. Pastry & Dessert Responsibilities Prepare fresh pastries, desserts, cakes, breads, biscuits, sauces, fillings, toppings, and specialty sweets. Develop signature pastries and desserts for The Coop with management approval. Produce pastries and baked items required for brunch service. Develop rotating seasonal dessert and brunch features. Maintain consistent recipes, portions, taste, and presentation. Prepare desserts for birthdays, celebrations, private parties, brunch events, and special occasions. Coordinate pastry production according to projected business volume. Develop visually appealing plating and presentation. Maintain appropriate ingredient inventory. Control pastry waste and production levels. Assist with recipe and plate costing. Sous Chef Responsibilities As Sous Chef, this position also serves as a kitchen leader and supports management with daily culinary operations.

Responsibilities include:

Assist with supervising cooks and kitchen team members. Help organize daily kitchen preparation. Assign and verify prep responsibilities when directed. Ensure food is prepared according to The Coop's recipes and standards. Monitor ticket times during service. Step onto stations and assist cooks during high-volume periods. Maintain consistency between shifts and employees. Help train new kitchen employees. Coach employees on recipes, presentation, portioning, cleanliness, and food safety. Communicate staffing, inventory, equipment, and performance concerns to management. Assist with opening and closing kitchen responsibilities. Help ensure the kitchen is properly prepared before brunch and regular service begins. Maintain professionalism and leadership during high-pressure service periods. Brunch Service Execution The Brunch Culinary Lead should be especially focused on preparation and organization before brunch service. Before doors open, the kitchen should be prepared with appropriate quantities of proteins, batters, pastries, sauces, garnishes, fruits, breakfast sides, and other ingredients necessary to execute brunch efficiently. During brunch, this position will help: Maintain fast and consistent ticket times. Coordinate multiple brunch stations. Monitor plate presentation before food leaves the kitchen. Ensure pastries and specialty items remain available throughout service. Communicate product shortages immediately. Adjust production based on guest volume. Prevent unnecessary waste and overproduction. Maintain food quality during high-volume periods. Support the kitchen team wherever necessary. Creativity & Menu Development Creativity is an important part of this position. The Pastry & Sous Chef will work with management to develop new brunch, pastry, and dessert concepts that fit The Coop brand.

New concepts should consider:

Taste

+ Presentation

+ Cost

+ Preparation Time

+ Kitchen Capacity

+ Guest Appeal

+ Profitability Creativity should never compromise operational consistency or food cost. Food Presentation The Coop's brunch should have a strong visual identity. The Pastry & Sous Chef will help establish plating standards that make dishes attractive and recognizable while remaining practical during high-volume service.

Presentation should be:

Bold Clean Consistent Appetizing Social-Media Friendly Every plate should look intentional before leaving the kitchen. Food Cost & Inventory This position plays an important role in protecting The Coop's profitability.

Responsibilities include:

Following standardized recipes. Maintaining established portion sizes. Monitoring ingredient usage. Rotating products using FIFO procedures. Properly labeling and dating products. Monitoring pastry and brunch inventory. Reporting low inventory before products run out. Reducing unnecessary food waste. Properly recording waste when required. Helping management identify opportunities to improve food cost. Avoiding unauthorized menu substitutions or excessive portions. Food Safety & Sanitation The Pastry & Sous Chef is expected to model excellent food-safety practices for the kitchen team.

Responsibilities include:

Maintaining appropriate food temperatures. Preventing cross-contamination. Maintaining clean preparation areas. Ensuring food is properly labeled, dated, stored, and rotated. Ensuring cooking and preparation equipment is properly cleaned. Monitoring kitchen cleanliness throughout the shift. Following applicable health and sanitation requirements. Immediately correcting or reporting unsafe food-handling practices. Qualifications Previous experience as a Sous Chef, Pastry Chef, Lead Cook, Brunch Chef, or similar culinary position preferred. Strong breakfast and brunch cooking experience highly preferred. Baking and pastry experience strongly preferred. Ability to work both pastry and hot-line stations. Strong understanding of recipe execution and portion control. Knowledge of restaurant food costs and waste control. Strong plating and presentation skills. Ability to lead and train kitchen employees. Ability to work efficiently during high-volume brunch service. Strong organizational and time-management skills. Dependable attendance and punctuality. Ability to work mornings, weekends, holidays, private events, and other high-volume periods as required. Must maintain required food-safety certifications. Ideal Candidate The ideal candidate understands that brunch has its own personality. We are looking for someone who can combine culinary skill, creativity, presentation, speed, and hospitality to help build a brunch experience people talk about. This person should be excited about developing signature dishes rather than simply reproducing traditional breakfast food. We want someone who sees a basic French toast, waffle, biscuit, or dessert and immediately starts thinking about how to make it The Coop's version. Performance Expectations Performance may be evaluated based on: Brunch Sales Food Quality Pastry Quality Guest Feedback Plate Presentation Ticket Times Recipe Consistency Food Cost Portion Control Waste Reduction Kitchen Readiness Sanitation Employee Training Leadership Attendance Teamwork Our Standard At The Coop, brunch should feel like an event. The Pastry & Sous Chef - Brunch Culinary Lead will help create food that matches that energy—fresh pastries coming out of the kitchen, signature brunch dishes hitting the tables, great presentation, music, cocktails, celebrations, and a kitchen team prepared to execute at a high level. Create the food. Lead the kitchen. Elevate the presentation. Build the brunch experience. Make brunch at The Coop something Fort Worth remembers.

Job Types:

Full-time, Part-time Pay:

$16.00 - $22.00 per hour Shift availability: Day Shift (Preferred) Night Shift (Preferred)

Work Location:

In person