Full time | $65,000-$75,000 annually, depending on experience Opportunity for a performance-based bonus. Compensation to be discussed during interviews. Schedule includes lunch production, evenings, weekends, holidays, and events. The opportunity Mama Su is a new elevated restaurant and lounge emphasizing a luxurious experience where every sip tells a story, every bite carries a memory, and every visit unveils a new chapter. It is not just a cocktail lounge. It is not just Korean fusion bites. It is an immersive story-telling experience told through curated food and drinks. The menu is inspired by Korean family recipes, with Japanese and Hawaiian influences. We are seeking a hands-on chef to build the kitchen, develop its people, and deliver food we can be proud of while protecting the financial health of the business. Recurring contract lunch programs will be a major part of our operating model, alongside restaurant service and catering. You will help build and run a lunch operation that delivers consistent meals, meets client commitments, and contributes to operating costs through dependable, profitable business. Ownership will be directly involved in teaching family recipes and shaping the concept. Prior Korean-cuisine experience is not required. Strong culinary fundamentals, operational discipline, and respect for the recipes and their cultural roots are essential. Our values in action Our values guide how we lead, make decisions, and work together. We expect the chef to put each one into practice:

• Integrity — Honesty above all else. Tell the truth about costs, waste, mistakes, and food safety. Speak up when something is wrong and uphold standards even when no one is watching.
• Accountability — Own the solution. Take responsibility for kitchen results, address problems early, communicate clearly, and follow through. Learn from mistakes and verify that corrective action works.
• Faith — Trust the mission. Support Mama Su's vision, honor its family recipes, and bring disciplined effort to restaurant service and contract lunch commitments. Stay constructive through challenges.
• Wonder — Always stay curious. Ask questions, accept feedback, develop your craft, and explore better ways to prepare, serve, and operate. Test improvements while protecting quality and the identity of the menu.
• Harmony — Exercise empathy. Treat people with dignity, coach without humiliation, and work closely with the floor and bar teams. Recognize good work, address conflict respectfully, and protect team morale. Build and lead the contract lunch and catering programs
• Partner with ownership to develop recurring contract lunch programs and catering opportunities that generate dependable revenue and contribute profitably to operating costs.
• Develop scalable menus and packages for lunches, business gatherings, private events, and on-site and off-site catering. Account for client needs, dietary requirements, meal counts, staffing, equipment, and kitchen capacity.
• Support client consultations, tastings, and proposals. Cost food, labor, packaging, transportation, rentals, setup, and breakdown; recommend pricing and operating requirements before leadership approves commercial commitments.
• Coordinate purchasing, preparation, portioning, packaging, safe holding, transportation, and service. Meet agreed quantities, quality standards, and deadlines while maintaining dependable restaurant service.
• Review actual costs, waste, accuracy, timeliness, and client feedback. Resolve service issues, improve execution, and help earn repeat bookings, referrals, and contract renewals. Lead the kitchen from opening onward
• Culinary execution: Turn family recipes into documented standards for ingredients, yields, portions, preparation, allergens, presentation, and cost. Maintain quality across lunch production, dining service, and events.
• Team development: Help recruit, schedule, train, and coach the opening team. Cross-train staff, establish clear responsibilities, and build a dependable kitchen with strong morale.
• Daily operations: Establish prep plans, station assignments, ordering, receiving, inventory, cleaning, and opening and closing routines. Cook, prep, expedite, and assist wherever needed.
• Financial accountability: Manage food and kitchen labor costs against agreed targets, track waste and inventory variance, and review results and corrective actions with leadership.
• Food safety and facility care: Maintain sanitation, allergen controls, temperature and storage practices, required records, and equipment care. Keep the kitchen safe and inspection-ready.

Collaboration:

Coordinate with ownership, front-of-house, and bar leadership on service, menu changes, client commitments, and guest concerns. Raise capacity limits and resource needs early. Experience and qualifications

• At least five years of professional kitchen experience, including two years of substantial kitchen leadership responsibility.
• Demonstrated experience in high-volume meal production, recurring meal programs, catering, banquets, or comparable operations with fixed quantities and deadlines.
• Proven ability to lead people and manage recipe costing, purchasing, inventory, food cost, labor productivity, and safe food handling.
• Comfort with spreadsheets, scheduling tools, restaurant systems, and basic operating reports; clear communication with staff, clients, and leadership.
• Food-protection manager certification, or ability to obtain it within the required timeframe.

Restaurant opening experience and Korean or other Asian cuisine experience are helpful. What success looks like A prepared, respectful team; documented recipes and dependable kitchen systems; consistent food and timely service; lunch commitments fulfilled accurately; costs managed against agreed targets; and honest communication about results. We will assess leadership conduct alongside culinary and business performance. Working requirements This role involves prolonged standing and movement, a hot and active kitchen, and lifting or carrying up to 50 pounds. Essential duties must be performed safely, with reasonable accommodation where applicable. How to apply Submit your résumé and a brief introduction explaining why this role interests you. Include an example of meal production you have led, with typical volume and deadlines, and an example of how you improved kitchen performance while maintaining or rebuilding team morale. Please have professional references available who can speak to your leadership, reliability, and financial accountability. Mama Su Bar & Korean Kitchen is an equal opportunity employer. Employment decisions are based on qualifications, merit, and business needs. Reasonable accommodations are available for qualified applicants and employees with disabilities, as required by law.

Pay:

$65,000.00 - $75,000.00 per year

Experience:

Senior leadership: 2 years (Preferred) Shift availability: Day Shift (Preferred) Night Shift (Preferred)

Work Location:

In person