Company description

L.A. Grocery & Café is an all-day café & market dedicated to intentional procurement, shorter supply chains, and minimizing waste through intelligent repurposing. 
 

WHO WE ARE:

We build authentic, enduring relationships with farmers, food producers, and our community one interaction at a time. We care (a lot!) about the people and places that grow our food, and we prioritize designing food waste out of our daily operations as much as we can. Warm and well-informed hospitality is paramount to our operation and we are always looking for service-minded people of all backgrounds to join the team.  

WHO WE HIRE:

We seek out team members who are not only passionate about food but are enthusiastic about its origins, producers, sustainability, and broader impact on the planet.  

HOW WE WORK:

The brands we choose to be on our shelves, the producers we choose to partner with, and the employees we work with are here because of their integrity and interest in a more resilient and accessible food system.  We’re committed to creating an organized, equitable, and fun environment for both our community and our team.

Our vision is to create a grocery store and café that directly connects our customers to sustainable farms and food producers across California, the West Coast and beyond. 

Job description

ABOUT THE ROLE:
The Kitchen Manager / Chef plays a central role in seasonal recipe development, intentional sourcing, and necessary repurposing of produce overages into delicious menu selections to be able to be sold by the pound in the café or on LAG&C’s grocery shelves. They will actively contribute to the training and development of staff including product and menu knowledge, technique, and adherence to recipes. They are expected to provide leadership in line with LAG&C values and promote a healthy, trusting, and progressive work environment in alignment with our mission and policies. 
 

WHAT YOUR TYPICAL DAY WILL INCLUDE:
**This job description is not meant to be an all-inclusive list of duties, responsibilities and requirements, but constitutes a general definition of the position's scope and function within our company. LAG&C reserves the right to amend and change duties, responsibilities, and requirements to meet changing industry or business needs as necessary.

Operations

• Set pars and adjust prep list to meet upcoming café/catering needs.
• Update recipes with approved seasonal iteration.
• Order products with gross margin, general expense control and company guidelines in mind.
• Maximize product usage through acute organization and inventory control.
• Access quality of delivered products.
• Document any send backs or quality issues .
• Contact vendors for credits and document follow ups and/or resolutions.
• Open or close the kitchen.

Management

• Effectively communicate with staff about new pars and/or catering production schedules.
• Oversee production of café and prepared foods.
• Ensure food consistency, quality, freshness, portion control, and proper labeling.
• Ensure waste mitigation measures are being followed by all kitchen staff.
• Check in or check out staff for breaks or clock outs.
• Manage cleaning schedules and assist in any kitchen repair/maintenance needs.
• Ensure that all opening and closing procedures are performed.
• Interview and onboard staff.

Collaboration

• Transfer inventory for any produce and/or product overages that come from Grocery department.
• Create specials and/or adjust recipes to include overages from Grocery department.
• Launch specials with management to make specials “live” i.e. pre-service notes, ingredient lists, tastings, etc..
• Create dishes for storewide features or events.
• Collaborate with management on new or revised kitchen team cafe protocols, pars, training needs, etc.

WHAT YOU’LL BRING:

• 3+ years of professional cooking/kitchen experience
• Working in a high volume establishment is a plus
• At least 1 year of management experience and/or managing up to 10 employees
• Flexibility to work mornings, evenings, weekends, holidays, as needed
• Possess good time management and are able to maintain a sense of urgency 
• Acute attention to detail when it comes to product quality and presentation
• Comfort with educating/training employees on product knowledge, recipe compliance,  organization/product management, food & equipment safety, and health department standards.
• Comfort with scheduling/planning, assigning, directing work, rewarding and disciplining staff
• Comfort with interpersonal problem solving and resolution
• Ability to lift and carry 50 lbs
• Possess full body mobility (bending, twisting, and reaching) and have excellent manual dexterity
• Basic computer skills including email, MSOffice and/or Google Workspace

JOB TYPE + COMPENSATION RANGE

• Full-Time
• Salary
• $75,000 -  $78,500

WHAT WE OFFER:

Competitive pay rates, a discount on virtually everything in the store, health/dental/vision benefits, paid time-off, optional CA 401(k) plans, employee referral bonus program, and growth opportunities.

ABOUT OUR PROCESS:

• Apply: After receiving your application, we’ll take a short time to review our compatibility.  We will let you know either way what the outcome will be as soon as possible.
• Interview: This is your chance to get to know us and our chance to get to know you. We’ll have an introductory conversation to discuss the role and your background. Next, we’ll explore the role more specifically, likely with a few key team members. We encourage any questions you have about the job, the team, our values, or related topics at any point in the application process. We’d love to hear about the grocery store of your childhood or hometown!
• Decision: You will be contacted as soon as possible with the outcome. 
• We’re committed to a fair and inclusive hiring process.  If additional accommodations are required, please let us know.

STUFF TO BE AWARE OF:

LAG&C is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We value a diverse workplace and do not discriminate based on race, national origin, religion, gender identity, sexual orientation, age, disability, or any other applicable characteristic protected by law. We invite everyone who meets the criteria for the job to apply. We will consider for employment all qualified Applicants, including those with criminal histories, in a manner consistent with the requirements of applicable state and local laws, including the City of Los Angeles’ Fair Chance Initiative for Hiring Ordinance. Duties and responsibilities may be added, deleted, or changed at any time at the discretion of management, formally or informally, either verbally or in writing. If your experience looks a little different from what we’ve identified and you think you can thrive in this role, we’d love to learn more about you.

Compensation

this position is: salaried, varies DOE, $75,000.00 - $78,500.00

Application instructions

Deadline

no deadline