Kitchen Lead

About Hopscotch

Hopscotch is an immersive and experiential brand that brings together local, national and international artists in collaborative environments to create distinctive shared experiences. We believe art can be a vessel to tell stories and illuminate important messages of the past, present, and future. We aim to elicit a sense of joy and wonder in the spaces we create; where our guests may playfully explore beyond their day to day and leave reality behind. Hopscotch strongly believes in cultivating lasting relationships and a synergy with our staff, artists and the local communities we are in.

Hopscotch is an equal opportunity employer that values diversity and does not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, age, marital status, veteran status, disability, or any other protected class. 

Job Summary

The Kitchen Lead plays a key role in bringing the Hopscotch experience to life through creative food, thoughtful leadership, and a commitment to exceptional hospitality. As a Kitchen Lead, you'll help oversee the daily rhythm of our kitchen, from preparing and executing our unique menu offerings to developing fellow Curas, managing inventory, and maintaining exceptional food quality and safety standards. This role is equal parts culinary enthusiast, people leader, problem solver, and creative thinker. You'll help set the tone for the kitchen by creating an environment where expectations are clear, teamwork comes naturally, and every dish reflects the creativity and care that make Hopscotch special.

The right person genuinely loves food, enjoys leading people, and knows how to balance kitchen efficiency with creativity and quality. You're comfortable working alongside your team, managing food costs, maintaining operational standards, and finding smarter ways to make the kitchen more successful. You understand that great kitchen leadership isn't just about executing recipes; it's about building a strong team, inspiring creativity, maintaining consistency, and creating food that adds something memorable to the guest experience. You're excited to find a place where you can grow, build lasting relationships, and contribute to the team for at least a year. Hopscotch comes alive when our guests are here, so regular weekend and holiday availability and flexibility are essential. Above all, we're looking for someone who is kind, curious, committed, connected, intentional, professional, and excited to help create a food experience that's imaginative, collaborative, and unmistakably Hopscotch.

Job Responsibilities

• Lead daily kitchen operations with confidence, positivity, and a commitment to exceptional food quality, ensuring smooth service and a memorable dining experience for every guest.
• Prepare and execute menu items with consistency, accuracy, and attention to presentation while ensuring the kitchen maintains efficient ticket times during busy service periods.
• Support, coach, and motivate fellow kitchen Curas by setting clear expectations, providing real-time feedback, recognizing great work, and leading by example.
• Partner with venue leadership on kitchen hiring, onboarding, training, and scheduling to ensure the team is knowledgeable, prepared, and supported.
• Oversee daily food preparation and production, including ingredient prep, portioning, sauces, and other menu components, ensuring consistency, freshness, and readiness for service.
• Manage kitchen inventory, including ordering, receiving deliveries, maintaining accurate counts, monitoring stock levels, and minimizing waste through proper storage and portion control.
• Monitor food costs, labor efficiency, and kitchen performance, identifying opportunities to improve productivity, reduce waste, and maintain responsible spending.
• Maintain exceptional food safety, sanitation, and cleanliness standards, ensuring proper food handling, temperature control, equipment care, and compliance with health regulations.
• Collaborate with venue and brand leadership on seasonal menu development, contributing creative ideas, testing recipes, and helping introduce new offerings that reflect the Hopscotch experience.
• Coordinate food service for group visits and special events, ensuring accurate preparation, clear communication, and seamless execution.
• Oversee kitchen opening and closing procedures, equipment readiness, cleaning schedules, and adherence to established operational standards.
• Work collaboratively with fellow Curas across kitchen, bar, gallery, and retail operations, remaining hands-on and jumping in wherever support is needed.
• Foster a positive, supportive, and efficient kitchen environment while performing additional duties as assigned by leadership.

Who You Are

• Passionate About Food: You genuinely love cooking, appreciate quality ingredients, and take pride in creating food that's thoughtful, consistent, and memorable.
• A Natural Leader: You enjoy helping others succeed, setting a positive example, and creating an environment where people feel supported, motivated, and accountable.
• Operationally Minded: You understand the importance of food costs, inventory management, labor efficiency, and maintaining a well-organized kitchen that runs smoothly.
• Creative & Curious: You enjoy exploring new flavors, experimenting with ingredients, and contributing ideas that make our food program more exciting and uniquely Hopscotch.
• Quick on Your Feet: You thrive in a high-volume, fast-paced environment and can balance multiple priorities without sacrificing food quality, safety, or teamwork.
• A True Team Player: You believe great leaders work alongside their teams, not above them, and you're always willing to jump in wherever support is needed.
• Organized & Detail-Oriented: You understand that the little things matter, from accurate inventory and thoughtful food presentation to a clean workstation and consistent recipes.
• Confident & Resourceful: You're comfortable making decisions, solving problems, and finding creative solutions to improve kitchen operations and the guest experience.
• An Excellent Communicator: You're approachable, patient, and comfortable providing feedback, addressing concerns, and building meaningful relationships with fellow Curas and leadership.
• Safety-Minded: You take food safety, sanitation, proper kitchen procedures, and maintaining a safe working environment seriously.
• Accountable & Dependable: You take ownership of your responsibilities, follow through on commitments, and understand the importance of reliability, consistency, and leading by example.
• Here to Grow: You're excited to invest in a team, build meaningful relationships, and ideally grow with Hopscotch for at least a year.
• Flexible & Available: You have scheduling flexibility and understand that evenings, weekends, and holidays are essential to our guest experience.
• Ready to Move: You're comfortable standing and moving throughout your shift, handling kitchen equipment, and performing the physical demands of a busy kitchen environment.
• The Essentials: You're at least 18 years old, have previous professional kitchen experience, and bring demonstrated leadership experience or a strong background in training and supporting kitchen teams. Knowledge of food costs, inventory management, and menu development is essential, along with required food safety certifications.