Chef de Cuisine

Le Moyne Bistro & Maria's Oyster Bar, located in the heart of the Warehouse District, is hiring a Chef de Cuisine to run our kitchen day to day. We serve dinner, five nights a week with a menu built on French technique and shaped by the city's produce, seafood and flavors.

The Chef de Cuisine leads the full back-of-house team including sous chefs, tournants, line cooks, and dishwashers. You will be directly responsible for food quality, consistency, cost, ordering, menu development, and morale. You will also oversee all back-of-house operations over Maria's Oyster Bar, which focuses on Gulf Coast seafood.

Responsibilities

The Chef de Cuisine is accountable for everything that leaves the kitchen and for the team that produces it.

Menu and culinary direction

• Develop and execute a French bistro menu rooted in the classics with modern technique and flavors in coordination with the executive chef
• Write daily features and specials that use Louisiana seafood, produce and local purveyors
• Standardize recipes, plating specs and prep lists so every plate is consistent
• Work with the front of house on menu training, tastings, allergen guidance and wine and cocktail pairings

Kitchen leadership

• Lead, schedule, coach and evaluate sous chefs, line cooks, prep cooks and dishwashers
• Recruit, hire and onboard back-of-house staff, and run pre-shift meetings and cross-training
• Set a respectful, professional kitchen culture and handle conflict directly and fairly
• Teaching cooks different techniques and why something is done is vital to this leadership role
• Run the line during service and step in on any station when needed

Cost control and operations

• Manage food cost, labor cost and waste against budget
• Order from vendors,manage inventory, par levels and receiving
• Maintain equipment and coordinate repairs
• Keep accurate prep, production and ordering records

Safety and compliance

• Enforce Louisiana Department of Health food safety rules
• Keep the kitchen inspection-ready at all times
• Maintain safe knife, fire and equipment practices

Qualifications

Required

• 5+ years of professional kitchen experience, including at least 2 years as a chef de cuisine, executive sous chef or sous chef in a high-volume restaurant
• Solid command of French technique, including stocks, mother sauces, emulsions, butchery, and meat and fish cookery
• Proven ability to build menus, cost recipes and hit food and labor targets
• Experience hiring, training and scheduling a kitchen team
• Current ServSafe Manager certification, or willingness to obtain it within 30 days of hire
• Comfort working nights, weekends and holidays

Preferred

• Experience with New Orleans or Gulf Coast cuisine and seafood, including whole fish and shellfish
• Fluency with ordering and inventory software and basic spreadsheets

What makes a great fit

• Calm and organized under pressure
• A teacher who develops cooks and promotes from within
• Detail-oriented about taste, seasoning and presentation
• Collaborative with the front of house and open to feedback