Kitchen Manager

Overview

Lead the Kitchen. Build the Team. Grow Your Career.

Aquarium Restaurant in Downtown Houston is looking for a passionate, hands-on Kitchen Manager ready to take the next step in their culinary leadership career. If you thrive in a fast-paced environment, take pride in delivering exceptional food, and enjoy developing talented culinary teams, this is an opportunity to make an impact in a truly unique dining experience. As Kitchen Manager, you’ll play a key role in leading daily kitchen operations, maintaining high standards for food quality, consistency, and safety, and developing a team that takes pride in every plate. From coaching and mentoring culinary talent to managing kitchen performance, labor, food costs, and operational execution, you’ll have the opportunity to strengthen your leadership skills while helping drive restaurant success. This is more than your next Kitchen Manager position—it’s an opportunity to expand your culinary and business expertise, develop future culinary leaders, and prepare for the next chapter of your career with a company committed to growth and advancement.

Lead the kitchen. Develop great talent. Deliver exceptional food. Build your culinary future at Aquarium Restaurant.

Benefits:

• Extensive and well-rounded training program
• Continued career development and growth opportunities
• Generous employee discounts on dining, retail, amusements, and hotels
• Multiple health benefit plans to suit your needs
• Dental, vision, voluntary life, short term disability, flexible spending accounts and 401 (k)
• Paid time off
• Monthly discretionary bonus potential

Responsibilities

• Guest Experience Leadership: Lead by example in delivering exceptional guest experiences while fostering a culture of hospitality, accountability, and a “Do Whatever It Takes” mindset
• Operational Excellence: Support the management of labor and operating expenses to meet or exceed budget and profitability goals through effective planning and execution.
• Financial Management: Assist with inventory management, including purchasing, ordering, biweekly and monthly inventories, and maintaining appropriate product levels
• Quality Management: Ensure consistent execution of food quality, presentation, and recipe standards.
• Safety & Compliance: Maintain compliance with all food safety, sanitation, and workplace safety regulations, including OSHA requirements.
• Culture & Engagement: Foster a positive, collaborative, and high-performing work environment that promotes teamwork, employee engagement, accountability, and continuous improvement.
• Business Results: Drive operational success by analyzing performance metrics, identifying opportunities for improvement, implementing action plans, and delivering strong business results.
• Adaptability & Leadership Presence: Respond effectively to changing business needs, operational challenges, and guest concerns while maintaining a visible and supportive leadership presence throughout the operation.

Qualifications

• Minimum of 2 years of culinary management experience in a high-volume, full-service restaurant. Equivalent combinations of professional experience and relevant academic achievements may be considered.
• Strong understanding of back-of-house operations, including staff supervision, inventory management, food and labor cost controls, and maintaining product quality standards.
• Demonstrated ability to lead, motivate, and develop teams, with exceptional communication, coaching, and conflict-resolution skills.
• Excellent organizational and time management skills, with strong attention to detail and the ability to effectively manage multiple priorities.
• Proven success managing food costs, labor expenses, inventory controls and other key operational metrics.
• Current knowledge of food safety, sanitation, and regulatory compliance standards, with a commitment to maintaining a safe and sanitary kitchen environment.
• Ability to thrive in a dynamic environment and adapt to changing business needs and operational demands.
• Proven track record of professional growth, stability, and a strong commitment to excellence.
• Genuine enthusiasm for hospitality and creating memorable experiences for both guests and team members.

EOE