Lettuce Entertain You
Independent, family-owned restaurant group
Chef de Cuisine
+ Quarterly bonus
The role may require work at multiple sites with occasional overnight travel.
About the job
- At least 4 years of Chef de Cuisine experience in a full-service restaurant.
- Ability to lead and develop teams.
- Skill in managing back-of-house systems.
- Lead the opening shift process, including food orders, inventory and price updates, receiving and storage, inspections, and menu changes.
- Lead, direct, and ensure effective and efficient back-of-house operations, including food preparation and cooking, inventory management, and supervision of kitchen employees.
- Provide guidance and leadership to hourly and management teams.
- Track and control food costs and purchase and order food products and supplies, including daily product orders.
- Partner with the General Manager and designated managers or chefs to create prep lists and assign production duties to back-of-house staff.
- Perform regular line checks to ensure the quality of menu items.
- Partner with the General Manager and designated managers or chefs to review and maintain recipe books.
- Ensure effective communication of food production and timing issues, needs, and special requests between front-of-house and back-of-house teams.
- Partner with the General Manager and management team to interview, hire, onboard, train, supervise, and develop back-of-house employees and teams.
- Work a variety of days and shifts, including early mornings, late nights, and weekends, at multiple sites with or without overnight travel as needed.
- Move and lift up to 10 pounds, frequently move or lift up to 25 pounds, and occasionally move or lift up to 50 pounds.
About the company
Lettuce Entertain You is a Chicago-based, independent, family-owned restaurant group that owns, manages and licenses more than 110 restaurants across several states. It operates a diverse portfolio of concepts, from fast casual to fine dining, including brands like R.J. Grunts, Aba, Hub 51, Wildfire, RPM Italian, M Burger, Shaw’s Crab House, Mon Ami Gabi, and Beatrix. The company focuses on attracting and developing people with creativity and an entrepreneurial spirit, providing extensive training and rewarding talent and drive. Its product line is not a single dish but a collection of restaurant concepts and dining experiences under one organizational umbrella. The goal is to be the best in the business by cultivating talent, creativity, and high standards in hospitality, food, and service, across its growing portfolio.
Company Size
1,001-5,000
Company Stage
N/A
Total Funding
N/A
Headquarters
Chicago, Illinois
Founded
1971
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Simplify's Take
What believers are saying
- Ēma opened in Austin January 2026, proving out-market expansion still works.
- Pizzeria Gabbo's Fall 2026 Fulton Market opening adds another fresh Chicago traffic driver.
- UKG deployment in 2024 strengthened frontline communication across 7,000 employees and 130 restaurants.
What critics are saying
- Gerard Centioli's August 2025 lawsuit alleges fraud and a sham buyout; trial pressure persists.
- September 2025 Chicago paid-leave class action targets dozens of Illinois restaurants and back wages.
- Labor-heavy operations and frequent openings increase execution risk if consumer demand softens in 2026.
What makes Lettuce Entertain You unique
- R.J. Melman leads 60 concepts, pairing family ownership with disciplined multi-brand execution.
- Lettuce Entertain You keeps launching destination concepts like Ēma Austin and Pizzeria Gabbo.
- Its scale and event platform, including Windy City Smokeout and Presidents Cup, build brand reach.
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Benefits
Paid Holidays
Paid Vacation
401(k) Retirement Plan
Health Insurance
Dental Insurance
Vision Insurance
Life Insurance
Employee Discounts
Wellness Program
Mental Health Support
Company News
LOWELL, Mass. WESTON, Fla.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--UKG, a leading provider of HR, payroll, workforce management, and culture solutions for all people, today announced that Lettuce Entertain You Restaurants, a nationally recognized restaurant group, is building a culture of belonging and engagement for its frontline workforce with the AI-powered UKG Pro suite — featuring UKG Talk — in support of its great workplace mission. Lettuce Entertain You is an independent restaurant group that owns, manages, and licenses more than 130 restaurants and employs over 7,000 people across a dozen U.S. states. Recognizing that clear communication and a sense of belonging are fundamental to a successful workplace culture, the longtime UKG customer recently deployed UKG Talk across its locations as the best way to connect with its hourly workers and share information with them in real time, while also allowing them to engage with management and each other. “We had a vision to dramatically improve our culture with open and honest communication, from our managers to restaurant staff and among frontline staff
Chef Robbins recently joined Lettuce Entertain You as Culinary Director, assisting in concept creation, menu development and chef training.
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