First-Line Supervisors of Food Preparation & Serving Workers

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The kitchen is hopping, every burner lit with sauté pans spitting, knives chopping, chefs yelling, and servers swooping in and out the door to pick up orders. Every restaurant and food service, large or small, has a kitchen manager keeping it all scheduled, organized, supplied, and on track. Kitchen managers schedule and coordinate the work of all the staff involved in food preparation and serving. In some kitchens, they also perform as a cook or chef. Kitchen managers ensure staff are trained, product quality is up to standards, and that all health code regulations are maintained. They receive food deliveries, keep coolers and pantries clean, stocked, and organized, and keep track of inventory to ensure the menu is supplied and to prevent employee theft. Kitchen managers also balance receipts at the end of a shift, and prepare deposits. When a dish comes back to the kitchen, they resolve customer complaints. Kitchen managers must be strong communicators who work well under pressure. They may also need to be able to lift 50 pounds or more, repeatedly, as food deliveries can be quite heavy. Employers range from fine dining establishments and casual diners, to cafeterias at schools and hospitals. Most positions require a high school diploma, and restaurant experience in a variety of roles.