Head Chef

Concept Type: High-Volume Italian Eatery & Deli

Location: Scottsdale, AZ

Salary: $70,000 - $80,000 per year, plus bonus

This family-owned Italian eatery and deli has spent decades building something worth protecting. Rooted in authentic Italian-American cooking and a hospitality mindset that treats every guest like family, what began as a neighborhood staple has grown into a high-volume operation with a bustling deli, full-service restaurant, specialty grocery market, catering division, and scratch kitchen all under one roof. Generations-old recipes still anchor the menu—and honoring that legacy while continuing to push the food forward is central to how this organization operates. The culture runs on craft, consistency, and genuine care for the people on both sides of the pass. You'll feel it the moment you walk through the door.

This is a hands-on role. The Head Chef will spend the majority of the week on the line—running production, developing the team, and holding every plate to the standard this kitchen has built its reputation on.

Job Qualifications:

• Five or more years of professional culinary experience, with proven leadership in a high-volume restaurant, deli, Italian concept, catering operation, or similar foodservice environment.
• Strong knowledge of Italian cuisine—sauces, pastas, pizza, sandwiches, and scratch cooking—with experience in traditional Italian-American food strongly preferred.
• Demonstrated ability to hire, train, and develop kitchen staff, building a team that performs at a high level even when the Head Chef isn't on the floor.
• Working knowledge of health and food safety standards, with the discipline to run a kitchen that meets Maricopa County inspection requirements without exception.
• A hands-on, lead-by-example management style paired with the confidence to run expo, train food runners, and minimize order errors during peak volume.
• Strong organizational skills for managing prep, product rotation, perishable storage, and a seamless close-to-open transition.
• A creative approach to menu development, with the ability to balance elevated American Italian dishes with rustic, regional Italian cooking.

Job Responsibilities:

In this role, you'll be responsible for:

• Oversee all production stations—sauté, pizza, cold sandwich, and expo—ensuring every shift runs at the standard this kitchen is known for.
• Lead team training on plating, presentation, quality, and consistency across every station and every shift.
• Build and manage a high-performing kitchen team through hiring, clear communication, and accountability—a team that runs strong whether you're on-site or not.
• Provide hands-on training for new hires and ongoing retraining for current kitchen staff.
• Develop new specials and refine existing menu items, maintaining a 75/25 balance between elevated American Italian dishes and rustic, regional Italian cooking.
• Run expo during peak service, training food runners and minimizing errors on both dine-in and to-go orders.
• Implement closing systems that ensure proper perishable storage, smart product rotation, and a clean transition from close to open.
• Hold the kitchen to Maricopa County health inspection standards under a zero-tolerance policy.
• Identify and develop a second-in-command capable of running the kitchen in your absence—and prepare your own eventual replacement as the company grows.

Company Benefits:

• Competitive salary of $70,000–$80,000 per year, plus bonus
• The opportunity to lead kitchen operations for a respected, high-volume Italian concept with a loyal following
• A culture built on quality, consistency, and treating people like family
• Real growth potential as the company expands into new locations

The right candidate for this Head Chef role needs little to no handholding. You'll be freed from prep oversight and food ordering so you can focus on what matters most: leading a team, sharpening the menu, and running a kitchen that holds its standard whether you're there or not. If you're a culinary leader who wants ownership—not just a shift—this is where that ambition belongs.

If this role aligns with where you want to take your culinary career, we'd like to hear from you. Send your resume to Don Hutcheson to get the conversation started. Don@Geckohospitality.com

#ZRDH