Regional Culinary Manager at Won't Stop Operations

Indianapolis, Indiana, United States -

Full Time

Start Date

Immediate

Expiry Date

19 Jan, 26

Salary

0.0

Posted On

21 Oct, 25

Experience

5 year(s) or above

Remote Job

Yes

Telecommute

Yes

Sponsor Visa

Skills

Culinary Operations, Menu Development, Food Safety, Team Development, Training, Problem Solving, Communication, Interpersonal Skills, Performance Management, Cost Control, KPI Tracking, Operational Support, Leadership, Conflict Resolution, Inventory Management, Sanitation

Industry

Restaurants

Description

Description The Regional Culinary Manager (RCM) is a key multi-unit leadership role responsible for supporting Kitchen Managers (KMs) and culinary teams across multiple restaurants within a defined region. This position ensures operational excellence, food quality, consistency, safety, and team development while acting as the primary link between the Director of Culinary and store-level leaders. The RCM will provide field leadership, hands-on training, and operational support, while driving accountability for culinary standards and execution in all assigned locations. Travel will be required to support new restaurant openings and ongoing field leadership needs. Requirements QUALIFICATIONS & RESPONSIBILITIES: Lead culinary operations across multiple locations, ensuring consistency in execution, food quality, and adherence to brand standards. Partner with the Director of Culinary and Operations leadership to implement regional culinary strategies that align with business objectives, guest expectations, and company values. Support menu development and rollouts, including recipe execution, seasonal features, and local sourcing initiatives, ensuring operational feasibility and profitability. Act as the subject matter expert (SME) on culinary systems and processes at the regional level, driving efficiency, consistency, and sustainable growth across operations. Oversee kitchen training programs for new leaders and teams, with a focus on culinary execution, safety, and food cost management. Serve as the escalation point for kitchen-level challenges, supporting local teams in resolving operational or food quality issues. Monitor and analyze key performance indicators (KPIs) including food cost, waste, labor utilization, and guest satisfaction, and drive corrective action plans where needed. Partner with Sr. Leadership to create clear career pathways for back-of-house leaders, supporting development and succession planning within the culinary function. Foster a culture of pride and accountability through recognition programs, consistent coaching, and reinforcement of company values. Support new restaurant openings (NROs) by leading kitchen setup, training, and launch execution. Ensure compliance with local health and safety regulations, and lead corrective action when gaps are identified. Actively contribute to cross-functional projects focused on operational improvements, efficiency gains, and guest experience enhancements. Travel regularly to all assigned locations to provide in-person support, coaching, and accountability. SECONDARY SKILLS, KNOWLEDGE, AND ABILITIES: Minimum of 3 years of high-volume kitchen leadership experience required; 2+ years of multi-unit or regional kitchen leadership preferred. Strong culinary background with knowledge of menu design, food safety, and kitchen operations. Familiarity with financial and operational metrics including food cost analysis, P&L review, and KPI tracking. Experience training, developing, and mentoring culinary leaders. Excellent communication and interpersonal skills with the ability to build strong relationships across teams. Strong problem-solving skills; able to manage multiple priorities and work effectively under pressure. Ability to model leadership with calmness, objectivity, and integrity in all situations. Proven ability to drive results while maintaining a positive and supportive team culture. Willingness and ability to travel frequently to support restaurant operations and new openings. Regular and consistent attendance and punctuality required, with or without reasonable accommodation. Must comply with all company and departmental policies and procedures. SUPERVISORY RESPONSIBILITES: The Regional Culinary Manager partners with Kitchen Managers (KMs) to lead all Back-of-House (BoH) employees in alignment with company policies and applicable laws. This role provides oversight, guidance, and accountability for KMs in carrying out their supervisory responsibilities. Key responsibilities include supporting KMs in planning, assigning, and directing work on both a shift and regional basis; training, coaching, and developing team members; recognizing and rewarding strong performance; administering corrective action and discipline when necessary; and addressing complaints while resolving operational or employee concerns in a fair and consistent manner. QUALIFICATIONS: To perform this role successfully, an individual must be able to consistently and effectively execute each essential duty. The role requires strong leadership, communication, and interpersonal skills, with a proven ability to develop, coach, and retain high-performing BoH teams. A successful Regional Culinary Manager will demonstrate deep knowledge of food safety, sanitation, and regulatory compliance while also having the ability to analyze and act on key operational metrics such as labor, food cost, and waste. The position also requires strong organizational and problem-solving skills, the ability to manage multiple priorities under pressure, and a commitment to modeling company values while fostering a positive team culture. EDUCATION and/or EXPERIENCE: This position requires a minimum of three years of culinary leadership experience in a high-volume, full-service restaurant environment. Candidates should have a proven track record of successfully leading, training, and developing Back-of-House teams, along with strong knowledge of kitchen operations, food safety standards, and inventory and labor management systems. At least two years of multi-unit culinary leadership experience is preferred. Experience with performance management, employee relations, and conflict resolution is also valued. While a culinary degree or equivalent professional certification is considered a plus, it is not required. LANGUAGE SKILLS: Ability to read, write and speak fluently, in the primary language of the property location. Ability to read, analyze, and interpret general business periodicals, technical procedures, or governmental regulations. Ability to write reports, business correspondence, and interpret procedure manuals. Ability to effectively present information and respond to questions from groups of employees, clients, customers, and the public. REASONING ABILITY: Ability to define and solve problems, dealing with a variety of variables in situations where only limited standardization exists. Ability to successfully re-prioritize tasks in a moment’s notice. The ability to interpret a variety of instructions furnished in written, oral, diagram, or schedule form. MATHEMATICAL SKILLS: Ability to calculate figures and amounts such as discounts, interest, commissions, proportions, percentages, and ratios. Ability to meet budgets in all areas of cost control with consistent focus on cost of sales and payroll. CONFIDENTIALITY: Due to the sensitive nature of the information dealt with, all job-related information will be held in strictest confidence unless otherwise directed by the CEO or CHRO. Physical Demands and Working Environment: The conditions herein are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential job functions. Environment: Work is performed primarily in a restaurant setting with public contact and frequent interruptions. Physical: Primary functions require sufficient physical ability and mobility to work in a restaurant setting; to stand or sit for prolonged periods of time; to frequently stoop, bend, kneel, crouch, reach, and twist; to lift, carry, push, and/or pull light to heavy amounts of weight; to operate office equipment requiring repetitive hand movement and fine coordination including use of a computer keyboard; and to verbally communicate to exchange information. It is the policy of Won’t Stop Operations that qualified individuals with disabilities are not discriminated against because of their disabilities in regard to job application procedures, hiring, and other terms and conditions of employment. Furthermore, it is the policy of Won’t Stop Operations to provide reasonable accommodation to qualified individuals with disabilities in all aspects of the employment process. Won’t Stop Operations is prepared to modify or adjust the job application process, the job itself, or the work environment to make reasonable accommodations for the known physical or mental limitations of an applicant or employee. This enables the individual to be considered for the position they desire, to perform the essential functions of the position, or to enjoy equal benefits and privileges of employment as are enjoyed by other similarly situated employees without disabilities, unless such accommodation would impose an undue hardship. If reasonable accommodation is needed, please contact the HR Department by phone at (208) 412-8040 or in person at 4923 North College Ave., Ste. 25, Indianapolis, Indiana 46205.

Responsibilities

The Regional Culinary Manager is responsible for leading culinary operations across multiple locations, ensuring food quality and adherence to brand standards. This role also involves supporting kitchen training programs and acting as a liaison between the Director of Culinary and store-level leaders.