Chef de Cuisine

About The Company

We are a young, fast-growing company (just recognized in the INC 5000 Fastest Growing Companies) of ambitious, mission-driven Weekenders working together to inspire personal growth through adventure, travel and exploration! We specialize in creating inspiring hotel stays for our guests in iconic destinations.

This is a rare opportunity to be paid to learn, have an immediate and lasting impact in a young startup company and culture, and grow personally and professionally with an amazing team.

You will love it at Weekender if our core values below get you excited and inspired too!

• Embrace a Growth Mindset
• Always be a student and always be open-minded
• Be Adventurous
• Be excited by challenge and willing to fail-forward
• Be a Ninja
• Commit to being world class at your job and lean-in to your superpowers
• Be a Host
• Treat guests and teammates like you would family
• Own your Domain: Be accountable to your job & the greater mission
• Embrace honesty, transparency and vulnerability
• Follow-through and do what you say you’re going to do

The Opportunity

The Public House Lounge is Weekender’s tavern-style restaurant in North Creek, NY, a mountain town at the base of Gore Mountain in the heart of the Adirondacks, scheduled to open mid-summer 2026. The person who takes this role won’t be inheriting someone else’s menu, someone else’s team, or someone else’s kitchen culture. They’ll be building it from scratch.

Who We’re Looking For

We’re looking for a Chef de Cuisine who is hungry, creative, disciplined, and ready to own something real. Someone who has been waiting for the chance to step out of a second or third seat and finally run the show: write the menus, build the team, set the standard, and make a restaurant their own.

What This Role Is NOT

• A desk job. You’ll be on the line, in the prep, and in the thick of service every day
• A role for someone who wants to manage from a distance. This kitchen needs a present, hands-on leader
• A dead end. The path to Executive Chef and beyond is real and we are actively building toward it
• Easy. Opening a restaurant is hard, events are demanding, and we have high standards. The reward matches the challenge

Essential Functions

• Build and Own the Food Program
• Develop the Public House Lounge menu from the ground up: rustic, elevated, regionally rooted, and cost-effective
• Write and maintain recipe cards, plating specs, portion guides, and allergen documentation
• Own every plate that leaves this kitchen for quality, consistency, presentation, and speed
• Introduce seasonal updates and specials that keep the menu alive and the regulars coming back
• Cost all recipes and collaborate with the GM on pricing strategy
• Run the Kitchen
• Lead all daily kitchen operations: prep, line execution, expediting, and close
• Build systems, par sheets, and prep lists that make the kitchen run predictably even on your day off
• Maintain a clean, organized, inspection-ready kitchen at all times
• Uphold HACCP procedures for storage, handling, labeling, and temperature controls
• Ensure all equipment is properly maintained and flag repair needs immediately
• Build and Lead the Team
• Hire, train, and develop the kitchen team, typically 2 to 4 cooks plus dishwasher, scaling for events
• Create a kitchen culture that people want to be part of: accountable, supportive, and proud of the work
• Create schedules that align with business volume, labor budgets, and event calendars
• Cross-train team members to build flexibility and depth across stations
• Identify and invest in talent with potential. We promote from within and expect you to do the same
• Hold the standard without exception, including the hard conversations when they’re needed
• Owning Events and Banquets
• Lead kitchen execution for all on-property events: weddings, corporate functions, and social events
• Collaborate with the GM on BEO review, event menu planning, and production timelines
• Design event menus that are creative, practical, and profitable
• Manage event staffing, prep timelines, and kitchen logistics from start to breakdown
• Deliver every event as if it were the most important meal that group has ever eaten
• Managing the Numbers
• Hit budgeted food cost and labor targets every period, not just the easy ones
• Conduct weekly inventory counts and manage ordering to minimize waste
• Track food cost variances and adjust in real time
• Approach the financial side of this role with the same seriousness as the culinary side
• Collaborate Across the Property
• Work closely with the GM on menu strategy, seasonal planning, and event programming
• Communicate daily specials and menu changes to the FOH team clearly and proactively
• Participate in EOS meetings, reporting cadences, and property-wide planning
• Support deep cleans, seasonal transitions, and pre-opening preparation

Qualifications

• Minimum of 3 years of progressive, professional kitchen experience
• At least 2 years of kitchen leadership: scheduling, ordering, team supervision, or running shifts independently
• Strong culinary skills across scratch cooking techniques that fit a comfort-forward, tavern-style menu
• A working knowledge of food costing, inventory management, and waste reduction
• Solid understanding of food safety and sanitation; ServSafe Manager certification preferred (support to obtain provided)
• Experience with banquet or event production is a plus but not a dealbreaker
• A calm, confident presence under pressure that raises the team around you
• Strong communication skills; bilingual in English and Spanish is a genuine plus
• Flexible availability including evenings, weekends, and holidays
• Physical ability to stand for extended periods and lift up to 50 lbs