Chef Instructor, Pastry (Sur La Table)

About the Role

As a Chef Instructor, Pastry at Sur La Table, you are the in-store expert and advocate for all things baking and pastry arts. You deliver #bestincenter service by sharing specialized knowledge in pastry techniques, baking fundamentals, and personalized instruction that supports all company initiatives. The role plays a key part in inspiring a love for baking while driving sales of bakeware, mixers, and decorating tools through hands-on pastry classes and engaging culinary instruction.

Responsibilities

• Customer Experience & Brand Representation
  • Represent Sur La Table’s brand and culture by creating memorable, educational experiences that inspire repeat visits and customer loyalty.
  • Deliver an exceptional in-store culinary experience focused on pastry and baking classes, reflecting Sur La Table’s passion for food, teaching, and high standards.
  • Communicate technical concepts and advanced pastry skills in a clear, encouraging, and approachable manner.
  • Maintain expertise by staying current on products, engaging in available training, and independently seeking additional resources.
• Sales & Business Performance
  • Drive sales by encouraging second-class sign-ups, promoting retail items used or featured in class, and upholding kitchen standards.
  • Deliver class revenue goals by ensuring high enrollment, positive reviews, and guest return rates.
  • Consistently meet or exceed culinary program goals through exceptional classes that drive customer engagement and sales.
  • Performance is measured by KPIs such as second-class sign-ups, retail culinary product sales, and guest feedback through Google reviews.
• Team Engagement & Store Support
  • Assist in setting up and breaking down classes, including organizing mise en place, prepping ingredients, and cleaning workstations.
  • Clean and sanitize dishes and equipment promptly to ensure smooth kitchen operations.
  • Assist with restocking, organizing, and maintaining kitchen supplies and tools to support overall store readiness.
• Operations & Compliance
  • Ensure compliance with food safety standards, local health codes, and sanitation regulations.
  • Properly handle all tools, ingredients, and kitchen equipment to maintain a safe and efficient work environment.
  • Maintain accurate inventory levels, minimize shrink, and control supply and culinary expenses.
  • May handle liquor, wine, and beer in compliance with state and location alcohol regulations, including enforcing age restrictions.
  • Ensure store safety and cleanliness, addressing any maintenance needs promptly.
  • Adhere to applicable wage and hour laws and accurately record time worked according to company policy.
  • Model and ensure consistent adherence to all Sur La Table policies and standard operating procedures (SOPs).

Requirements

• Must be 21 years of age or older at the time of employment.
• Valid Food Manager Certification.
• 1-2 years of kitchen operations experience.
• Excellent communication, problem-solving, and decision-making abilities.
• Passion for community engagement and providing exceptional customer experiences.
• Available to work between 12 and 16 hours per week, with a flexible schedule including nights, weekends, and holidays.
• Regular and predictable attendance with flexibility to adjust class assignments based on demand.

Qualifications

• A degree in culinary arts is preferred; however, candidates with extensive culinary experience and demonstrated technical proficiency will be considered in lieu of formal education.

Physical Requirements

• Ability to communicate verbally and work cooperatively with associates and customers.
• Ability to remain standing for up to 4 hours at a time.
• Ability to move about the store directing class participants while selling to customers and retrieving merchandise from stockroom or sales floor.
• Capability to accurately perceive and differentiate variations in intensity or quality of flavors or odors, or to identify specific tastes or scents using the tongue or nose.
• Ability to grab, reach, push, pull, bend, stoop, kneel, and crouch to demonstrate, retrieve, and/or replenish merchandise and/or cooking equipment.
• Ability to use hands to seize, hold, grasp, turn, or otherwise chop, whisk, slice, stir, juice, and/or demonstrate other techniques.
• Ability to lift and/or move merchandise weighing up to 50 lbs.
• Ability to ascend/descend ladders to retrieve and/or move merchandise.
• Ability to operate a computer, POS system, keyboards, merchandise scanners, and mouse to accomplish work.
• Ability to work in a variable kitchen environment, including exposure to open flames, hot surfaces, temperature variations, and various food allergens (both physical and airborne).