Expo

About the role

Thrive Restaurant Group is a family-owned restaurant company that's been serving communities for over 50 years. As we open our innovative dual-branded Applebee's / IHOP restaurant, we're building a team that's passionate about hospitality, teamwork, and creating memorable experiences for every guest - morning, noon, and night. We are committed to making a difference in the lives of the people we serve and the communities where we live. If you enjoy working in a fast-paced, team-oriented environment and want to learn valuable business, leadership, and hospitality skills, this is the place for you.

Hours of Operation

• Sun - Thursday: 7am-10pm
• Friday - Saturday: 7am - 12am

Our Purpose

To love people by ensuring every guest receives great-tasting, great-looking food—accurately prepared, properly presented, and delivered with speed and care.

As an Expo (Kitchen Team Member), you'll be the communication hub between the kitchen and front-of-house teams, helping coordinate food from both the Applebee's and IHOP kitchens. You'll ensure every order meets our quality standards, is plated correctly, and reaches guests promptly. You'll also have opportunities to learn multiple kitchen positions through cross-training and support both brands as business needs require.

Essential Responsibilities

• Receive and organize all incoming food orders from both restaurant concepts (15%)
• Monitor ticket times and help ensure orders meet or exceed company speed-of-service standards (20%)
• Communicate clearly and efficiently between kitchen and service team members to coordinate order flow (5%)
• Verify that all food is plated according to brand recipe and presentation standards before leaving the kitchen (30%)
• Perform a final quality check for appearance, temperature, garnishes, and accuracy (5%)
• Coordinate with food runners and service staff to ensure timely delivery to guests (20%)
• Set up and maintain a clean, organized, and fully stocked expo station throughout each shift (5%)

Qualifications

• A genuine desire to care for others while growing and learning
• Positive attitude and team-first mindset
• Ability to work in a fast-paced, high-volume kitchen environment
• Flexibility to support both the Applebee's and IHOP kitchens as needed
• Strong communication, reading, writing, basic math, and organizational skills
• Ability to maintain cleanliness by wiping counters and shelves, picking up debris, and keeping work areas organized
• Ability to respond appropriately in emergency situations to help protect yourself and others

Physical Requirements

This position requires regular physical activity throughout each shift. Team members must be able to:

• Move throughout the restaurant and communicate effectively with team members
• Frequently handle and grasp items weighing up to 5 pounds
• Occasionally lift and/or move items weighing up to 25 pounds
• Bend, stoop, reach, and stand for extended periods
• Maintain adequate vision to assess food quality and cleanliness and operate touchscreen kitchen systems

Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions of this position.