Kitchen Manager/Chef

Joining King’s Hawaiian makes you part of our `ohana (family). We are a family-owned business for over seventy years, respecting our roots while thinking about our future as we continue to grow and care for our customers and the communities we serve. Our `ohana members build an environment of inclusivity as they freely collaborate, pursue learning through curiosity, and explore innovation as critical thinkers. Beyond that, we are also passionate about supporting the long-term health and well-being of our employees and their families. If you’re excited to rise with our team, come and join our `ohana!

Who Are We

King’s Hawaiian has been a family-owned business since 1950, by Robert Taira in Hilo, a small town on the Big Island of Hawaii.

The Hawaiian word for “family” is ‘ohana, and the Taira family is committed to maintaining the shared values and sense of ‘ohana that are core to the company today.

Who You Are

You are an authentic, organized, inspiring and passionate leader of people. You have a powerful sense of ownership; an ardent desire to dive right in and collaborate with everyone around you to make it grow. You know how to team up with every resource available, from other leaders to our team members, to make things happen. You always find a way to say yes. You are curious about every system, story, and guest, and keep asking the questions to figure out the best answer.

Your style is fair, firm, and accountable, yet friendly. Everyone feels comfortable around you. You love spending time with your staff, teaching and influencing them how to become better versions of themselves and become more proficient with their tasks with every passing day. You show up. You are on time, rested, and ready to adapt to any situation you encounter. You are a true coach and mentor to all.

You are a morning person. You are a go-getter. You just handle it. You do what needs to be done at any given moment. You understand delegation and are proactive to the needs of the building. You do not leave the room until you are on the same page with your team and co-workers. You know that there is no such thing as “that’s not my job” and the leadership team works as one. You get things done.

You are passionate about food quality, systems, good service, family, and friends. You are experimental and open to innovative ideas and trying new things. You are confident about wearing different hats throughout the day and understand the impact that it has on your team and fellow leaders, and take that seriously and love the opportunity. You are analytical and execute decisions based on data. You are here for the guests and the community.

What You’ll Do

• Model King’s Hawaiian Values (Excellence, Dignity, Courage, and Telling It Like It Is In A Way That Can Be Heard), Aloha Service, and execute all initiatives through our core Characteristics—High performing hearts, and high performing heads.

• Take full ownership of the Restaurant and the Restaurant kitchen’s success, driving key initiatives, executing bold decisions, and approaching every challenge with the mindset of a business owner. You will lead the kitchen with confidence, holding your team accountable for achieving goals.

• Lead the flawless execution of all Restaurant kitchen operations, ensuring irresistible quality and exceptional consistency in every item served. Your attention to detail will elevate the guest experience, creating irresistible moments that keep our community coming back for more.

• Establish and grow an awesome kitchen team with a culture of transparency, continuous growth, data-driven decision making, and creativity. Continue to develop this awesome kitchen team through development plans.

• Collaborate and partner with all other divisions as necessary to enhance ‘ohana culture, build sales, and increase exposure to our offerings. Schedule and forecast ordering and scheduling to the needs of the business, with heavy demand planning for all holidays.

• Build and maintain both digital and operational systems. Proper compliance shows our team care and attention to detail.

• Support driving our division’s strategic planning for the kitchen, budgeting, forecasting, and maintaining metrics to understand the business “like the back of your hand.”

• Partner with our marketing team by providing kitchen content to create powerful campaigns that boost brand visibility, increase customer engagement, and captivate both new and returning guests.

Here’s What Will Make You Successful

• Model King’s Hawaiian Values: Uphold Excellence, Dignity, Courage, and Telling it like it is in a way that can be heard, truly embodying Aloha Service.

• Own Restaurant Kitchen Success: Drive key initiatives, make bold decisions, and lead with accountability to achieve business goals.

• Ensure Operational Excellence: Oversee flawless execution of Restaurant Kitchen operations, maintaining exceptional quality and consistency to enhance the guest experience.

• Build & Develop a Strong Team: Foster a transparent, growth-oriented culture, and support continuous development through tailored growth plans.

• Collaborate Across Divisions: Partner with teams to enhance 'ohana culture, increase sales, and grow brand visibility. Manage ordering and scheduling, especially during peak demand periods.

• Maintain Systems & Compliance: Build and manage both digital and operational systems to ensure compliance and operational efficiency.

• Strategic Leadership: Lead strategic planning, budgeting, and forecasting to deeply understand and drive business success.

• Partner with Marketing: Collaborate with marketing to provide Restaurant kitchen content to create campaigns that elevate brand presence, engage customers, and drive growth.

Here’s What You’ll Need

• Experience: 3-5 years as a Kitchen Manager and Chef in a similar hospitality role.

• Education: High School Diploma or GED.

• Communication: Strong verbal and written skills; ability to manage teams and customer relationships; Conversational Spanish required.

• Versatility: Comfortable adjusting to changing needs and environments.

• Passion & Stamina: Dedication to hospitality, able to work long hours, including nights, weekends, holidays, and physically demanding shifts.

• Systems Experience: Proficient with systems like pars, ordering, inventory, vendor management, and maintenance.

The compensation range for this role is $73,500 - $104,000 per year with a 10% quarterly bonus target.  King’s Hawaiian’s compensation philosophy is to try to hire near the mid-range of the role (depending on experience) to allow for growth.

King's Hawaiian is an equal opportunity employer. We celebrate diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for our ohana.