Chef de Cuisine, New Restaurant Opening

As we prepare to reopen our St Pete location in March 2026, we are seeking a highly driven and operationally excellent Chef de Cuisine (CDC) to lead the culinary execution from day one with our new team. This role is responsible for rebuilding and developing the kitchen team, upholding our standards for clean, high-quality ingredients, and ensuring flawless execution in a fast-paced, open-kitchen environment. The CDC will play a critical leadership role in reestablishing the tone, culture, and performance standards that define this restaurant’s next chapter of success.

Naked Farmer is a pioneering farm-to-table restaurant group with multiple locations across Florida, cooking and serving scratch-made, healthy, and affordable meals. Our restaurants celebrate the seasonality of vegetables and the spirit of innovation, striving to create a sustainable food system that strengthens the connection between farmers and the community.

As Chef De Cuisine, you will lead the culinary team in our scratch kitchen, acting as the culinary nuts-and-bolts of our restaurant. Your role will be to manage and guide your team of chefs to run an efficient kitchen where chefs love to work. With a talent for balancing culinary excellence with operational savvy, you will lead and inspire others, demonstrating both leadership and culinary skills. Your ability to maintain strong relationships with farmers, partners, and suppliers is essential, as is your oversight of daily kitchen operations, adherence to sanitation standards, and maintenance of kitchen equipment. You will be responsible for supervising food preparation, menu planning, staffing, and ensuring that every kitchen station operates smoothly.

• Cultivate a kitchen culture that embodies our best practices and standards, inspiring your team through every service.
• Lead and mentor the chef trainees, setting an example of culinary expertise and positivity to consistently deliver exceptional food.
• Guarantee the quality and presentation of food across all business channels, treating dine-in, pick-up, and delivery orders with equal dedication.
• Act as the go-to resource for the kitchen staff on recipe inquiries, preparation checklists, and food quality, maintaining order and consistency.
• Manage the receipt and quality control of fresh ingredients from our farm partners, and oversee inventory, supplies, and quality assurance processes.
• Organize prep lists and collaborate with the Chef Operator on food inventory and ordering to ensure the kitchen is well-prepared and organized.
• Setup your team for success on each service by managing the deployment board and prep schedules effectively.
• Perform line checks, assess readiness of food, anticipate needs, and manage potential waste to ensure seamless service.
• Set the kitchen up for success, completing all tasks with timeliness and a focus on safety.
• Introduce and test food preparation techniques that enhance kitchen efficiency, and remain open to innovative systems and processes.
• Uphold stringent kitchen operations, including storage, labeling, preparation, and safety protocols, ensuring compliance with health standards and guidelines.
• Lead in placing orders and managing kitchen facilities, and collaborate with the Chef Operator on labor and food costs.
• Grow your kitchen team through active recruitment, training, performance management, mentorship, and disciplinary procedures when necessary.

• A minimum of 2 years' experience leading a culinary team in a high-volume setting.
• A deep passion for quality food and a desire to constantly improve.
• Strong culinary expertise with a willingness to learn and adapt.
• A proven work ethic and the ability to perform the job's physical demands, such as lifting up to 50 pounds.
• A collaborative spirit and readiness to contribute as needed.
• Respect and appreciation for your team and a commitment to fostering a positive work environment.
• Exceptional communication skills.
• A vision for mentoring and developing chefs into future restaurant leaders.
• Reliability and a consistent performance record.
• Adaptable interpersonal skills and the ability to meet new challenges with agility.
• An unwavering attention to detail.

Born during a global pandemic, Naked Farmer quickly adapted, delivering fresh food directly from farm to doorstep. Our ethos is founded on resilience, transparency, and telling the story of the farmers behind our local food supply. With a commitment to becoming 100% locally-sourced, we are now embarking on an expansion phase, opening new locations and furthering our mission of transparency in sourcing and cooking while supporting local farmers, communities, and chefs. Currently operating six restaurants in Tampa Bay and South Florida, we are in the process of adding six more across the state over the next 18 months.

And yes, all employees enjoy complimentary Naked Farmer meals every day—don't miss out on the sweet potatoes.