The Culinary Prep Lead oversees and leads food preparation at Local Ocean, ensuring the kitchen is well-stocked and maintaining high food safety and cleanliness standards. This role requires excellent organizational skills, attention to detail, efficiency under pressure, a passion for culinary arts, strong leadership, and a commitment to outstanding food quality.
Essential Functions: Has primary responsibility for the following:
Kitchen Operations Support (reports to Kitchen Manager) Culinary Team Leadership
Leads the culinary prep team in planning and executing food preparation for the restaurant, fish market grab & go, e-commerce, and catering needs
Assists the Kitchen Manager in assessing scheduling needs to fulfill the duties of the prep department
Trains and mentors new prep cooks, providing guidance on proper techniques and best practices
Conducts regular inspections of kitchen equipment, reporting maintenance or repair needs to the Executive Chef
Ensures compliance with health and safety regulations, including proper food handling and storage
Collaborates with the Executive Chef and culinary team to develop and test new recipes and menu items
Participates in quality control checks for new and existing ingredients, recipes, and menu items as requested by the Executive Chef
Participates in daily kitchen briefings ( good-to-go s ), updating the team on relevant news, updates, or points of interest
Works with culinary team management to maintain a workplace culture that exemplifies safety, equity, inclusion, and quality of product and service
Assists the Executive Chef and Kitchen Manager to evaluate the job performance of prep cooks in advance of quarterly check-ins and annual performance reviews
Performance Standard All new prep cooks are trained using a comprehensive checklist
Product Ordering & Spatial Management
Identifies product ordering needs in collaboration with the Kitchen Manager, covering specialty foods, chemicals, packaging, retail goods, and disposables
Advises the KM & Chef on product quality & recommendations based on the feedback and needs of the prep team
Responsible for ensuring proper product receiving, organization, and rotation
Responsible for setting regular cleaning standards for the prep room, dry storage, walk-in, and freezer spaces, and verifying that staff is maintaining sanitation levels
Performance Standard Maintains standards of organization & cleanliness in the expo station, dry storage, walk-in, freezers, and general storage areas of Local Ocean facilities Measurement Quarterly Facility Walkthru scores of 90% or higher in inward-facing kitchen areas
Performance Standard
Works with the Executive Chef & Kitchen Manager to ensure waste log use. Assists in performing spot checks of waste & recycling areas
Measurement
Monthly Waste Logs show accurate & reliable use
Performance Standard Performs and records portion control checks regularly. Measurement Portion control spot checks are performed weekly
General Operations Support
Grab & Go Support (reports to Kitchen Manager)
Assists the retail team in keeping retail grab & go case stocked with product, assigning prep team members as necessary
DockBox Operations Support (Reports to Kitchen Manager)
As requested, assists in overseeing or assisting DockBox portioning shifts (to cover for sickness, vacations, etc.)
Expectations:
Effective communication with English- and Spanish-speaking coworkers
Strong knowledge of food safety and sanitation standards
Efficiency in a fast-paced environment and multitasking ability
Exceptional organizational skills and attention to detail
Proven experience as a prep cook or similar role in a high-volume restaurant setting
Current Food Handler s card
Reliable transportation
Ability to lift and move heavy objects up to 75 lb. Prolonged standing, walking, bending, and lifting objects at a variety of levels.
Benefits:
Full-time, permanent position at Local Ocean Seafoods
Pay Range: Hourly, DOE
Overtime (at 1.5x hourly rate) when approved during the high seasons or for special projects
Participation in tip pool
Profit sharing (when applicable) in December yearly
Access to health benefits including health insurance, vision, dental, and life insurance for full-time year-round employees
Ability to convert sick leave time to flexible paid time off after one year of employment
Flexible employee meal credit, for use restaurant-wide
Discounts on Fish Market, DockBox, restaurant food, and retail merchandise
Opportunities for growth, personal & professional development
