A dynamic hospitality and entertainment destination in the Phoenix market is seeking an experienced, creative, and highly engaged Executive Chef to lead the culinary program for its signature restaurant and growing food & beverage operation.

This is not a traditional golf course restaurant.

Our client has created a vibrant, high-energy destination centered around food, entertainment, community, and the Arizona lifestyle. The restaurant features a scratch-driven culinary program inspired by the flavors of the Sonoran region, with live-fire cooking, bold flavors, seasonal ingredients, and an indoor-outdoor environment designed to be as much a social destination as a restaurant.

The concept is part of a larger entertainment property that operates from morning into the evening and hosts everything from daily dining and nightlife to tournaments, live events, private functions, and large-scale activations.

Since opening, the restaurant has quickly established meaningful sales volume and is continuing to grow. The opportunity now is to find an Executive Chef who can take ownership of the culinary program and help define what comes next.

We're looking for more than a talented chef.

We need a leader who can bring creativity to the menu while creating discipline behind the scenes. Someone who understands food cost as well as flavor, develops people as seriously as recipes, thrives in a high-volume environment, and isn't afraid to jump on the line when the kitchen needs leadership.

This chef will have true ownership of the culinary operation—from menu development and daily execution to financial performance, team culture, events, systems, and the consistency of every plate leaving the kitchen.

Benefits:

• Medical, dental, and vision insurance

• 401(k) retirement plan with employer match

• Paid time off

• Life and AD&D insurance options

• Short- and long-term disability options

• Health Savings Account and Flexible Spending Account options

• Employee Assistance and Wellness Support Program

• Additional voluntary benefit programs available

• Professional growth opportunities within a nationally established hospitality management organization

• Benefits and eligibility are subject to applicable plan terms and company policies

Day in the Life:

• Take full ownership of culinary operations for a high-volume, scratch-driven restaurant and hospitality destination

• Establish the culinary vision and continually evolve a menu rooted in bold, seasonal, Sonoran and Southwest-inspired flavors

• Lead a culinary program that incorporates live-fire cooking and celebrates the energy and ingredients of the region

• Develop seasonal features, specials, event menus, and new culinary experiences that keep the restaurant relevant and exciting

• Maintain exceptional standards for flavor, preparation, presentation, consistency, and execution

• Lead from the kitchen and maintain a visible presence during service rather than managing exclusively from an office

• Recruit, hire, train, coach, and develop a strong culinary leadership team and hourly kitchen staff

• Build a kitchen culture where talented people want to work, learn, contribute, and stay

• Establish clear expectations and accountability while maintaining an environment built around respect, teamwork, and hospitality

• Develop Sous Chefs and emerging culinary leaders capable of taking greater ownership of the operation

• Own food cost and continually evaluate opportunities to improve profitability without compromising quality

• Manage ordering, purchasing, inventory, receiving, product rotation, and vendor relationships

• Create and maintain standardized recipes, specifications, prep systems, and production procedures

• Develop schedules and manage culinary labor according to business volume and financial expectations

• Analyze sales, food cost, labor, waste, inventory, and other culinary performance metrics

• Maintain appropriate purchasing and inventory controls throughout the operation

• Ensure proper sanitation, food safety, cleanliness, organization, and regulatory compliance

• Partner closely with Food & Beverage leadership on restaurant strategy, financial performance, programming, and guest experience

• Collaborate with Events, Operations, and other property leaders to execute private events, tournaments, nightlife programming, and large-scale activations

• Develop culinary programming capable of supporting both daily restaurant operations and high-volume special events

• Anticipate changing business levels and adjust staffing, production, ordering, and execution accordingly

• Work collaboratively across departments to create a seamless overall guest experience

• Remain connected to guest feedback and continually identify opportunities to strengthen the culinary experience

• Bring new ideas to the table and help shape the restaurant's culinary identity as the concept continues to grow

Requirements:

• Significant culinary leadership experience as an Executive Chef, Chef de Cuisine, Executive Sous Chef, or comparable senior kitchen leader

• Proven success leading a high-volume restaurant or hospitality culinary operation

• Strong scratch-kitchen background required

• Demonstrated ability to lead, motivate, train, and develop culinary teams

• Hands-on leadership style with the willingness and ability to lead from the line when necessary

• Strong menu-development skills and genuine culinary creativity

• Experience with live-fire cooking, Sonoran cuisine, Southwest cuisine, Mexican cuisine, or other regionally driven culinary programs strongly preferred

• Strong understanding of food cost, labor, inventory, purchasing, waste management, and kitchen profitability

• Experience creating and maintaining recipes, specifications, prep systems, and culinary operating standards

• Strong organizational skills with the ability to manage a complex operation with multiple simultaneous priorities

• Experience supporting private events, catering, large-scale functions, or special event programming strongly preferred

• Ability to successfully execute both high-volume daily restaurant service and event-driven business

• Strong understanding of food safety, sanitation, and kitchen compliance standards

• Experience managing ordering, inventory, receiving, and vendor relationships

• Ability to collaborate effectively with Food & Beverage, Events, Operations, and executive leadership

• Comfortable working within a larger hospitality management structure while maintaining ownership of the restaurant's individual culinary identity

• Strong communication and problem-solving skills

• High level of accountability, urgency, and attention to detail

• Flexible availability appropriate for a restaurant and entertainment operation, including evenings, weekends, holidays, and special events

• Passion for creating memorable food and hospitality experiences

The Ideal Candidate:

You are a chef, leader, operator, and culture builder.

You love the creative side of this business—the ingredients, the fire, the seasonality, the process of developing a dish and watching guests respond to it—but you understand that creativity only matters when the kitchen can execute it consistently.

You know your food cost.

You know your labor.

You know what's sitting in the walk-in, where the waste is coming from, whether prep is where it needs to be, and which member of your team is ready for more responsibility.

You don't believe an Executive Chef leads from behind a computer.

When the restaurant is busy, you're present. When the team is struggling, you coach. When standards slip, you address them. And when the kitchen gets hit, you're perfectly comfortable putting on an apron and helping your team get through service.

At the same time, you're thinking beyond tonight.

You want to build systems, develop leaders, create seasonal menus, improve profitability, strengthen the culture, and establish a culinary program that can support a restaurant whose business extends well beyond traditional lunch and dinner service.

You're energized by events, nightlife, tournaments, activations, and unexpected business volume rather than intimidated by them.

Most importantly, you understand that every plate represents the restaurant.

You're looking for a culinary program where you can bring your own point of view, lead a talented team, and help shape the next chapter of an exciting Arizona hospitality concept.

If you're a hands-on culinary leader who thrives on scratch cooking, bold flavors, high-volume execution, team development, and building something special, we'd love to hear from you.