Kitchen Manager

Description

Who We Are & About This Role 

Since 1946, Blake’s Orchard & Cider Mill has been a cornerstone of Michigan agriculture and agritourism — an 80-year family operation with deep roots in Armada and a genuine growth ambition. We make world-class hard and sweet cider, operate tasting rooms and restaurants across four locations, and host thousands of guests a year. 

The Head Chef & Kitchen Manager owns the back of house — its people, culinary identity, cost performance, and daily execution. This is a role for a creative, guest-aware culinarian who leads with both passion and precision. You’ll bring fresh ideas to the menu, build a kitchen team that’s proud of the food they put out, and hold an uncompromising standard for quality, safety, and development — day in, day out. 

This role is central to delivering a consistent and distinctive guest experience across restaurant service, special events, and seasonal outposts. 

If you’ve run a kitchen, led cooks through hard service, and made great food work with the resources you had — we want to hear from you. 

Your Role With Blake’s — Key Responsibilities 

Culinary Vision & Creativity 

You set the culinary identity. The menu, the standards, the craft — that’s yours to own. 

• Drive the culinary identity of the restaurant with a creative, guest-informed perspective on food 
• Develop menus, specials, and seasonal offerings in partnership with leadership — with a focus on originality, local and seasonal sourcing, and evolving guest tastes 
• Stay current on food trends, regional influences, and emerging techniques that elevate the guest experience 
• Lead all food production and kitchen execution to ensure consistency, quality, taste, and presentation 
• Standardize recipes, portions, plating, and prep procedures 
• Conduct regular line checks and taste tests to maintain quality standards 

Guest Connection & Experience 

Great food is part of a bigger picture. You understand the guest and use that to shape everything that comes out of the kitchen. 

• Maintain a strong understanding of who our guests are and what they value — let that shape menus and specials 
• Collaborate with front-of-house leadership to ensure seamless communication and a unified guest experience 
• Represent the kitchen’s culture and craft with pride — be a visible, positive presence across the broader team 
• Incorporate guest feedback into ongoing menu and process improvements 

Team Leadership & Culture 

You recruit, train, coach, and develop. Your job is to build a kitchen people want to work in and grow through. 

• Recruit, hire, train, schedule, and develop kitchen staff 
• Build a kitchen culture rooted in accountability, teamwork, urgency, and pride in the work 
• Invest in mentorship and career development to retain strong talent and grow future leaders 
• Conduct performance reviews and corrective action when necessary 
• Ensure proper onboarding and training for all new BOH employees 

Financial & Operational Performance 

You’re not just cooking — you’re running a business within a business. Food cost, labor, and efficiency are yours to manage. 

• Manage food cost, labor cost, waste control, and inventory accuracy 
• Forecast purchasing needs based on business volume and seasonality 
• Order food, beverage, and kitchen supplies within budget parameters 
• Improve kitchen productivity, prep systems, and ticket times 

Safety & Sanitation (Non-Negotiable) 

Every guest trusts us with their safety. This doesn’t require a credential — it requires someone who takes it seriously every single day. 

• Maintain full compliance with health department, food safety, and sanitation standards — no exceptions 
• Train staff on rotation, labeling, chemical safety, knife safety, and safe work practices 
• Ensure daily and weekly cleaning schedules are completed without fail 

Facilities, Equipment & Additional 

• Monitor kitchen equipment condition and coordinate repairs and maintenance as needed 
• Maintain organized storage, receiving, and product handling procedures 
• Lead kitchen execution for special events, festivals, and high-volume seasonal operations — including 6-day weeks during peak September–October season 
• Document and continuously improve SOPs for consistency and scalability 
• Step into any kitchen function needed during peak business periods — leadership by example 

Requirements

What Great Looks Like — Qualifications 

Backgrounds that succeed here look different: fine dining, volume production, catering, seasonal operations. Credentials matter less than what you’ve built and how you’ve led. 

Required 

• 5+ years of experience in a senior kitchen management role 
• Proven ability to lead and coordinate a kitchen team of 10 or more 
• Documented experience with menu development, including seasonal and special menus 
• Demonstrated record of running a comparable operation efficiently and profitably 
• Strong organizational and systems-thinking skills; you build structure where there isn’t any 
• Excellent knowledge of industry trends and guest expectations 
• Effective communicator in English — verbal and written — with FOH leadership and vendor partners 
• Proficiency in food cost math, pricing, and routine kitchen financials 
• Ability to lift and move at least 100 lbs regularly; ability to stand for an entire 8–12 hour shift 
• Regular, predictable, full attendance is an essential function of this role 

Preferred 

• ServSafe certification or equivalent food safety credential 
• Culinary degree or formal culinary training 
• Experience working in seasonal or event-driven restaurant environments 

How You’re Rewarded — Compensation & Benefits 

Competitive base salary, performance-based incentive, 401(k) with match, full health/dental/vision benefits, PTO, and all the perks of working at one of Michigan’s most beloved farms. Full details shared during the interview process. 

Blake’s Orchard & Cider Mill is an equal opportunity employer.