Kitchen Supervisor

Björk Café & Bistro is a Scandinavian-inspired café inside Scandinavia House in Manhattan. We serve fresh, seasonal Nordic food with a low-waste, sustainability mindset, and a growing off-site / on-site catering and events program.

Role

Own day-to-day kitchen operations across café, production, and events / catering . Lead people, systems, and logistics so service runs on spec, sanitation stays inspection-ready, and margins stay healthy—whether it’s a busy lunch, a 150-guest reception, or a chef’s table.

Reports to : Chef / Owner

Leads / Partners :  line / prep, dish / porters; partners with Events / Sales & FOH

Schedule : Full-time; mornings;  evenings / weekends no late nights

Responsibilities

Service & Production

Lead or support the line during peaks; maintain ticket times and plate-to-spec execution.

Build daily / weekly prep lists and par levels for café, grab-and-go, and events.

Maintain recipe standards, yields, and portioning for consistency and cost control.

Catering & Events Operations

Convert BEOs into production plans, pack sheets, labeling, load-out maps, and onsite timelines.

Coordinate rentals and smallwares (cambros, hot boxes, induction, chafers); ensure venue rules & permits are followed.

Uphold time / temperature controls in transit and onsite; supervise setups, service, and breakdown.

Partner with Events / Sales on headcounts, run-of-show, and post-event debriefs.

People & Training

Hire, schedule, and coach BOH; run pre-shifts and weekly trainings.

• Ensure all Björk Recipes are being followed

Build bench strength and cross-training across stations and event roles.

Hold standards with clear feedback and fair corrective action.

Food Safety & Compliance

Enforce NYC DOHMH, allergen protocols; keep label / date and temp logs audit-ready.

Keep A-grade practices : daily / weekly cleaning checklists, pest prevention, and internal inspections.

Inventory, Vendors & COGS

Order, receive, and rotate stock (FIFO); reconcile invoices / delivery variances.

Track usage and waste; hit monthly  food-cost targets through portion control and yield management.

Maintain great relationships with local / sustainable suppliers.

Facilities & Equipment

Maintain equipment logs and service schedules; ensure a safe, organized kitchen and event kits.

Manage smallwares and event-specific packs to minimize loss and damage.

Admin & Systems

Maintain SOPs , recipes, batch sheets, and event pack-outs in Google Workspace.

Use POS / KDS and basic spreadsheets to monitor labor, COGS, and event margins.

Success Metrics (KPIs)

Food Cost : on / below target

Health Inspections : A grade; 100% critical-item compliance

Events / Catering : on-time launches; zero-miss pack-outs

Qualifications

1-2+ years BOH leadership (Kitchen Supervisor / Operations Lead / Sous / CDC) including events / catering.

NYC Food Protection Certificate (or within 30 days).

Proven team leadership; training and scheduling; calm, hands-on line presence.

Strong logistics for off-site work (pack-outs, transport temps, rentals / venues).

Inventory, vendor management, and cost control experience.

Comfortable with Google Workspace and basic POS / KDS tools.

Passion for seasonal cooking; interest in Scandinavian flavors and sustainability.

30–60–90 Day Outcomes

30 days : Standards trained; sanitation systems humming; accurate pars; learn, follow, and master Björk’s traditional Scandinavian recipes; understand and execute them exactly as intended.

60 days : Food cost on target; waste trending down; stable cross-trained schedule; reliable event pack-out & load-out checklists.

90 days : Seamless café + catering flow; zero-miss pack-outs; event margin tracking live; seasonal menu feedback loop operating.