Director of Culinary

Position Title: Director of Culinary

Reports To: Senior Director of Culinary and Concept Development

Department: Culinary

Status: Exempt

Date: April 2026

Broad Functions: The Director of Culinary is a senior culinary leader responsible for driving the food vision, quality standards, and operational excellence across a diverse portfolio of concession concepts including quick service and full-service dining operations. This role provides strategic and hands-on leadership to six Regional Chefs, ensuring consistent execution of national brand standards, authentic expression of local brands, and innovation within the company’s proprietary brand portfolio. The Director of Culinary partners closely with the Senior Director of Culinary and Concept Development to translate culinary strategy into field-level execution, champion food menu development initiatives, and elevate the guest dining experience across all venues and markets.

Main Duties and Responsibilities:

1. Lead, coach, and develop a team of six Regional Chefs, providing direction, performance management, culinary mentorship, and ongoing training to drive consistency and high performance across all markets and concept types.

2. Oversee culinary operations across all concession concepts — including quick service and full-service formats — ensuring food quality, recipe adherence, presentation standards, and guest dining satisfaction are consistently met or exceeded.

3. Serve as the culinary steward for the company’s proprietary brand portfolio, guiding food menu development, recipe standardization, product testing, and seasonal updates in collaboration with the Senior Director of Culinary and Concept Development.

4. Ensure full compliance with national brand standards and franchise requirements across all licensed brand locations, acting as the primary operational culinary liaison with national brand partners.

5. Champion the culinary identity of local brand partnerships, working with Regional Chefs and local stakeholders to preserve authenticity while maintaining operational efficiency and scalability.

6. Collaborate with Operations, Purchasing, and Supply Chain teams to manage food cost targets, vendor relationships, product sourcing, and menu pricing to achieve financial objectives without compromising food quality.

7. Lead the culinary rollout of new concept openings, rebrands, and seasonal food menu changes, coordinating with training teams to develop and deliver effective culinary training programs for all concept types.

8. Conduct regular market visits and venue walkthroughs alongside Regional Chefs to assess operational execution, identify improvement opportunities, provide in-person coaching, and ensure alignment with company culinary standards.

9. Monitor food safety, sanitation, and regulatory compliance standards across all venues; ensure Regional Chefs are reinforcing proper food handling, HACCP protocols, and health code adherence at all times. Working with the Director of food safelty

10. Analyze culinary performance metrics including food cost variance, waste reduction, guest satisfaction scores, and menu mix data, present findings and action plans to the Senior Director and senior leadership.

11. Support the ideation and development of new food concepts, limited-time offerings (LTOs), and culinary innovation initiatives by contributing expertise, trend research, and practical feasibility analysis.

12. Perform special projects and other responsibilities as assigned by the Senior Director of Culinary and Concept Development.

Skills and Qualifications:

1. Minimum of 7-10 years of progressive culinary experience, including at least 4 years in a multi-unit or regional culinary leadership role; experience in concession, stadium, hospitality, or contract food service environments strongly preferred.

2. Culinary degree from an accredited institution (e.g., CIA, Johnson & Wales, or equivalent) required, additional business or hospitality management education a plus.

3. Proven experience managing and developing a team of field-based culinary professionals across diverse geographies and concept types.

4. Deep knowledge of quick service and full-service dining operations, including the unique execution demands, speed-of-service standards, and guest experience expectations of each format.

5. Demonstrated experience working with national brands (franchise or licensed), local brand partnerships, and proprietary food concept development in a multi-brand management environment.

6. Strong financial acumen with the ability to manage food cost, labor efficiency, and P&L accountability at a multi-unit level.

7. Exceptional culinary skills across multiple cuisines and service styles with a passion for food quality, creativity, and innovation balanced with operational practicality.

8. Strong knowledge of food safety regulations, HACCP principles, and health department compliance requirements; SERV Safe Manager Certification required.

9. Excellent leadership, communication, and interpersonal skills with the ability to influence and align diverse teams across multiple locations.

10. Ability to travel extensively (up to 60–70%) to support field operations, venue openings, training initiatives, and market visits.

11. Proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite; experience with kitchen management systems, recipe costing software, or culinary operations platforms is a plus.

12. Ability to work a flexible schedule including evenings, weekends, and holidays consistent with the demands of the sports, entertainment, and hospitality industry.

Physical Demands:

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an associate to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

While performing the duties of this job, the associate is regularly required to stand, walk, and move through kitchen and venue environments for extended periods. The associate must be able to use hands and fingers to handle food products and culinary equipment, communicate verbally, and hear in high-volume kitchen environments. The associate is frequently required to reach, bend, stoop, and lift or move items weighing up to 50 lbs. The role requires the ability to work in environments with varying temperatures, including hot kitchen environments and cold storage areas. Specific vision abilities required include close vision, color vision (for food quality assessment), and depth perception.