Humble Spirit is a wine country restaurant sharing food with heart in historic downtown McMinnville, Oregon. The light-filled space is warm and approachable, welcoming locals and tourists for casual meals and special celebrations. The restaurant and catering menus draw inspiration from the seasons and thoughtfully sourced ingredients, some of which are from our Tabula Rasa Farms, and other provisioners using sustainable practices like regenerative farming and small-batch craft. Loving intention is at the heart of the dining experience, always celebrating the work of exceptional purveyors in the Willamette Valley and beyond.

The Chef de Cuisine is responsible for the management of the Humble Spirit restaurant kitchen operations. The CDC hires, trains, and schedules BoH staff, facilitates the smooth operation of the kitchen, and develops menu direction and menu item recipes. The CDC works closely with the General Manager, Culinary Director, and The Ground’s executive leadership team in the positive promotion of Humble Spirit and favorably represents Humble Spirit and The Ground with guests and within the community.

Duties/Responsibilities:

• Responsible for the selection, training, scheduling, and performance management of the Culinary Team.
• Oversees the daily activities of the kitchen.
• Works closely with the Culinary Director and General Manager in conjunction with special and catered events.
• Attends meetings to discuss upcoming events and review contracts daily.
• Facilitates monthly department meetings.
• Manages division activities through Food and Beverage Team, ensuring guest’s expectations are exceeded.
• Maintains efficient operations, and adherence to established safety and quality standards.
• Ensures safe work environment, immediately reporting unsafe conditions or equipment.
• Develops all menus with the approval of the Culinary Director, General Manager, and Director of Hospitality.
• Works with the General Manager and Event Sales team to develop creative event themes.
• Supports catering and planning with creating events.
• Maintains on-going communication with all departments and ensures all staff members are informed of updates, changes and/or problematic situations.
• Responds to internal and external inquiries and complaints and maintains favorable guest and employee relations.
• Protects company assets by establishing and ensuring adherence to security standards.
• Audits kitchen payroll on a daily basis.
• Completes monthly food inventories.
• Assures that the team exceeds guest’s expectations by being responsive, engaged and following-through on all requests.
• Assures that all administrative tasks related to the position are completed in a timely, accurate, and efficient manner.
• Strives to deliver exceptional products and service.
• Demonstrates behaviors consistent with Humble Spirit & The Ground’s values and mission.

Education and Experience:

• Bachelor’s Degree (BA) from four-year College or university, or five to six years related experience and/or training; or equivalent combination of education and experience.
• Necessary State Food Handler’s License(s).

The Ground is an equal opportunity employer. We celebrate diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees. If you’re interested in this role, but your experience doesn’t align perfectly with every qualification in the job description, we still encourage you to apply. You may just be the right candidate for this or other roles at The Ground.

Please Note: This job description is not exhaustive and additional duties may be assigned as needed.

Disclaimer: The individuals selected for the role of Chef De Cuisine will be employed by The Humble Spirit and have no direct affiliation with Columbia Hospitality, which is serving as the third-party search agent through Columbia Executive Search.

• PTO (Paid Time Off).
• Health, vision, and dental insurance.
• Life insurance.
• 401(k) for qualifying employees.
• 20% discount at Ground entities.

• Fluent in English with strong communication skills.
• Ability to manage and lead a culinary team.
• Experience in food and wine with knowledge of restaurant equipment.
• Strong conflict management and negotiation skills.
• Proficient in Microsoft Word, Excel, and Outlook.
• Detail-oriented with exceptional organizational skills.
• Reliable, punctual, and able to perform under stress.