Kitchen Manager

Job Title: Kitchen Manager

Location: New York City, NY

Company: Brown Bag Sandwich Co.

Brown Bag Sandwich Co. is a chopped sandwich concept born out of the Michelin-starred kitchen world and NYC’s bodega culture. We are reimagining classic NY deli sandwiches with house made meats, scratch sauces, and the highest quality ingredients possible, at accessible prices. 

With 2 locations in Manhattan (Greenwich Village & Flatiron), Brown Bag is a young, fast-growing brand with plans to scale to 10+ locations in the next 3-5 years. We’re a startup in every sense - scrappy, constantly evolving, and looking for dedicated individuals who are excited about building something with us - not just clocking in. 

Brown Bag is looking for a Kitchen Manager who can take real ownership of daily kitchen operations. This includes running service, placing food orders, taking inventory, creating prep lists, delegating tasks, enforcing quality standards of each sandwich, managing cleanliness standards, scheduling, and overall contributing to the operational flow of the shop.

This is not a “wait to be told” role — it’s for someone who sees what needs to be done and takes initiative. You’ll work directly alongside a former Michelin-starred chef and play a meaningful role in shaping a growing NYC restaurant brand. 

Key Responsibilities:

1) Kitchen Operations, Production & Quality

• Flow of service (from overseeing prepping ingredients, to supervising building sandwiches, to inspecting sandwiches for quality, to wrapping sandwiches, to getting sandwiches out the door with the best guest experience) 
• Doing quality checks throughout the day on prepped ingredients, stock, and sandwiches as they go out 
• Manage catering orders and fulfillment as they come in
• Handle the Prep List and for the following day
• Cleanliness standards and DOH standards
• Forecasting the production for the week. Being proactive rather than reactive.

2) Staff Relations

• Scheduling - this includes filling in call-outs or sick shifts
• Delegating tasks appropriately based on job
• Act as the main communication point for any staff issues, updates, disciplinary issues
• Fostering Brown Bag culture

• Handle all ordering daily
• Manage and update pars
• Rotate stock / FIFO
• Minimize waste by ensuring products are weighed out consistently and accurately 
• Maintain food % as set by management 

Required Qualifications:

• 3–5+ years of kitchen experience, including time in a supervisory or leadership role
• Experience managing inventory, vendor orders, and food & labor costs within a budget
• Proven ability to follow recipes and maintain consistent product quality in a high-volume kitchen
• Experience leading, coaching, and developing kitchen staff while maintaining a collaborative team environment
• Strong organizational, time management, and delegation skills
• Ability to anticipate staffing and operational needs, including schedule management during peak and slower periods
• Comfortable with basic administrative tasks and computer use (scheduling, ordering, communication)
• Experience managing catering orders and BEOs
• Hands-on leadership style with the ability to balance supervising the kitchen with jumping in to support service when needed
• Open to feedback and committed to continuous improvement
• Must be able to stand for full shift and move quickly during peak periods in a small space
• Must be able to lift 50 pounds in order to help with stocking & inventory

What Sets You Apart

• You take initiative - you don’t wait to be told that the floor needs mopping or the prep list needs adjusting. You handle it.
• Passionate about the customer experience
• Excellent judgement
• You’re adaptable and comfortable with change. We’re a young, growing company. Things evolve fast and you’re energized with that, not frustrated
• You appreciate quality but understand efficiency. You know it’s important to obsess about the details, but also know when to move with speed, and can coach your team to do the same
• Strong belief in employee training and development
• Ambition to be part of a start up, growing environment
• Willing “attitude” and can pitch in when needed, even if it is “not your job”
• Love of food
• Interested in how to grow a successful business

What We Offer:

• Opportunity to be a part of a unique and innovative food concept in NYC.
• $27-30/hour + tips, or $65-$70k/year salary, based on experience level
• Quarterly bonus (estimate of another $5-7k/year) based on store profitability after a 90 day trial period
• A chance to help shape the future of Brown Bag Sandwich Co. as we expand and evolve.
• Employee discount
• Up to 8 days of PTO per year