Regional Chef

Job Details:

Job Location: Kijung Hospitality Group Legal Address - Torrance, CA 90501, Salary Range: $80,000.00 - $87,000.00 Salary, Job Category: Management, Culinary Standards & Consistency

• Conducts regular line checks, kitchen audits, and taste-standard reviews at all assigned locations to ensure recipes, portioning, marinades, and plating match approved specs
• Owns standardized recipes and prep specs for core KBBQ items — marinated and unmarinated proteins (galbi, bulgogi, brisket), banchan, sauces, and tabletop grill protocols — and corrects drift immediately
• Supports new menu rollouts and limited-time offerings so recipes translate cleanly across the region

Food Cost & Procurement Partnership

• Monitors food cost and COGS at each location; corrects variances through yield testing, portion control audits, and waste tracking
• Serves as culinary partner to Procurement, communicating site-level quality issues, spec changes, and sourcing needs, and applying knowledge of beef and protein markets (grade, cut, seasonal pricing) to sourcing decisions and kitchen practice
• Supports inventory accuracy and ordering discipline to reduce shrinkage and overordering

Training & Team Development

• Builds and delivers regional training programs that calibrate palates and technique to the standard
• Coaches site-level culinary leaders, supporting succession planning and reducing kitchen turnover
• Leads onboarding for new hires and new location openings

Compliance & Safety

• Ensures all locations meet ServSafe/HACCP guidelines and applicable county health codes
• Prepares kitchens for health inspections and leads corrective action on any findings

Cross-Functional Communication

• Reports to the Director of Culinary on consistency audits, food cost trends, training progress, and staffing/turnover risk
• Collaborates with General Managers to influence kitchen execution and standards without direct reporting authority
• Perform other duties as assigned