Culinary Manager Jobs in Kent, WA (NOW HIRING)

Taste Buds Kitchen has taken the country by storm with a refreshingly simple concept. We provide culinary entertainment to kids, families, and adults in a fun, beautiful, and state-of-the-art Kitchen Studio. Kids ages 2 to teen love our hands-on cooking classes, camps, birthday parties, and field trips. Adults love our date night cooking classes, birthday parties, bachelorettes, showers, and corporate events. Our innovative programs are as entertaining as they are educational! We always strive to engage and delight our guests.

Love food, entertaining, and creating memorable experiences?

Taste Buds Kitchen Bellevue is looking for a General Manager & Lead Culinary Instructor to help launch and lead our beautiful new Kitchen Studio. This is not a traditional restaurant job. One day you may be leading a children's cooking camp, the next hosting a corporate team-building event, and the next helping a couple celebrate date night in the kitchen.

We are looking for a General Manager & Lead Culinary Instructor to play a critical role in the success of Taste Buds Kitchen Bellevue! You will teach our cooking classes, manage day-to-day operations and staff, create exceptional guest experiences, and serve as a natural leader for our growing team.

Most importantly, we're looking for someone who loves bringing people together, enjoys teaching and entertaining, and is excited to build a vibrant community around food.

This is a rare opportunity to join the founding team of a new Bellevue business and help shape its culture, systems, and community impact from day one.

• Open availability is required, including nights and weekends, as Taste Buds Kitchen hosts events seven days a week.
• Launch & Growth: Assist the owner in the setup, launch, and growth of this new Bellevue business. This is a unique opportunity to help shape the culture, systems, and guest experience from the very beginning.
• Culinary Instruction & Guest Experience: You can expect to spend approximately 50-75% of your time instructing classes initially, with that percentage decreasing as the business and team grow. Lead cooking classes, camps, and parties for guests ages 2-99 while teaching cooking and baking techniques, engaging participants, and creating memorable experiences that keep guests coming back.
• Leadership & Team Development: Recruit, hire, train, schedule, and develop a motivated and service-oriented team. Lead by example, maintain a positive culture, and step in as needed to support daily operations and event execution.
• Operations & Administration: Ensure all company policies, systems, procedures, and safety standards are followed while continually improving processes for efficiency and growth. Assist with customer inquiries, bookings, sales opportunities, and matching clients with the right Taste Buds Kitchen experience.
• Facility & Brand Standards: Maintain exceptional cleanliness, organization, presentation, and branding standards throughout the Kitchen Studio to ensure every guest experience reflects the Taste Buds Kitchen brand.

• Naturally outgoing and energized by hosting, teaching, entertaining, and creating memorable guest experiences.
• Great leader capable of recruiting, training, and developing a motivated team.
• Comfortable in the kitchen and excited to learn and teach a variety of cooking and baking techniques. Formal culinary education or equivalent experience is a plus.
• Experience working with people of all ages.
• Experience working in an events, hospitality, entertainment, education, or service-oriented business is a plus.
• 1-3 years of management experience is preferred or similar experience.
• Strong customer service skills. A business or management degree is a plus.
• Must enjoy the atmosphere and fast-paced nature of a small business.
• Excited by the opportunity to help build a new business from the ground up.

While culinary experience is valuable, personality, hospitality, and leadership matter most. We can teach recipes; we can't teach enthusiasm, warmth, and a love of creating great experiences for others.

• $29.00 - 31.00 per hour
• 35-40 hours per week
• Quarterly performance bonus opportunity
• 15 days paid time off annually
• Paid Sick Leave
• 401(k) eligibility after 90 days
• Monthly phone stipend
• Health and wellness stipend
• Complimentary Taste Buds Kitchen classes for friends and family
• Employee discounts
• Company-provided uniforms
• Paid training and professional development
• $2,000 Founding Team Bonus upon successful completion of the first 90 days following Grand Opening