Entry Level Chef Jobs in Tennessee (NOW HIRING)

Description

 Join Our Team as a Chef Tournant - Lead, Create, and Grow
Ready to step into your first Sous Chef role? 

Chef Tournant is the culinary title for our entry-level Sous Chef position - in our kitchen, this role reports to our other Sous Chefs. We're looking for someone who brings genuine culinary creativity and the operational foundation to back it up. If you have a deep curiosity about food, broad culinary knowledge, real ideas about how to use it, and the drive to grow into kitchen leadership, this is the right next step. 

Job Summary 

The Chef Tournant is a first step into kitchen leadership, supporting daily operations while developing the skills needed to run a professional kitchen. This role requires artistry, ingenuity, and a genuine creative voice - the Chef Tournant takes ownership over specific areas of menu development, bringing invention and imagination to the table alongside strong operational and team support skills. This role works closely with the Executive Chef and Sous Chef to maintain food quality, support the team, and keep service running smoothly. 

Duties and Responsibilities

• Take ownership of specific areas of menu development, bringing originality and imagination to creating dishes that reflect a high standard of culinary artistry and skill. 
• Support the Executive Chef and Sous Chef with daily kitchen operations, including prep planning, station coordination, and service flow.
• Begin leading sections of the kitchen and supervising line cooks and kitchen staff during service.
• Assist with running service when the Sous Chef and Executive Chef are not available.
• Assist in training and mentoring kitchen staff, and help make sure the team understands what is expected of them.
• Help cross-train kitchen staff to make sure daily operations can run without interruption.
• Contribute ideas for menu development and daily specials.
• Check the quality of both raw and cooked food products to make sure standards are being met.
• Ensure food quality, consistency, and presentation standards are met on every plate.
• Assist with plating guidelines, garnishes, and the hands-on detail work that goes into every dish, applying ingenuity and a genuine eye for presentation. 
• Determine how food should be presented and assist with creating food displays.
• Reduce the risk of food spoilage through proper rotation, storage before and after use, and overall stock management.
• Participate in ordering, stock rotation, and inventory checks.
• Monitor portioning and ingredient usage to help control food costs and reduce waste.
• Set a positive example for guest relations and handle guest problems and complaints during service.
• Assist with scheduling support and shift planning as needed.
• Ensure full compliance with health, safety, and sanitation standards at all times.
• Communicate effectively with front-of-house staff and management.
• Perform any other job-related duties as assigned.

Schedule and Pay 

• This job will require evenings and nights on a consistent basis and may require mornings as needed
• This is typically a salaried role & will have compensation reflective of experience 
• Holidays & weekends required 

This job description in no way states or implies that these are the only duties to be performed by the employee(s) incumbent in this position. Employees will be required to follow any other job-related instructions and to perform any other job-related duties requested by any person authorized to give instructions or assignments. 

The company is an Equal Opportunity Employer and complies with ADA regulations as applicable. All duties and responsibilities are essential functions and requirements and are subject to possible modification to reasonably accommodate individuals with disabilities. To perform this job successfully, the incumbents will possess the skills, aptitudes, and abilities to perform each duty proficiently. Some requirements may exclude individuals who pose a direct threat or significant risk to the health or safety of themselves or others. The requirements listed in this posting are the minimum levels of knowledge, skills, or abilities. 

Requirements

Required Skills/Abilities: 

• A genuine creative voice with the invention and originality to develop dishes and menus that stand out. 
• Solid understanding of food preparation, cooking methods, ingredients, equipment, and kitchen procedures.
• Beginning to develop leadership and decision-making skills in a kitchen environment.
• Ability to coordinate with a team and problem-solve during live service.
• Ability to manage time effectively under pressure.
• Ability to communicate clearly and effectively with both kitchen staff and management.
• Flexible availability including evenings, weekends, and holidays.
• Working knowledge of kitchen management software and MS Office.
• Organized, dependable, and able to take initiative without being prompted.

Education and Experience:

• Previous experience in a similar kitchen role required.
• Demonstrated ability to lead a station or section during service.
• Experience with food costing, inventory, and kitchen operations preferred.
• A 4-year culinary degree or equivalent experience 

Supervisory Responsibilities:

• Begins supervising line cooks and kitchen staff during assigned shifts.
• Supports the training and development of kitchen staff.
• Must work with the team in a firm and fair manner.
• Assists with running service when the Sous Chef and Executive Chef are not available.

Physical Requirements: 

• Stand/walk on feet for 8 hours and work in a restrictive space/environment. 
• Must be able to work in extremely warm temperatures. 
• Must have eyesight enabling vision both near and far. 
• Finger dexterity to type, to write, and work on a computer. 
• Must speak in a clear, understandable voice and hear at a basic level, and understand English. 
• Must be able to bend, stretch arms overhead and lift and/or carry up to 40 pounds.