Evening Persian Jobs (NOW HIRING)

Job Information

• Location: Haftt Cafe & Hookah Lounge, 980 N. La Cienega Blvd., West Hollywood, CA 90069
• Schedule: [Full-time/Part-time]; evening, late-night, weekend, and holiday availability required
• Reports to: Kitchen Lead; Manager on Duty during shifts; General Manager (or ownership, until a General Manager is in place) for overall performance
• Classification: Hourly, non-exempt (overtime eligible)
• Base Pay: Starting at $18.47 per hour, with more offered based on experience

About Haftt

Haftt Cafe & Hookah Lounge is a social dining and lounge destination offering Persian kabobs, pizzas, appetizers, salads, desserts, Persian tea, nonalcoholic beverages, and hookah. Haftt does not serve alcohol.

The kitchen is the foundation of our guest experience. Accurate preparation, consistent quality, proper timing, cleanliness, and reliable communication are essential to ensuring the rest of the operation can serve guests successfully.

The Role

As a Line Cook, you will prepare hot food accurately, safely, and consistently during service.

You will work the grill, oven, and hot stations, cooking Persian kabobs, pizzas, and other hot menu items to Haftt's recipes, portions, temperatures, and presentation standards. Speed matters, but accuracy and consistency come first: the same dish should leave the kitchen the same way every time.

This is a hands-on kitchen position. Between and around service, you will set up and break down your station, complete assigned prep, keep your area clean and sanitary, and assist with dishwashing, receiving, restocking, and closing duties when needed.

What You'll Do

Cook the line

• Set up your station completely before service, including products, sauces, garnishes, tools, and equipment.
• Read and complete kitchen tickets accurately and in the proper sequence.
• Cook Persian kabobs and grilled meats to correct doneness, temperature, and presentation.
• Assemble and cook pizzas according to established portions, recipes, temperatures, and cooking times.
• Cook other assigned hot menu items to Haftt's standards.
• Time dishes so that all items for a table finish together and leave the kitchen hot.
• Hold ticket times to Haftt's standards and communicate immediately when an item will run long.
• Check each plate for recipe accuracy, portion, temperature, presentation, and cleanliness before it leaves your station.
• Follow established recipes, ingredients, garnishes, plating, and portion standards without making unauthorized changes.
• Keep your station stocked and organized throughout service and restock between rushes.

Accuracy and communication

• Confirm modifications, allergies, and special requests before cooking, and follow allergen procedures exactly.
• Communicate sold-out items, low inventory, substitutions, and delays to the Kitchen Lead and Manager on Duty immediately.
• Coordinate with the Prep & Pantry Cook so that all items for a table are ready together.
• Help ensure orders are complete and correct before they leave the kitchen.
• Minimize re-fires, over-portioning, and waste, and report the cause when they occur.

Preparation

• Complete assigned prep for your station accurately and on time.
• Wash, cut, trim, portion, marinate, label, and properly store ingredients as assigned.
• Skewer meats with consistent sizing, spacing, weight, and presentation when assigned.
• Maintain sufficient production levels for anticipated business without creating unnecessary waste.

Food safety and equipment

• Follow required cooking, cooling, reheating, holding, and storage temperatures, and complete temperature logs as assigned.
• Label, date, cover, rotate, and store food according to FIFO procedures.
• Prevent cross-contamination between raw meat, cooked food, produce, allergens, and ready-to-eat products.
• Follow handwashing, glove, and apron-change procedures, including when changing assignments.
• Safely operate knives, grills, ovens, burners, fryers, food processors, mixers, slicers, and other kitchen equipment.
• Notify management immediately of equipment problems, food-safety issues, injuries, pest activity, or unsafe conditions.

Cleanliness and team support

• Keep your station, cutting boards, knives, equipment, shelves, and floors clean and sanitary throughout the shift.
• Complete opening, closing, cleaning, restocking, trash removal, and equipment-shutdown duties.
• Wash dishes, cookware, utensils, and kitchen equipment when assigned or when operationally necessary.
• Assist other kitchen stations during busy periods or staffing shortages.
• Receive and inspect deliveries for quantity, temperature, quality, damage, and freshness when assigned.
• Participate in pre-shift meetings, training, and performance coaching.
• Follow instructions from the Kitchen Lead and management, written procedures, checklists, and corrective training consistently.

What You'll Bring

• Demonstrable line-cooking experience in a full-service restaurant is strongly preferred.
• Ability to work grill, oven, and hot stations at volume without losing accuracy.
• Experience with Persian kabobs, marinades, grilled meats, or pizza is highly desirable.
• Speed and composure during rushes, with the ability to manage several tickets at once.
• Ability to follow recipes, portions, cooking instructions, and presentation standards precisely.
• Practical knife skills and safe, consistent ingredient preparation.
• Understanding of kitchen sanitation, temperature control, storage, FIFO rotation, allergen handling, and cross-contamination prevention.
• Strong attention to quality, consistency, order accuracy, and timing.
• Ability to identify shortages and communicate them before they interrupt service.
• Reliability, punctuality, and willingness to complete the entire assigned shift.
• Dependable evening, late-night, weekend, and holiday availability.
• Willingness to assist with prep, dishes, cleaning, receiving, restocking, and closing - not only cooking.
• Ability to accept feedback, correct mistakes, and consistently follow established procedures.
• Respectful communication with servers, baristas, hookah attendants, support staff, and management.

How Success Is Measured

Performance in this role is evaluated on ticket times, order accuracy, portion consistency, waste, station cleanliness, and station readiness before service.

Practical Skills Evaluation

Selected candidates may be asked to complete a paid working interview or practical skills assessment, as permitted by applicable law. The evaluation may include:

• Setting up a station for service
• Cooking assigned menu items to recipe, portion, temperature, and presentation standards
• Grilling meats and kabobs to correct doneness and consistency
• Assembling and cooking pizzas
• Working live tickets and timing multiple items together
• Safe knife handling and basic ingredient preparation
• Sanitation, temperature, and storage procedures
• Communication and performance during service

Prior job titles alone will not replace the need to demonstrate the practical skills required for the position.

Certifications and Requirements

• California Food Handler Card required within 30 days of hire.
• Completion of Haftt's recipe, equipment, food-safety, sanitation, and emergency-procedure training.
• Ability to stand and work for extended periods.
• Ability to bend, reach, twist, and perform repetitive cooking and preparation tasks.
• Ability to safely lift and carry approximately 40 pounds.
• Ability to work around knives, grills, ovens, open flames, hot surfaces, raw meat, cleaning products, and commercial kitchen equipment.
• Ability to work in a kitchen connected to an environment where hookah smoking occurs.
• Evening, late-night, weekend, and holiday availability as required.

Schedule and Work Environment

This position regularly includes evening, late-night, weekend, and holiday shifts. Preparation, opening, cleaning, and closing duties may take place before or after published guest-service hours.

The kitchen can be hot, busy, and fast-paced. Because Haftt operates with a relatively small team, employees may be assigned to the grill, pizza, hot line, preparation, dishwashing, receiving, cleaning, or closing based on business needs.

Haftt provides training on its recipes, portion standards, equipment, kitchen procedures, and service expectations. Employees must retain the training and follow corrected procedures consistently.

Pay and Benefits

• Base pay: Starting at $18.47 per hour, with more offered based on experience
• Complimentary staff meal during eligible shifts
• Employee dining discount
• Paid sick leave and other benefits as required by applicable law
• Training and opportunities for additional kitchen responsibilities as the team grows

How to Apply

Please apply directly through the job platform where you found this posting.

Questions about the role, or a request for a reasonable accommodation during the application or interview process, may be sent to careers@hafttcafe.com.

Equal Opportunity and Fair Chance Employment

Haftt Cafe & Hookah Lounge is an Equal Opportunity Employer. Employment decisions are based on qualifications, demonstrated skills, experience, performance, availability, and legitimate business needs. Haftt does not discriminate based on any characteristic protected by applicable law.