Head Chef Jobs in Santa Rosa, CA (NOW HIRING)

About Us

Gold Ridge Kitchen is the newest project coming to The Barlow in the heart of Sebastopol. The Barlow was founded in 2006 with the goal of creating a community hub for locals to experience the best of what West Sonoma County has to offer. Now in its 20th year, The Barlow is home to amazing local shops, tasting rooms, world class wineries, breweries, and restaurants. Gold Ridge Kitchen will be the first in a series of exciting changes to the Barlow, starting with the restaurant opening this fall, a relaunch of The Venue event space in early 2027, and the unveiling of the highly anticipated Barlow Hotel in 2028. Gold Ridge Kitchen will bring the same “sense of place” The Barlow has always championed. Our menu will showcase the best of the season while delivering a very wine centric experience and locally sourced ingredients served right off the wood fire grill. We will not be just another Farm to Table restaurant. We will bring all the best of the region to the table in a humble and gracious way while delivering a high-level dinning experience. 

Overview

The Executive Chef of Gold Ridge Kitchen will be tasked with early menu development and building the culture of the culinary team. As our Executive Chef you will have the opportunity to put your mark on our opening menu and house staples. This position will oversee all culinary operations, including kitchen leadership, food quality, purchasing, inventory, financial performance, events, and kitchen mentorship.

This is a role that requires a high level of attention to detail including, setting high sourcing standards, check in procedures, vendor relation, quality monitoring, and an eye on every plate that leaves the kitchen. Our ideal Chef will have the passion to create evergreen staples that bring locals back, evolve dishes to show the seasons best, strive in mentorship, follow kitchen financials closely, problem solve when necessary, and bring professional leadership energy to every shift.

Our goal at Gold Ridge Kitchen is to be the spot that locals recommend as a top choice to first time visitors and friends alike. The menu and the dinning room will offer the laid back comfortable feel the fits perfect in The Barlow while delivering a high level experience.

Key Responsibilities

• Supervise and assist in food preparation, ensuring high standards of quality, taste, and presentation across all services while maintaining safety expectations
• Lead, motivate, coach, and discipline kitchen personnel to ensure efficient and high-quality food preparation and service.
• Manage food costs, budgets, and maximize cost/production ratios to optimize financial performance.
• Lead the culinary program in collaboration with consulting team and ownership.
• Maintain cleanliness, sanitation, and safety in the kitchen, work, and storage areas, adhering to all health and safety regulations. Cleanliness and organization is paramount to our kitchen ethos.
• Anticipate and address operational issues proactively to ensure smooth kitchen operations.
• Constantly menu testing and development to stay in lock step with seasonal changes to celebrate the best of the Sonoma Coast
• Oversee all daily kitchen operations, including prep, production, service, ordering, receiving, sanitation, and closing procedures.
• Recruit, train, schedule, mentor, and lead the culinary team while fostering a culture of professionalism, curiosity, accountability, and respect.
• Follow and promote company standards and operating procedures
• Create and maintain recipes, prep systems, plating standards, station guides, and kitchen operating procedures.
• Develop strong relationships with local farms, ranches, fisheries, and specialty purveyors to keep quality and sourcing standards high.
• Manage food costs, labor, purchasing, inventory, waste, and overall kitchen profitability.
• Participate and conduct regular meetings with leadership/ownership and line level staff
• Develop menus for private dining and inhouse events.
• Maintain the highest standards of food quality, consistency, sanitation, and safety while ensuring compliance with all applicable regulations.
• Help establish the culture, systems, and operational standards that will define Gold Ridge from opening day forward.
• Act as a steward of the Gold Ridge and The Barlow brand: serious about food, serious about hospitality, and not overly serious about itself.

Skills & Qualifications

• Experience as an Executive Chef, Chef de Cuisine, Sous Chef, or similar culinary leadership role.
• Fine dining, luxury hospitality, wine-focused restaurant, private club, or hotel experience strongly preferred.
• Strong technical cooking skills with a deep understanding of seasonality, sourcing, organization, and execution.
• Demonstrated experience developing seasonal menus and leading high-performing kitchen teams.
• Strong financial management skills, including food costing, purchasing, inventory control, labor management, and menu pricing.
• Experience opening restaurants or building kitchen systems is highly desirable.
• Experience with private events, tasting menus, wine dinners, or chef collaborations preferred.
• Proven longevity in Leadership roles
• Strong leadership, communication, organization, and problem-solving skills.
• A team-first approach with high standards and low ego.
• California Food Handler Card required.
• Food Protection Manager Certification preferred.

The Ideal Candidate

You are part chef, part teacher, part operator, and part systems builder.

You understand that remarkable food is built long before service begins. It starts with exceptional ingredients, disciplined preparation, organized systems, and a team that understands both the "how" and the "why."

You appreciate wine enough to know the food should elevate it, never compete with it. You enjoy collaborating with farmers, winemakers, and your team as much as creating beautiful dishes.

You can lead with calm authority. You teach more than you criticize. You hold high standards without creating fear.

You are ambitious, but never chaotic.

Expected Hours of Work

This is a full-time leadership position. The Executive Chef is expected to work approximately 45–55 hours per week and must be available during core operating hours, including days, evenings, weekends, holidays, and special events.

While we strive for consistency, work hours and days off are subject to change based on the needs of the restaurant.

Compensation & Benefits

• $105-115k Base Salary
• Performance-based bonus potential
• Health Insurance Benefits
• Paid time off
• Employee dining discount

Gold Ridge Kitchen & The Barlow provides equal employment opportunity to all persons regardless of age, color, national origin, citizenship status, physical or mental disability, race, religion, creed, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, genetic information, marital status, veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by applicable federal, state, or local law.