Kitchen Manager — Houston Market

Role Overview
The Kitchen Manager is the culinary operator for the Houston market, operating out of a shared commercial kitchen. This is a working kitchen leadership role — the Kitchen Manager directly runs day-to-day operations at the commercial kitchen and maintains check-in oversight of food distribution to seven school locations in the market that have staff onsite. The Kitchen Manager is accountable for food quality, kitchen team performance, production execution, and operational standards across all Houston schools that this location would provide food for.
Market Scope
Primary Hub Kitchen — Direct Management
Works alongside the Prep Cooks daily — this is a working kitchen role, not supervisory-only
Owns bi-weekly cold batch production: plans, leads, and executes all cold batch runs at the hub kitchen
Leads hot prep days in partnership with the Prep Cooks, setting the pace and standard for the team
Manages production scheduling, food quality, waste tracking, and inventory at the hub
Directly supervises kitchen staff and holds the team accountable to Yay standards

Core Responsibilities
Daily Kitchen Operations
Runs commercial kitchen from prep through pick-up — production schedule, food quality, and on-time execution
Manages call-out coverage and real-time kitchen decisions during hours of production
Ensures food is produced to Yay standards and delivered on time to schools served by the commercial kitchen
Serves as primary point of contact for school Yay staff and Operations Leads at commercial kitchen location on day-of operational matters
Checks in with Houston school locations during the week to confirm service status and address any real-time issues
Labor & Scheduling
Sets the commercial kitchen schedule within labor budget provided by the Operations Manager
Tracks actual hours versus scheduled hours daily; identifies and corrects overages
Approves any schedule changes or additional shifts at the commercial kitchen
Reports labor performance to the Operations Manager as part of daily and weekly reporting
Food Quality, Waste & Inventory
Monitors and reduces waste at the commercial kitchen — holds team accountable for portioning, FIFO, and end-of-day tracking
Confirms inventory counts are accurate and that pars are correctly set for the week ahead
Team Leadership
Provides direct leadership to Prep Cooks at the commercial kitchen
Supports Prep Cook development
Leads onboarding for new kitchen hires and sets standards for the Houston market
Escalates performance or operational issues to the Operations Manager as needed
Day in the Life / Week in the Life
Daily — During Shift Hours
Present at the commercial kitchen during service hours — managing production flow, team execution, and quality
Handles real-time issues: call-outs, equipment problems, service timing, and school-level escalations
Daily — End of Day Review
Reviews the day through the ops dashboard and daily reports after service closes
Sales vs. target: are all Houston locations hitting expected meal counts?
Labor hours logged vs. budget: did the commercial kitchen run over, and why?
Waste reported by hub and additional locations: is it within acceptable range?
Sends a brief end-of-day summary to the Operations Manager on any flagged items — labor overages, waste spikes, service misses, or school concerns
Weekly — Ongoing Rhythm
Inventory review: confirms commercial kitchen has submitted accurate counts and pars are set for the following week
Schedule audit: reviews Houston hub schedule for the coming week to confirm labor hours are within budget and all roles are covered
Weekly update to Operations Manager covering labor %, waste, meal counts, and operational flags
What Success Looks Like
The commercial kitchen runs smoothly every service day — on time, on standard, no surprises
Houston locations are checked in with daily and any issues are surfaced early
Labor stays at or below budget at commercial kitchen location, every week
Waste is tracked, understood, and trending down — root causes identified and addressed
All Houston schools receive food on time, at temperature, and to Yay quality standards
Prep Cooks at additional locations are supported, accountable, and growing in the role
What We’re Looking For
Minimum of 4 years of experience in kitchen or food production operations — you know how to run a shift, lead a team, and keep a kitchen on track
Hands-on cook and leader — you're comfortable working the line alongside your team and setting the standard through your own work
Experience with batch production, food safety, and inventory management — FIFO, portioning discipline, and waste reduction are second nature
Strong people skills — you've held people accountable, coached newer cooks, and built trust with a team
Organized and dependable — you manage multiple moving pieces daily and nothing gets dropped
Comfortable on the road — this role involves driving between Houston locations to handle issues and do spot checks at times; reliable transportation and a valid driver's license required
ServSafe Manager certification or willingness to obtain within 30 days of hire
Must be based in Houston area or within commuting distance of Houston, TX
What We Offer
$22.00/Hour
This role has the potential to have a pay increase after 60 days from start with Yay
A high-growth, mission-driven company where your work directly impacts what kids eat every day
A leadership team that values accountability, transparency, and operators who take pride in their craft
Real career growth as we expand into new markets and build out our kitchen leadership team