Job Description

Company Description

We're opening a 22-25 seat coastal wine bar and dining concept in the heart of Seal Beach, CA. Intimate format. Curated wine program. A heavy emphasis on great food and beautiful charcuterie boards -- many of which will be built for to-go -- alongside seasonal small plates and a menu designed around what's fresh and what pairs well. This isn't a corporate rollout. It's an independent, owner-operated restaurant being built from the ground up, and we need the right chef to make the kitchen their own.

Role Description

This is a full-time Executive Chef / Kitchen Manager role based on-site in Seal Beach, CA, with flexibility for off-site work during menu development and sourcing.

You'll be the first hire in this kitchen. Once you're on board, we'll build out the team around you -- a sous chef and prep staff -- but you'll have a voice in who joins your crew. That means you own the menu, the sourcing relationships, the plating standards, the food cost targets, and the kitchen culture from the start. You'll collaborate directly with ownership on concept direction, but the culinary vision is yours to build.

This role is built for an experienced sous chef who's ready to step into their first EC position and make a menu their own. If you've been running someone else's kitchen and you're itching to build your own program, this is that opportunity.

Here's the timeline: we get keys to the space around mid-May 2026 with minimal buildout needed since we're acquiring an existing restaurant. Friends and family test nights are targeted for June 3-4, with a soft open on June 10. We're moving fast and need someone who's energized by that pace, not intimidated by it.

Day to day, you'll be responsible for menu development and seasonal rotations, designing and executing a standout charcuterie program (dine-in and to-go), prep and service execution, kitchen hiring and team leadership, food cost and inventory management, health department compliance, and vendor relationships. The format is small and the team will be lean, so this is a hands-on cooking role, not a clipboard job.

What we offer

Competitive salary (ask us), plus a share of tips and a performance bonus structure. Health benefits available. Full creative ownership of the menu. The chance to be the founding chef of a new concept in one of the best beach towns in Southern California. Your name on the work from day one.

What we're looking for

3+ years of progressive kitchen experience, with meaningful time as a sous chef at a quality-driven restaurant. Strong experience with charcuterie and small plates is a major plus. You know how to run food cost, manage a small team, and keep a health department inspector happy. You cook because you love it, and you're ready to prove what you can do with your own kitchen.

At some point in the process, we'll need to taste your food. A paid trail day is part of how we find the right fit -- it goes both ways.

Must be based in Southern California. No relocation candidates.

Formal culinary training is a plus but not required. We care about what you can cook, not where you went to school.

How to apply

Send a message with your background and, if you have one, a link to your Instagram or any photos of your food. A resume is fine but a conversation is better.

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