Direct-hire recruiting
Kitchen Manager Recruiters
In many full-service restaurants and multi-unit groups, the kitchen manager is the person who makes the system work. The recipes may come from corporate or a culinary director, but the kitchen manager decides whether those recipes are executed correctly at 7:30 on a Friday.
We recruit kitchen managers who are operators first: organized, cost-aware and good with people. They keep the line staffed, the walk-in in order and the food consistent from one shift to the next.
What to look for
What a great kitchen manager brings
Systems execution
They follow and enforce specs, prep lists and line checks every shift.
Inventory and ordering
They count accurately, order to par and keep waste visible.
Crew hiring
They hire, train and schedule cooks and dishwashers, and keep turnover down.
Food safety
They keep logs current and the kitchen inspection-ready at all times.
Calm on the line
They jump on a station when needed without losing track of the whole kitchen.
For employers
Hire a kitchen manager
To hire a kitchen manager, look for someone who can run the line, hold food costs and keep the back-of-house team steady. In many full-service restaurants, the kitchen manager is the operations leader behind the chef or the GM.
What a kitchen manager owns
- Daily kitchen operations and line execution
- Ordering, inventory and food cost
- Food safety, sanitation and inspections
- Kitchen scheduling and training
- Equipment and maintenance
What to screen for
- Comparable kitchen: volume and menu complexity similar to yours
- Cost control: inventory and food cost results
- Certification: food safety credentials, such as ServSafe Manager
- Retention: how they've kept cooks in a tight labor market
- Growth: whether they want to move toward a chef or GM role
How our search works
We recruit employed managers at comparable properties through direct outreach, screen each one against your brief, and send you a short list of vetted candidates. You pay nothing until you hire. Our fee is 18% of first-year base salary, with a $9,000 minimum, and every placement carries a six-month (180-day) replacement guarantee. See how much hospitality recruiters charge to compare.
Related reading: How much does a restaurant general manager make? · How much do hospitality recruiters charge? · 2026 hospitality manager salary guide
Submit a searchWhere we recruit
We recruit nationwide, in all 50 states. Browse our market pages:
Compensation
Kitchen manager salary in 2026
- Base pay range (10th–90th percentile)
- $29k – $48k
- Average base
- $37,565
- Annual bonus
- $349–$10k
Reported hourly: $14.09 to $22.85 an hour, average $18.06, converted at 2,080 hours a year.
SourceSee every role in our salary guide.
Our process
How we recruit kitchen managers
We learn your concept, volume, kitchen layout and the systems a kitchen manager will be expected to run. We also ask what went wrong with the last hire so we can screen for it directly.
We recruit employed kitchen managers and sous chefs from comparable operations, especially from well-run multi-unit brands where systems discipline is the norm. Candidates are screened for cost results, people leadership and motive before you see them.
Every placement is a permanent, direct hire on your payroll. You pay a contingency fee only if you hire our candidate, and every placement carries our six-month replacement guarantee.
Open now
Kitchen manager jobs open now
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FAQ
Kitchen manager recruiting FAQs
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