River North - Kitchen Lead

Company : sweetgreen

Location : Chicago, IL, 60602

Posted Date : 15 September 2025

Job Details

As a Kitchen Lead you will be an ambassador for our mission: building healthier communities by connecting people to real food. The Kitchen Lead position serves as the backbone of our restaurant's hot food preparation, ensuring every guest receives high-quality, properly cooked, and well-presented food. This role requires exceptional culinary skills, leadership abilities, and operational awareness to manage the full cycle of kitchen operations throughout different service periods.
When you join Sweetgreen, you are joining our movement of rewriting the future of fast food. And you won't just grow the planet's future-you grow your own. We're passionate about growing our teams internally - our top-performing team members can reach General Manager in 36 months!
What You'll Do:
These responsibilities highlight some of the key functions a Kitchen Lead will perform. They include but are not limited to:

Ensure kitchen is clean, organized, and well-stocked throughout service
Cook and prep hot food items according to recipes and quality standards
Maintain food safety protocols including proper FIFO rotation
Conduct regular taste tests to validate food quality
Manage oven capacity and maintenance for optimal food production
Coordinate with MOD, Cold Prep, and Service teams throughout shifts
Support seamless transitions between AM and PM operations
Record waste due to quality or expiration issues- Run hot food during off-peak periods and support other stations as needed
Lead food tastings and midday quality checks- Assist with new menu training and implementation
Process receiving orders and report shortages or quality issues
Physical Requirements: Lift up to 25 lbs, stand for extended periods.

You must be able to perform all of the above essential job duties satisfactorily, with or without a reasonable accommodation
Minimum Requirements:

Must be available to work a minimum of 30 hours per week.
You must be 18 years of age or older
Must be authorized to work in the United States

What You'll Bring:
Essential Skills & Experience

Previous kitchen or restaurant experience
Knowledge of proper food safety handling procedures
Ability to work efficiently in a fast-paced environment
Strong time management and multitasking abilities
Basic understanding of inventory management
Reliable attendance and punctuality
Attention to detail and commitment to quality
Effective verbal communication skills

What Makes You Stand Out

Prior hot line cooking experience
Food Handler or ServSafe certification
Experience with high-volume food production
Training or leadership experience
Ability to anticipate needs and solve problems proactively
Strong organization and prioritization skills
Passion for food quality and consistency
Experience working with kitchen management tools

What Perks You'll Get:

We reward Hospitality! Team Members are eligible for Tips depending on their role and location
Competitive wages - Team Members earn raises for learning new skills
Medical, dental, & vision plan options for part-time and full-time Team Members*
Paid Vacation + Wellness time
Paid parental leave*
401k*
Free healthy and delicious shift meals
Access to our SG Swag Marketplace - earn and buy custom swag
And much more...

*Depending on eligibility Join our team and become the backbone of our hot food preparation, ensuring every guest receives high-quality, properly cooked, and consistently delicious food throughout the day.
Who We Are:
sweetgreen is on a mission to build healthier communities by connecting people to real food. We passionately believe that real food should be convenient and accessible to everyone. Every day in each sweetgreen, our 5,000 team members make food from scratch, using fresh ingredients and produce delivered that morning. And in our local communities, we're committed to leaving people better than we found them. We're in the business of feeding people, and we're out to change what that means. Our teams are our most valuable ingredient - the heart of our company, the face of our brand, and what truly makes the sweetgreen experience special and unique.
Sweetgreen provides equal opportunities for everyone that works for us and everyone that applies to join our team, without regard to sex or gender, gender identity, gender expression, age, race (including traits historically associated with race, such as hair texture and protective hairstyles), religious creed, color, national origin, ancestry, pregnancy, physical or mental disability, medical condition, genetic information, marital status, sexual orientation, any service, past, present, or future, in the uniformed services of the United States (military or veteran status), or any other consideration protected by federal, state, or local law.
California residents: Review our applicant privacy notice HERE.
Sweetgreen participates in the federal government's E-Verify program to determine employment eligibility. To learn more about the E-Verify program, please CLICK HERE.

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