Independent Restaurant Culinary Director at Compass Group in CA

Position Title: Independent Restaurant Culinary Director

Pay Grade: 16

Salary: $130,000 - $140,000

Our Passion is Food!

At Bon Appetit Management Company we are committed to two things, great food and outstanding service! At Bon Appetit you won't find our managers referring to a corporate recipe book or our chefs microwaving the lunch special. We do not have standardized recipes or central commissaries, instead, our chefs and managers are expected to stay abreast of current culinary trends and bring cutting edge food into their cafes. We are a restaurant company that operates in contract food service. That means you will have the freedom to be creative, take risks, and truly shine. We are committed to our staff growing, trying new things, and learning all that they can. Our rapid growth and breadth of accounts translates into exciting opportunities for our people!

Job Summary

We are seeking an inspiring, creative, and operationally savvy Culinary Director to lead culinary vision and execution for a distinctive independent restaurant division. This is a rare opportunity to oversee a diverse and evolving portfolio of chef-driven concepts, including a vibrant market hall, multiple cafés, bars and lounges, an upscale California-French casual dining restaurant, an Italian concept, a seafood concept, coffee shops, a food truck, and expansive conference and meeting spaces. Our culinary program is rooted in quality, creativity, hospitality, and responsibility. We are deeply committed to sustainability, local farm-to-fork sourcing, seasonality, responsible purchasing, and building meaningful relationships with farmers, fisheries, artisans, and regional producers. We are looking for a leader who can bring these values to life across every plate, every menu, and every guest experience. The ideal candidate is a high-caliber culinary leader with experience in upscale, high-volume, and multi-unit operations. This person will bring a refined culinary point of view, strong business acumen, and the ability to lead, mentor, train, and inspire chefs across multiple concepts. They should be equally passionate about developing people, elevating food quality, driving operational excellence, and creating memorable dining experiences that feel fresh, thoughtful, and connected to place.

As Culinary Director, you will lead culinary operations across a dynamic portfolio of restaurants, cafés, lounges, catering, retail, and event spaces. You will guide menu development, culinary standards, purchasing, inventory, food cost controls, sustainability initiatives, team leadership, and chef development. This role requires a hands-on leader who can balance creativity with consistency, innovation with execution, and elevated culinary standards with strong financial discipline. You will set the tone for culinary excellence while fostering a culture of collaboration, accountability, craftsmanship, and continuous learning.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead culinary strategy and execution across multiple restaurant, retail, catering, café, lounge, and event venues.
• Develop and maintain elevated culinary standards across all concepts, including California-French, Italian, seafood, market hall, cafés, and catering operations.
• Create seasonal, on-trend, and concept-specific menus that highlight quality ingredients, local sourcing, sustainability, and strong culinary technique.
• Champion farm-to-fork sourcing, responsible purchasing, sustainable seafood, waste reduction, wellness, and Corporate Social Responsibility initiatives.
• Build strong partnerships with local farms, fisheries, artisans, vendors, and regional producers.
• Train, mentor, and develop chefs and culinary teams to strengthen technical skills, leadership capability, creativity, and operational discipline.
• Provide inspirational leadership that promotes collaboration, professionalism, accountability, and pride in craft.
• Oversee food production, presentation, sanitation, safety, and consistency across all locations.
• Manage purchasing, inventory, food cost controls, labor collaboration, and waste reduction initiatives.
• Analyze operational performance, identify trends, and lead improvements to enhance quality, efficiency, guest satisfaction, and profitability.
• Partner with operations, service, catering, and senior leadership teams to deliver exceptional guest and client experiences.
• Ensure teams understand daily menu offerings and can communicate ingredients, sourcing, preparation, and allergens accurately.
• Maintain compliance with all food safety, sanitation, and workplace safety standards.

Qualifications

• Culinary degree preferred.
• Bachelor’s degree in Food Service Management, Hospitality, Culinary Arts, or a related field preferred.
• Minimum of three to five years of progressive culinary or kitchen management experience; multi-unit experience strongly preferred.
• Experience in upscale restaurants, chef-driven concepts, hotels, independent restaurant groups, or high-end hospitality environments preferred.
• Experience with Italian, seafood, California, French, seasonal, farm-to-table, or sustainability-driven culinary programs a plus.
• Proven ability to lead, mentor, train, and develop chefs and culinary teams.
• Experience planning and executing catering, private dining, and special events from a culinary perspective.
• Strong knowledge of food trends, local sourcing, seasonality, wellness, production, sanitation, food cost controls, and presentation.
• Excellent leadership, communication, organization, and problem-solving skills.
• Ability to communicate effectively with senior leadership, clients, guests, managers, associates, and culinary teams.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office, email, internet-based systems, and basic culinary/operational technology.
• ServSafe® Certification required or ability to obtain.

Ideal Candidate Profile

The successful candidate is a polished, forward-thinking culinary leader with the ability to elevate a diverse restaurant portfolio while developing the next generation of culinary talent. They bring creativity, confidence, humility, and discipline to the kitchen. They understand that great food starts with great ingredients, thoughtful sourcing, strong technique, and a team culture built on trust, training, and shared standards.

This is an ideal opportunity for a culinary leader who wants to shape a growing, multi-concept restaurant division and make a meaningful impact through food, people, hospitality, and sustainability.

Apply to Bon Appetit today!

Bon Appetit is a member of Compass Group USA.

Click here to Learn More about the Compass Story

Associates at Bon Appetit are offered many fantastic benefits.

• Medical
• Dental
• Vision
• Life Insurance/ AD
• Disability Insurance
• Retirement Plan
• Paid Time Off
• Holiday Time Off (varies by site/state)
• Associate Shopping Program
• Health and Wellness Programs
• Discount Marketplace
• Identity Theft Protection
• Pet Insurance
• Commuter Benefits
• Employee Assistance Program
• Flexible Spending Accounts (FSAs)
• Applications are accepted on an ongoing basis
• Paid Parental Leave
• Personal Leave

Associates may also be eligible for paid and/or unpaid time off benefits in accordance with applicable federal, state, and local laws. For positions in Washington State, Maryland, or to be performed Remotely, click here or copy/paste the link below for paid time off benefits information.

https://www.compass-usa.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/2023_WageTransparency_BAMCO.pdf

Compass Group is an equal opportunity employer. At Compass, we are committed to treating all Applicants and Associates fairly based on their abilities, achievements, and experience without regard to race, national origin, sex, age, disability, veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity, or any other classification protected by law.

Qualified candidates must be able to perform the essential functions of this position satisfactorily with or without a reasonable accommodation. Disclaimer: this job post is not necessarily an exhaustive list of all essential responsibilities, skills, tasks, or requirements associated with this position. While this is intended to be an accurate reflection of the position posted, the Company reserves the right to modify or change the essential functions of the job based on business necessity. We will consider for employment all qualified applicants, including those with a criminal history (including relevant driving history), in a manner consistent with all applicable federal, state, and local laws, including the City of Los Angeles’ Fair Chance Initiative for Hiring Ordinance, the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance, and the New York Fair Chance Act.

Certain positions may require Florida Level 2 background screening. Details: https://info.flclearinghouse.com/

Applications are accepted on an ongoing basis.

Bon Appetit maintains a drug-free workplace.