Chef de Cuisine
About The Company We are a young, fast-growing company (just recognized in the INC 5000 Fastest Growing Companies) of ambitious, mission-driven Weekenders working together to inspire personal growth through adventure, travel and exploration! We specialize in creating inspiring hotel stays for our guests in iconic destinations. This is a rare opportunity to be paid to learn, have an immediate and lasting impact in a young startup company and culture, and grow personally and professionally with an amazing team. You will love it at Weekender if our core values below get you excited and inspired too! Embrace a Growth Mindset Always be a student and always be open-minded Be Adventurous Be excited by challenge and willing to fail-forward Be a Ninja Commit to being world class at your job and lean-in to your superpowers Be a Host Treat guests and teammates like you would family Be of Integrity Own your Domain: Be accountable to your job & the greater missionEmbrace honesty, transparency and vulnerabilityFollow-through and do what you say you’re going to do Chef de Cuisine Public House | North Creek, New York The Opportunity This isn’t a job listing. It’s a founding role. The Public House Lounge is Weekender’s tavern-style restaurant in North Creek, NY, a mountain town at the base of Gore Mountain in the heart of the Adirondacks, scheduled to open mid-summer 2026. The person who takes this role won’t be inheriting someone else’s menu, someone else’s team, or someone else’s kitchen culture. They’ll be building it from scratch. We’re looking for a Chef de Cuisine who is hungry, creative, disciplined, and ready to own something real. Someone who has been waiting for the chance to step out of a second or third seat and finally run the show: write the menus, build the team, set the standard, and make a restaurant their own. If that’s you, keep reading. The Public House will serve rustic comfort food and elevated pub fare: honest, soulful cooking that fits the Adirondack setting without being lazy about it. Additionally, this role will oversee the Centennial Kitchen restaurant, which will focus on events but will build towards opening in late 2026 for a higher-end fine dining experience. You’ll also oversee banquet and event operations including weddings, corporate gatherings, and social functions, which means The role carries real revenue responsibility alongside the creative work. This role will oversee culinary operations in all three venues. Weekender Hotels is a fast-growing boutique hotel company with properties across the Northeast. We promote from within, invest in the people who show up, and we’re expanding. This role has a clear, direct path to Executive Chef as the program matures and the company grows. We’re not offering you a ceiling. We’re offering you a launchpad. Who We’re Looking For You don’t need to have “Chef” in your current title. You need the instincts, the drive, and the skills. The ideal candidate looks something like this: You’ve been cooking professionally for 5 years and you are genuinely ready to leadYou’ve run a station, a kitchen, or a shift and you know what it means to own the outcomeYou do what you said you'd do, even when no one's watchingYou care deeply about food. Not just executing it but thinking about it, improving it, making it yoursYou lead people the way you’d want to be led: with accountability, and respectYou're energized, not intimidated, by building something from scratch.You understand the business side too: food cost, waste, labor, and ordering, not just the cookingYou stay calm when it gets hard and you make the people around you better because of itYou want to be somewhere beautiful, build something meaningful, and grow fast What This Role Is NOT Not a desk job. You’ll be on the line, in the prep, and in the thick of service every dayNot a role for someone who wants to manage from a distance. This kitchen needs a present, hands-on leaderNot a dead end. The path to Executive Chef and beyond is real and we are actively building toward itNot easy. Opening a restaurant is hard, events are demanding, and we have high standards. The reward matches the challenge What You’ll Be Responsible For The essential functions include, but are not limited to the following: Building and Owning the Food Program Develop the Public House Lounge menu from the ground up: rustic, elevated, regionally rooted, and cost-effectiveWrite and maintain recipe cards, plating specs, portion guides, and allergen documentationOwn every plate that leaves this kitchen for quality, consistency, presentation, and speedIntroduce seasonal updates and specials that keep the menu alive and the regulars coming back Cost all recipes and collaborate with the GM on pricing strategy Running the Kitchen Lead all daily kitchen operations: prep, line execution, expediting, and closeBuild systems, par sheets, and prep lists that make the kitchen run predictably even on your day offMonitor ticket times and kitchen flow; be the standard every shift, not just the good onesMaintain a clean, organized, inspection-ready kitchen at all timesUphold HACCP procedures for storage, handling, labeling, and temperature controlsEnsure all equipment is properly maintained and flag repair needs immediately Building and Leading the Team Hire, train, and develop the kitchen team, typically 2 to 4 cooks plus dishwasher, scaling for eventsBuild a kitchen culture that people want to be part of: accountable, supportive, and proud of the workCreate schedules that align with business volume, labor budgets, and event calendarsCross-train team members to build flexibility and depth across stationsIdentify and invest in talent with potential. We promote from within and expect you to do the sameHold the standard without exception, including the hard conversations when they’re needed Owning Events and Banquets Lead kitchen execution for all on-property events: weddings, corporate functions, and social eventsCollaborate with the GM on BEO review, event menu planning, and production timelinesDesign event menus that are creative, practical, and profitableManage event staffing, prep timelines, and kitchen logistics from start to breakdownDeliver every event as if it were the most important meal that group has ever eaten Managing the Numbers Hit budgeted food cost and labor targets every period, not just the easy onesConduct weekly inventory counts and manage ordering to minimize wasteTrack food cost variances and adjust in real timeApproach the financial side of this role with the same seriousness as the culinary side Collaborating Across the Property Work closely with the GM on menu strategy, seasonal planning, and event programmingCommunicate daily specials and menu changes to the FOH team clearly and proactivelyParticipate in EOS meetings, reporting cadences, and property-wide planningSupport deep cleans, seasonal transitions, and pre-opening preparation How We’ll Measure Success Food cost and labor targets are met every period, not just when conditions are favorableGuest satisfaction scores of 4.5/5 or higher across dining and event feedbackZero critical health violations; the kitchen is inspection-ready every single dayThe team you’ve built is retained, engaged, and growingEvents are flawless: on time, on budget, and exceeding guest expectationsThe Public House becomes a destination for locals and visitors alike, not just a hotel restaurantYou are ready to step into an Executive Chef role within 12 to 24 months Qualifications We’re looking for the right person, not the right resume. That said, here’s what we’re looking for: Minimum of 3 years of progressive, professional kitchen experienceAt least 2 years of kitchen leadership: scheduling, ordering, team supervision, or running shifts independentlyStrong culinary skills across scratch cooking techniques that fit a comfort-forward, tavern-style menuA working knowledge of food costing, inventory management, and waste reductionSolid understanding of food safety and sanitation; ServSafe Manager certification preferred (support to obtain provided)Experience with banquet or event production is a plus but not a dealbreakerA calm, confident presence under pressure that raises the team around youStrong communication skills; bilingual in English and Spanish is a genuine plusFlexible availability including evenings, weekends, and holidaysPhysical ability to stand for extended periods and lift up to 50 lbs Why This Role, Why Here, Why Now We know North Creek isn’t a major metro. That’s the point. You’ll own something real from day one: the menu, the team, and the culture. That kind of opportunity is rareThe Adirondacks are extraordinary. Gore Mountain skiing, Class IV whitewater, 6 million acres of wilderness, and a tight-knit mountain community that actually notices when a restaurant is greatWeekender is growing fast with new properties, new markets, and real opportunities for people who performThe path to Executive Chef is near-term and concrete, not a vague someday promiseCompetitive compensation commensurate with experienceHousing support may be available for candidates relocating to the area; ask us about itYou’ll be part of opening something new, and that kind of experience compounds for the rest of your career Physical Demands and Work Environment The physical demands and work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employee may encounter while performing the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations will be provided in accordance with applicable laws, including the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and the New York State Human Rights Law (NYSHRL), to enable qualified individuals with disabilities to perform essential job functions. While performing the duties of this position, the employee frequently is required to use hands or fingers; handle or feel objects, tools, or controls; walk; stand; stoop; bend; push and pull; and reach with hands and arms. The employee must occasionally lift and/or move up to 50 pounds. The employee will regularly encounter kitchen hazards including hot surfaces, sharp equipment, and slippery floors. The role requires the ability to work in varying temperatures, including hot kitchen environments and walk-in coolers/freezers. Noise levels are typically moderate to high during service. Salary Range: $64,000 - $76,000 PI6e1f52fcc5e5-35196-40846275
