Executive Chef

Executive Chef Lead the opening of Cleveland’s next celebrated modern Mexican restaurant — building the kitchen team, shaping the menu, and bringing masa and live-fire cooking to life. Hospitality Confidential is pleased to present an exciting opportunity for an Executive Chef to help bring one of Detroit’s most celebrated modern Mexican restaurants to Cleveland, Ohio! Our client is all about seriously good food. An heirloom-corn masa program, coastal-style raw preparations, and live-fire cooking over a custom wood-burning grill. Their original Detroit location has made some major waves, earning a James Beard Award semifinalist nomination for Best New Restaurant, a spot on Esquire’s Best New Restaurants in America, Detroit Free Press’s Best Restaurant in Detroit, inclusion in The New York Times’ list of the greatest Mexican restaurants in the United States, and selection to 50 Best Discovery. Now, they’re bringing the magic to Cleveland with their second restaurant, opening in fall 2026, and they’re looking for the right chef to help build it from the ground up. The Executive Chef is the heartbeat of the kitchen and a true hands-on operator. You’ll build and train the opening kitchen team, bring the core menu to life at a consistently high level, own food cost and back-of-house systems, and keep the day-to-day kitchen running smoothly. As the restaurant settles into Cleveland, you’ll also have the opportunity to collaborate with ownership on developing new dishes that feel specific to the city. You’ll report directly to ownership and work closely with the General Manager to create a kitchen that is organized, energized, and ready to deliver from day one. This is an opening role for someone who gets excited about rolling up their sleeves, building a strong team, and putting their stamp on something special from the very beginning. Pre-Opening Responsibilities: (October 2026) • Recruit, hire, and train the full opening kitchen team • Build opening systems: prep lists, station guides, recipe books, ordering parts, and inventory procedures • Establish receiving standards and working relationships with our vendor partners • Lead menu training, tastings, and mock services ahead of opening • Ensure the kitchen is fully compliant with health department requirements at opening Ongoing Responsibilities: • Execute the core menu with consistency across every service • Own all back-of-house operations: scheduling, labor management, ordering, inventory, and food cost targets • Maintain rigorous food safety and sanitation standards, including raw seafood handling programs • Oversee the masa program and live-fire grill station • Hire, develop, and retain kitchen talent; build a professional, accountable kitchen culture • Collaborate with ownership on seasonal specials and future Cleveland-specific menu development • Partner with the General Manager on service execution, guest experience, and P&L performance Required Qualifications: • 5+ years of progressive kitchen leadership, including 2+ years running a kitchen as Executive Chef or Chef de Cuisine • Proven ownership of kitchen operations: food cost, labor, scheduling, inventory, and vendor management • Demonstrated ability to hire, train, and lead a team in a scratch-cooking environment • ServSafe Manager certification (or ability to obtain prior to start date) Preferred Qualifications: • Experience cooking Mexican cuisine at a professional level (strongly preferred) • Masa/nixtamalization experience • Live-fire or wood-burning grill experience • Restaurant opening experience • Bilingual English/Spanish Compensation and Benefits: • Salary: $110,000 – $130,000, depending on experience • Annual performance bonus of up to 10% of salary, tied to food cost, labor, and location performance targets • Relocation up to $5,000 for qualified candidates. • Health insurance with employer contribution toward premium • Paid time off: two weeks per year, increasing to three weeks after year two • Free shift meals and 50% dining discount • Relocation assistance available for the right out-of-market candidate. Details: • Location: Cleveland, OH • Employment type: Full-time, exempt • Reports to: Ownership • Target start date: Early October 2026 (approximately one month prior to opening) Our client is proud to be an Equal Opportunity Employer. They do not discriminate on the basis of race, color, creed, religion, gender (including gender identity or expression), pregnancy, childbirth or related medical conditions, sexual orientation, marital status, domestic violence, sexual violence or stalking victim status, ancestry, national origin, alienage or citizenship, age, disability, military or veteran status, genetic information or predisposing genetic characteristic, or other protected status. Department Hospitality & Culinary Locations Cleveland, Ohio Yearly salary $110,000 - $130,000 About Hospitality Confidential We are passionate about matching professionals with unique restaurant and hospitality jobs among other prestigious F&B opportunities. Equally, we are fiercely committed to our clients, and it shows in the level of service we provide. Responsive communication and experienced support — from the first point of contact and beyond — we’ll always create effective solutions for your recruitment needs. Interested in the services we provide? Reach out to learn more about how we can work together to help you thrive.