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How to hire a culinary manager

Culinary manager hiring summary. Here are some key points about hiring culinary managers in the United States:

  • In the United States, the median cost per hire a culinary manager is $1,633.
  • It takes between 36 and 42 days to fill the average role in the US.
  • Human Resources use 15% of their expenses on recruitment on average.
  • On average, it takes around 12 weeks for a new culinary manager to become settled and show total productivity levels at work.

How to hire a culinary manager, step by step

To hire a culinary manager, you should clearly understand the skills and experience you are looking for in a candidate, and allocate a budget for the position. You will also need to post and promote the job opening to reach potential candidates. Here's a step-by-step guide on how to hire a culinary manager:

Here's a step-by-step culinary manager hiring guide:

  • Step 1: Identify your hiring needs
  • Step 2: Create an ideal candidate profile
  • Step 3: Make a budget
  • Step 4: Write a culinary manager job description
  • Step 5: Post your job
  • Step 6: Interview candidates
  • Step 7: Send a job offer and onboard your new culinary manager
  • Step 8: Go through the hiring process checklist

What does a culinary manager do?

Culinary managers oversee the organization's, institution's, or restaurant's foodservice operations. They ensure food service operations meet the federal requirements and state requirements and follow the required procedures and policies. Besides planning for and purchasing the required food, culinary managers also keep the required records like personal records, meal counts, income or expense, food production, and inventory. Other duties performed by culinary managers include planning menus, preparing and serving food, planning budgets for future food, hiring, recruiting, and training employees.

Learn more about the specifics of what a culinary manager does
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  1. Identify your hiring needs

    Before you post your culinary manager job, you should take the time to determine what type of worker your business needs. While certain jobs definitely require a full-time employee, it's sometimes better to find a culinary manager for hire on a part-time basis or as a contractor.

    Determine employee vs contractor status
    Is the person you're thinking of hiring a US citizen or green card holder?

    A culinary manager's background is also an important factor in determining whether they'll be a good fit for the position. For example, culinary managers from different industries or fields will have radically different experiences and will bring different viewpoints to the role. You also need to consider the candidate's previous level of experience to make sure they'll be comfortable with the job's level of seniority.

    The following list breaks down different types of culinary managers and their corresponding salaries.

    Type of Culinary ManagerDescriptionHourly rate
    Culinary ManagerFood service managers are responsible for the daily operation of restaurants and other establishments that prepare and serve food and beverages. They direct staff to ensure that customers are satisfied with their dining experience, and they manage the business to ensure that it is profitable.$17-33
    Restaurant General ManagerA restaurant general manager is someone whose responsibility is to handle the daily operations of the restaurant. Restaurant general managers ensure compliance with the overall operations to the company's standards... Show more$19-37
    Food And Beverage ManagerA food and beverage manager is a professional responsible for ensuring that quality food and drinks are being served at a restaurant or hotel. Food and beverage managers are required to be excellent with customers and should have great management skills to meet the organization's labor and financial goals... Show more$18-34
  2. Create an ideal candidate profile

    Common skills:
    • Culinary
    • Food Safety
    • Kitchen Operations
    • Food Preparation
    • Kitchen Equipment
    • Cleanliness
    • Safety Standards
    • Food Handling
    • Labor Costs
    • ServSafe
    • Food Cost
    • Line Checks
    • Fine Dining
    • Inventory Control
    Check all skills
    Responsibilities:
    • Manage front-end operations to ensure friendly and efficient customer service and manage culinary to ensure product quality and waste management.
    • Oversee total operation of BOH including production, receiving, cleanliness, and presentation of food from truck to plate.
    • Monitor operational efficiency and profitability of culinary operations.
    • Supervise the cleanliness, presentation, and operation of food production of the buffet tables.
    • Work closely with management to coordinate monthly in store trainer meetings and recognize and celebrate hourly associates performance contributions.
    • Monitor operational efficiency and profitability of culinary operations.
    More culinary manager duties
  3. Make a budget

    Including a salary range in the culinary manager job description is a good way to get more applicants. A culinary manager salary can be affected by several factors, such as the location of the job, the level of experience, education, certifications, and the employer's prestige.

    For example, the average salary for a culinary manager in Arkansas may be lower than in New Jersey, and an entry-level engineer typically earns less than a senior-level culinary manager. Additionally, a culinary manager with lots of experience in the field may command a higher salary as a result.

    Average culinary manager salary

    $51,100yearly

    $24.57 hourly rate

    Entry-level culinary manager salary
    $37,000 yearly salary
    Updated December 19, 2025

    Average culinary manager salary by state

    RankStateAvg. salaryHourly rate
    1New Jersey$62,606$30
    2Washington$60,818$29
    3California$58,736$28
    4Massachusetts$58,327$28
    5New York$55,935$27
    6Virginia$52,570$25
    7Indiana$52,482$25
    8Georgia$50,999$25
    9Illinois$49,997$24
    10North Carolina$47,995$23
    11Michigan$47,611$23
    12Missouri$47,578$23
    13Colorado$47,025$23
    14Ohio$45,896$22
    15Texas$45,441$22
    16Florida$42,792$21
    17Minnesota$40,828$20
    18Kansas$39,236$19
    19Tennessee$38,234$18

    Average culinary manager salary by company

    RankCompanyAverage salaryHourly rateJob openings
    1Boston Public Schools$58,716$28.235
    2Ted's Montana Grill$57,742$27.761
    3Hyatt Hotels$57,368$27.5843
    4The Cheesecake Factory$56,806$27.3187
    5American Senior Benefits$56,669$27.243
    6Seabury$54,667$26.28
    7OnShift$54,147$26.03
    8Butterfield Trail Village$53,624$25.78
    9Casey's Pond$53,397$25.67
    10Blount Fine Foods$53,397$25.67
    11Fricker'S$53,397$25.6719
    12Augustana Care$52,774$25.377
    13Uncle Julio's$52,233$25.11
    14Town & Country Markets$52,044$25.028
    15Meritage Hospitality Group$51,466$24.743
    16Yale University$51,336$24.681
    17Wegmans Food Markets$51,229$24.638
    18UC Santa Barbara$50,832$24.44
    19Patrice and Associates Franchising$50,764$24.41
    20University of California-Berkeley$50,643$24.35
  4. Writing a culinary manager job description

    A culinary manager job description should include a summary of the role, required skills, and a list of responsibilities. It's also good to include a salary range and the first name of the hiring manager. Below, you can find an example of a culinary manager job description:

    Culinary manager job description example

    You're excited about this opportunity because you will…
    • Build. Launch DoorDash Kitchens' first full service operation on the East Coast.
    • Lead. Build and lead a first class kitchen team.
    • Execute. Roll up your sleeves and do whatever it takes to bring your plans to life!
    • Collaborate. Engage with our internal stakeholders and merchant partners to provide a first class product to our customers.
    We're excited about you because…
    • Have a passion for cooking great food!
    • You have leadership experience in a kitchen environment whether running a kitchen, or shift - or a station - and are looking for your next step.
    • You're an operator; your understanding of the business will help to ensure food quality meets merchant and customer expectations, as well as managing inventory and controlling costs.

    Base Pay Range: $70,000 to $85,000

    About DoorDash

    At DoorDash, our mission to empower local economies shapes how our team members move quickly, learn, and reiterate in order to make impactful decisions that display empathy for our range of users-from Dashers to merchant partners to consumers. We are a technology and logistics company that started with door-to-door delivery, and we are looking for team members who can help us go from a company that is known for delivering food to a company that people turn to for any and all goods.

    DoorDash is growing rapidly and changing constantly, which gives our team members the opportunity to share their unique perspectives, solve new challenges, and own their careers. We're committed to supporting employees' happiness, healthiness, and overall well-being by providing comprehensive benefits and perks including premium healthcare, wellness expense reimbursement, paid parental leave and more.

    Our Commitment to Diversity and Inclusion

    We're committed to growing and empowering a more inclusive community within our company, industry, and cities. That's why we hire and cultivate diverse teams of people from all backgrounds, experiences, and perspectives. We believe that true innovation happens when everyone has room at the table and the tools, resources, and opportunity to excel.

    Statement of Non-Discrimination: In keeping with our beliefs and goals, no employee or applicant will face discrimination or harassment based on: race, color, ancestry, national origin, religion, age, gender, marital/domestic partner status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, disability status, or veteran status. Above and beyond discrimination and harassment based on “protected categories,” we also strive to prevent other subtler forms of inappropriate behavior (i.e., stereotyping) from ever gaining a foothold in our office. Whether blatant or hidden, barriers to success have no place at DoorDash. We value a diverse workforce - people who identify as women, non-binary or gender non-conforming, LGBTQIA+, American Indian or Native Alaskan, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latinx, Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander, differently-abled, caretakers and parents, and veterans are strongly encouraged to apply. Thank you to the Level Playing Field Institute for this statement of non-discrimination.

    Pursuant to the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance, Los Angeles Fair Chance Initiative for Hiring Ordinance, and any other state or local hiring regulations, we will consider for employment any qualified applicant, including those with arrest and conviction records, in a manner consistent with the applicable regulation.

    If you need any accommodations, please inform your recruiting contact upon initial connection.

  5. Post your job

    There are a few common ways to find culinary managers for your business:

    • Promoting internally or recruiting from your existing workforce.
    • Ask for referrals from friends, family members, and current employees.
    • Attend job fairs at local colleges to meet candidates with the right educational background.
    • Use social media platforms like LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter to recruit passive job-seekers.
    Post your job online:
    • Post your culinary manager job on Zippia to find and recruit culinary manager candidates who meet your exact specifications.
    • Use field-specific websites.
    • Post a job on free websites.
  6. Interview candidates

    To successfully recruit culinary managers, your first interview needs to engage with candidates to learn about their interest in the role and experience in the field. You can go into more detail about the company, the role, and the responsibilities during follow-up interviews.

    It's also good to ask about candidates' unique skills and talents. You can move on to the technical interview if a candidate is good enough for the next step.

    The right interview questions can help you assess a candidate's hard skills, behavioral intelligence, and soft skills.

  7. Send a job offer and onboard your new culinary manager

    Once you've decided on a perfect culinary manager candidate, it's time to write an offer letter. In addition to salary, it should include benefits and perks available to the employee. Qualified candidates may be considered for other positions, so make sure your offer is competitive. Candidates may wish to negotiate. Once you've settled on the details, formalize your agreement with a contract.

    It's also important to follow up with applicants who do not get the job with an email letting them know that the position is filled.

    To prepare for the new employee's start date, you can create an onboarding schedule and complete any necessary paperwork, such as employee action forms and onboarding documents like I-9 forms, benefits enrollment, and federal and state tax forms. Human Resources should also ensure that a new employee file is created.

  8. Go through the hiring process checklist

    • Determine employee type (full-time, part-time, contractor, etc.)
    • Submit a job requisition form to the HR department
    • Define job responsibilities and requirements
    • Establish budget and timeline
    • Determine hiring decision makers for the role
    • Write job description
    • Post job on job boards, company website, etc.
    • Promote the job internally
    • Process applications through applicant tracking system
    • Review resumes and cover letters
    • Shortlist candidates for screening
    • Hold phone/virtual interview screening with first round of candidates
    • Conduct in-person interviews with top candidates from first round
    • Score candidates based on weighted criteria (e.g., experience, education, background, cultural fit, skill set, etc.)
    • Conduct background checks on top candidates
    • Check references of top candidates
    • Consult with HR and hiring decision makers on job offer specifics
    • Extend offer to top candidate(s)
    • Receive formal job offer acceptance and signed employment contract
    • Inform other candidates that the position has been filled
    • Set and communicate onboarding schedule to new hire(s)
    • Complete new hire paperwork (i9, benefits enrollment, tax forms, etc.)
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How much does it cost to hire a culinary manager?

Hiring a culinary manager comes with both the one-time cost per hire and ongoing costs. The cost of recruiting culinary managers involves promoting the job and spending time conducting interviews. Ongoing costs include employee salary, training, benefits, insurance, and equipment. It is essential to consider the cost of culinary manager recruiting as well the ongoing costs of maintaining the new employee.

The median annual salary for culinary managers is $51,100 in the US. However, the cost of culinary manager hiring can vary a lot depending on location. Additionally, hiring a culinary manager for contract work or on a per-project basis typically costs between $17 and $33 an hour.

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