What does a lead line cook do?
Typically, lead line cooks work under the supervision of a chef or head cook in a kitchen. Leadline cooks oversee the food preparation process from start to end. Their duties include the supervision of kitchen staff, recruitment and training of new kitchen employees, and monitoring of food quality. They comply with the sanitation and nutrition regulations of food as well as their safety standards. They should be knowledgeable and have skills in food preparation, customer service, attention to detail, and communication.
Lead line cook responsibilities
Here are examples of responsibilities from real lead line cook resumes:
- Manage food expo; facilitate food temp logs; creation of menu specials; management and supervision of production staff
- Skil in the preparation of a variety of culinary styles ranging from contemporary American cuisine to many international culinary styles.
- Train and supervise many of the Spanish- speaking dishwashers to work effectively on the line.
- Observe workers engage in preparing, portioning, and garnishing foods to ensure that standards are met.
- Follow HACCP system, and practice safety and sanitation as well adhere to the company policies and regulations.
- Produce HACCP forms and guidelines to have better awareness of quality of food being produce in the kitchen.
- Provide high quality of culinary service to all customers and ensure their satisfaction.
- Perform nightly sanitation audits to maintain cleanliness and sanitation of food preparation areas.
- Maintain equipment cleanliness standards and ensure other employees perform proper cleaning during closing.
- Headline all daily management responsibilities for multiple departments; efforts include scheduling & product ordering.
- Advance to increasingly responsible positions, culminating in management role with oversight for a full-service pizzeria.
- Start as a dishwasher at 14 and promote to pantry cook in 3 months.
- Develop kitchen staffs weekly schedules and assist with FOH scheduling.
- Train as FOH manger and handle high pressure environments, assist guests, and supper service staff needs.
- Supervise and coordinate buffets and banquets.
Lead line cook skills and personality traits
We calculated that 20% of Lead Line Cooks are proficient in Kitchen Equipment, Culinary, and Fine Dining. They’re also known for soft skills such as Dexterity, Physical stamina, and Sense of taste and smell.
We break down the percentage of Lead Line Cooks that have these skills listed on their resume here:
- Kitchen Equipment, 20%
Monitor kitchen equipment maintenance and sanitation of the facility.
- Culinary, 11%
Skilled in the preparation of a variety of culinary styles ranging from contemporary American cuisine to many international culinary styles.
- Fine Dining, 9%
Observed and applied supervisory techniques critical to efficient back-of-house operation of a fine dining establishment.
- Cleanliness, 8%
Performed nightly sanitation audits to maintain cleanliness and sanitation of food preparation areas.
- Food Handling, 8%
Strengthened and interpreted opening/closing procedures, along with proper food handling and safety guidelines to maximize productivity in kitchen operations.
- Customer Service, 7%
Delivered exceptional customer service by preparing food items consistently and adhering to all recipe standards.
Most lead line cooks use their skills in "kitchen equipment," "culinary," and "fine dining" to do their jobs. You can find more detail on essential lead line cook responsibilities here:
Dexterity. One of the key soft skills for a lead line cook to have is dexterity. You can see how this relates to what lead line cooks do because "cooks should have excellent hand–eye coordination." Additionally, a lead line cook resume shows how lead line cooks use dexterity: "train all line staff to a higher standard of execution of service and finesse of cuisine. "
Physical stamina. Another essential skill to perform lead line cook duties is physical stamina. Lead line cooks responsibilities require that "cooks spend a lot of time standing in one place, cooking food over hot stoves, and cleaning work areas." Lead line cooks also use physical stamina in their role according to a real resume snippet: "monitor compliance to operational, safety, or inventory control procedures, including physical security standards. "
Sense of taste and smell. Another skill that relates to the job responsibilities of lead line cooks is sense of taste and smell. This skill is critical to many everyday lead line cook duties, as "cooks must have a keen sense of taste and smell to prepare meals that customers enjoy." This example from a resume shows how this skill is used: "prepared all items needed for multiple stations of upscale casual establishment specializing in american fusion cuisine. "
The three companies that hire the most lead line cooks are:
- Hyatt Hotels17 lead line cooks jobs
- Boyd Gaming6 lead line cooks jobs
- Craftworks
6 lead line cooks jobs
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Compare different lead line cooks
Lead line cook vs. Chef
A chef is the master of the kitchen--someone who is creative and innovative with food. Chefs are the pride and reputation of each restaurant or dining establishments. They make sure every meal served is fresh and oversees the kitchen operation. They also create recipes, study menus, and prepare significant-high-quality dishes that represent the restaurant. They say academic requirements aren't needed, but anyone who has a passion for food and cooking can be a chef.
There are some key differences in the responsibilities of each position. For example, lead line cook responsibilities require skills like "food products," "sous chefs," "hot line," and "prep list." Meanwhile a typical chef has skills in areas such as "food service," "chefs," "servsafe," and "food production." This difference in skills reveals the differences in what each career does.
Chefs really shine in the health care industry with an average salary of $46,349. Comparatively, lead line cooks tend to make the most money in the hospitality industry with an average salary of $36,994.On average, chefs reach similar levels of education than lead line cooks. Chefs are 1.4% more likely to earn a Master's Degree and 0.1% more likely to graduate with a Doctoral Degree.Lead line cook vs. Chef/kitchen manager
A kitchen manager or chef is someone who oversees the overall operations in the kitchen as well as the food operations. Kitchen managers make certain that food and related products are well prepared, cooked, and served to customers. They maintain a fully-stocked kitchen inventory and comply with the cleanliness and safety standards. It is their responsibility to manage the kitchen staff and aid them in delivering quality food at the right time. They need to possess management skills, leadership skills, and attention to detail.
Each career also uses different skills, according to real lead line cook resumes. While lead line cook responsibilities can utilize skills like "cleanliness," "food handling," "customer service," and "cuisine," chef/kitchen managers use skills like "wine," "guest satisfaction," "servsafe," and "labor costs."
On average, chef/kitchen managers earn a higher salary than lead line cooks. Some industries support higher salaries in each profession. Interestingly enough, chef/kitchen managers earn the most pay in the hospitality industry with an average salary of $44,258. Whereas lead line cooks have higher pay in the hospitality industry, with an average salary of $36,994.chef/kitchen managers earn similar levels of education than lead line cooks in general. They're 0.8% more likely to graduate with a Master's Degree and 0.1% more likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.Lead line cook vs. Cook supervisor
Cook supervisors are responsible for coordinating the kitchen members and ensure that all orders are prepared on time and according to customer specifications. They must be skilled in the culinary department, knowledgeable of the food safety regulations, and lead a team of cooks, washers, and helpers to achieve an organized kitchen. Monitoring the kitchen inventory, scheduling work shifts for the team, and working with the restaurant manager about the week's menu are also the responsibilities of cook supervisors.
There are many key differences between these two careers, including some of the skills required to perform responsibilities within each role. For example, a lead line cook is likely to be skilled in "customer service," "line cooks," "dinner service," and "cuisine," while a typical cook supervisor is skilled in "food service," "meal preparation," "rehabilitation," and "food production."
Cook supervisors earn the highest salary when working in the health care industry, where they receive an average salary of $40,304. Comparatively, lead line cooks have the highest earning potential in the hospitality industry, with an average salary of $36,994.cook supervisors typically earn similar educational levels compared to lead line cooks. Specifically, they're 0.4% more likely to graduate with a Master's Degree, and 0.1% more likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.Lead line cook vs. Garde manager
Types of lead line cook
Updated January 8, 2025
