THE GRIND CAFE CULINARY OPERATIONS & CENTRAL KITCHEN MANAGER Central Kitchen | Culinary Production | Product Development | Multi-Outlet Operations ROLE OBJECTIVE

We are looking for a hands-on Chef and Culinary Operations Manager who can personally manage kitchen production while taking ownership of the Central Kitchen product line, procurement, stores, packaging, logistics and kitchen SOPs across all Grind Cafe outlets

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This is an execution-focused role for a candidate who is comfortable working directly in the kitchen, implementing systems, training teams and ensuring consistent day-to-day delivery. We are not looking for a very senior corporate or purely strategic profile

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The ideal candidate must be equally comfortable cooking in the kitchen, managing production and executing operational standards across outlets

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EXPERIENCE & COMPENSATION Required Experience

- 5–8 years of relevant experience in culinary production, central kitchens, cafés, restaurants or multi-outlet food businesses.
- Strong hands-on experience in kitchen operations, production planning, recipe standardization and team training.
- Experience managing or supporting central kitchen operations is preferred.
- Candidates with strong execution ability and relevant hands-on experience may be considered even if they have not held a very senior designation.

Compensation ₹9,00,000 – ₹12,00,000 CTC per annum The final compensation will depend on relevant experience, hands-on capability, culinary skills and ability to independently execute the role. KEY RESPONSIBILITIES 1. HANDS-ON CULINARY LEADERSHIP

- Lead and actively participate in Central Kitchen production.
- Personally ensure taste, quality, consistency and presentation.
- Standardize recipes, portions and cooking methods.
- Develop and improve the Grind Cafe product line.
- Train chefs and kitchen teams through hands-on demonstrations.
- Personally troubleshoot product and production issues.

2. CENTRAL KITCHEN PRODUCTION

- Plan and manage daily production based on outlet requirements.
- Manage production of bakes, bakery products, pizzas, pastas, meals, biryanis, kebabs, rice bowls, sauces, marinades and other Grind products .

- Ensure production efficiency, quality and timely dispatch.
- Manage kitchen manpower and productivity.
- Execute production plans and ensure outlet requirements are met on time.

3. PROCUREMENT & FOOD COST

- Work closely with the Store Controller on procurement and vendor management.
- Select and evaluate ingredients and raw materials.

- Maintain quality while controlling food cost.
- Monitor recipe costing, yields,



portion control and wastage.
- Ensure approved recipes and raw materials are followed consistently.

4. STORES & INVENTORY

- Ensure proper storage of raw materials and finished products.
- Maintain FIFO/FEFO and appropriate stock levels.
- Monitor wastage, expiry and stock variance.

- Ensure kitchen stores meet hygiene and food-safety standards.
- Coordinate with the Store Controller to resolve stock and material issues.

5. PACKAGING & LOGISTICS

- Develop and standardize packaging for:
- Takeaway
- Delivery
- Bulk/Corporate orders
- Central Kitchen dispatch
- Ensure correct portioning, labelling and packing.

- Coordinate timely dispatch and logistics to outlets.
- Ensure food quality is maintained during transportation.
- Implement practical packing and dispatch systems.

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OUTLET KITCHEN SOPs

Create and implement practical SOPs covering:

Receiving → Storage → Preparation → Cooking → Assembly → Display → Serving → Takeaway → Delivery

Ensure every outlet follows the same culinary standards through regular follow-up, training and execution checks.

7. OUTLET TEAM TRAINING

- Train chefs, kitchen associates and service teams.
- Conduct hands-on training on recipes, equipment, portions and presentation.
- Train teams on combi ovens, coffee machines and other automated kitchen equipment .

- Conduct regular skill assessments and refresher training.
- Ensure teams can independently execute recipes and SOPs.

8. DISPLAY & SERVING

- Standardize plating and product presentation.

- Establish bakery, hot food and cold food display standards.
- Ensure correct portion, temperature and presentation.
- Monitor outlet execution through regular visits and audits.
- Correct deviations through practical on-ground training.

9. QUALITY, HYGIENE & AUDITS

- Conduct regular Central Kitchen and outlet kitchen audits.
- Ensure food safety, hygiene and cleanliness standards.
- Identify and correct quality or process deviations.

- Maintain consistent taste and product quality across outlets.
- Follow up on corrective actions until implementation is complete.

10. NEW PRODUCT & OUTLET SUPPORT

- Support new product development and menu launches.
- Set up kitchen operations for new Grind Cafe outlets.




- Establish kitchen layouts, equipment requirements and SOPs.
- Train new outlet teams before opening and during stabilization.

- Execute launch plans and ensure smooth operational handover.

KEY KRAs Product Quality & Consistency

Central Kitchen Production

Recipe & Product Development

Food Cost & Yield

Procurement & Vendor Coordination

Stores & Inventory

Packaging & Logistics

Outlet Kitchen SOPs

Team Training

Display & Serving Standards

Food Safety & Hygiene

New Outlet Kitchen Setup

Daily Execution & Operational Follow-Through

IDEAL CANDIDATE

- Professional Chef with strong hands-on kitchen experience.
- 5–8 years of relevant experience in central kitchens, cafés, restaurants or multi-outlet food businesses.
- Strong knowledge of Indian and international café/restaurant food production.
- Experience with bakery, hot kitchen and large-scale food production is preferred.
- Hands-on experience with combi ovens, automated cooking equipment and modern kitchen systems .

- Strong understanding of recipe standardization, food costing, portion control and production planning.
- Ability to train and manage kitchen teams.
- Solid understanding of food safety, hygiene and storage.

- Willing to work hands-on in the kitchen and travel between Central Kitchen and outlets.
- Strong follow-through, discipline and ability to execute plans independently.
- Comfortable working in a growing business where systems are still being built and improved.

PROFILE WE ARE LOOKING FOR This is an execution-focused culinary operations role

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We are looking for someone who can:

- Work directly with the kitchen team.
- Cook and demonstrate recipes.
- Implement SOPs.
- Monitor production.
- Train outlet teams.
- Solve day-to-day operational problems.
- Maintain consistency across outlets.
- Take ownership of execution from planning to completion.

We are not looking for a very senior corporate, strategy-only or purely administrative profile . Candidates who are overqualified but not willing to work hands-on in the kitchen and outlets may not be suitable for this role.

MOST IMPORTANT

This is NOT a purely administrative or supervisory Chef position.

The candidate must be a hands-on Chef and strong executor who can cook, train, standardize, implement and manage

— while building practical systems that allow The Grind Cafe to consistently deliver the same product across multiple outlets.

SUCCESS FORMULA GREAT FOOD + CONSISTENT RECIPES + CONTROLLED COST + EFFICIENT PRODUCTION + STRONG KITCHEN TEAMS = SCALABLE GRIND CAFE KITCHEN OPERATIONS

📌 CULINARY OPERATIONS & CENTRAL KITCHEN MANAGER (Hyderabad)
🏢 Yumzy
📍 Hyderabad