Job Description

Banquet Chef

Episcope Hospitality is a rapidly growing hospitality company known for its commitment to creativity, quality, and thoughtful execution. With operations across Chicago, New York, New Jersey, Virginia, Phoenix, and Las Vegas, we offer a collaborative environment that supports learning, professional development, and exposure to industry-leading talent in food, beverage, and design.

We are seeking culinary leaders to join our fast-growing teams dedicated to delivering consistent, high-quality food and memorable guest experiences. If you are passionate about food, team development, and operational excellence—and thrive in a high-volume, design-forward restaurant environment—we would love to talk to you.

Summary of Position

We are seeking a highly motivated, detail-oriented Sous Chef to lead culinary execution for our newest concept located in Chicago, across daily service, private dining, and catered events—delivering food that performs at scale without compromising quality.

The Sous Chef oversees all culinary operations for both banquet events and à la carte dining. This role is responsible for menu development, kitchen leadership, staff training, and maintaining the highest standards of food quality, presentation, and consistency. The position ensures smooth kitchen operations across multiple service styles, aligning with the restaurant’s vision and guest expectations.

Key Responsibilities

• Own culinary execution for all banquets, private dining, buyouts, tastings, and catering events
• Translate BEOs into detailed prep plans, staffing plans, production schedules, and execution timelines
• Lead day-of-event culinary execution, ensuring quality, timing, and presentation standards are met

• Partner with the Director of Sales, Chef de Cuisine, and Executive Chef on event menu development, pricing alignment, and operational feasibility.
• Assist with building scalable event menus and catering packages that balance guest experience, kitchen flow, and food cost targets

• Partner with FOH leadership on menu alignment, guest expectations, and service flow

• Lead culinary execution for private dining, buyouts, offsite catering, tastings, and high-profile events
• Ensure accurate BEO interpretation, production planning, staffing, prep schedules, and execution timelines for all events
• Train BOH teams on event standards, plating for large-format service, transport logistics (if applicable), and execution playbooks

• Partner with the Chef de Cuisine and corporate culinary leadership on banquet and catering menu development
• Design scalable event menus and packages that balance guest experience, operational flow, and food cost targets
• Ensure banquet menus are operationally sound for volume production and offsite execution (when applicable)
• Maintain banquet recipe books, plating guides, and portion standards
• Support seasonal updates and limited-time offerings for events and catering

• Assist with recruiting, train, schedule, and lead culinary teams
• Establish clear expectations, station standards, and execution roles for event cooks and leads
• Train teams on large-format production, plating lines, transport logistics (if applicable), and breakdown procedures
• Foster a calm, organized, and high-performance event kitchen culture
• Provide coaching and feedback to support team development and execution excellence

• Own food cost performance for events and catering, including waste reduction and yield management
• Enforce proper receiving, storage, labeling, and FIFO for all banquet product
• Partner with the GM and Chef de Cuisine on event labor planning and productivity
• Monitor event-specific margins and recommend menu or execution adjustments to protect profitability
• Ensure equipment readiness and support preventative maintenance for banquet operations

• Ensure compliance with all local, state, and federal health, safety, and sanitation regulations for event execution
• Maintain HACCP standards, temperature logs, and cleaning schedules for banquet production and service
• Uphold Episcope food safety standards across all event operations

• 3–5+ years of culinary leadership experience in banquets, catering, or high-volume events
• Proven ability to execute large-scale events with precision, calm leadership, and consistent quality
• Strong understanding of BEOs, event timelines, and large-format food production
• Experience managing food cost, inventory, and prep planning for events
• Ability to lead diverse teams through high-pressure, time-sensitive service
• Strong organizational, communication, and problem-solving skills
• Passion for hospitality and large-scale guest experiences
• Comfort working in a fast-paced, entrepreneurial environment
• Ability to stand for extended periods and perform physical tasks including lifting, bending, and reaching
• Stamina to work variable hours, including nights, weekends, and event-driven schedules

• Competitive salary based on experience
• Comprehensive health, dental, and vision insurance
• Paid time off and flexible scheduling (event-dependent)
• Employee dining discounts across all Episcope locations
• Professional development opportunities and growth within Episcope Hospitality

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