Assistant General Manager - Kitchen Operations & Guest Experience

Taste Buds Kitchen | Bellevue, WA

Compensation: $25–$30/hour, depending on experience
Schedule: Part-time to start (20-25 hours/week), with potential for full-time growth

Taste Buds Kitchen Bellevue is looking for a dynamic, hands-on leader to help manage our growing culinary studio.

We offer cooking classes, birthday parties, school break camps, corporate team-building events, and private celebrations. We're seeking someone who combines strong kitchen operations experience with outstanding hospitality skills and a business-minded approach.

What You'll Do

• Run a safe, organized kitchen: Oversee food safety, sanitation, inventory, purchasing, equipment maintenance, and health inspection readiness.
  
  
• Manage purchasing and costs: Plan grocery shopping, track ingredient usage, minimize waste, manage vendors, and maintain food budgets.
  
  
• Lead and develop our team: Train culinary assistants and hosts, coordinate schedules, provide feedback, and ensure consistent performance.
  
  
• Deliver exceptional guest experiences: Welcome guests, oversee classes and events, resolve concerns, and create a warm, fun atmosphere.
  
  
• Keep events running smoothly: Coordinate preparation, staffing, setup, and cleanup so events run efficiently and on schedule.
  
  
• Think like a business owner: Monitor labor costs, improve processes, identify sales opportunities, and help grow a profitable business.
  
  
• Jump in wherever needed: Assist with culinary preparation, support classes, host events when trained, and help the team succeed.
  
  

Who You Are

• Have at least 2–3 years of food service, catering, hospitality, or kitchen operations experience, including leadership responsibilities.
  
  
• Understand food safety, sanitation standards, and commercial kitchen operations.
  
  
• Have experience managing inventory, purchasing, and food costs.
  
  
• Are exceptionally friendly, outgoing, organized, and dependable.
  
  
• Enjoy training and motivating others.
  
  
• Have strong business judgment and take initiative without needing constant direction.
  
  
• Are comfortable working with both children and adults.
  
  
• Can work evenings and weekends.
  
  
• Have a current food worker card and preferably a Certified Food Protection Manager credential, or are willing to obtain required credentials.
  
  

Why Join Us?

We're a new, growing business with an opportunity to help shape how our kitchen operates. This position offers meaningful responsibility, a collaborative environment, and the potential to grow into a full-time General Manager role.