Sous Chef

Salary range: $63,000-$65,000 annually

Job Close Date: October 18, 2025 or until filled 

Interested in bridging the gap between farmer and consumer? Look no further than Mercantile, Chef Alex Seidel’s dining room and marketplace that encompasses approachability and transparency. Become a part of the team that connects farmer to shepherd to chef to server, to showcase the farm to table dishes that Mercantile celebrates.  

Do you crave a career where you can deliver delectable experiences paired with thoughtful and caring service? Apply today!  

A Rewarding Experience:  

• Complementary RTD EcoPass 

• Medical, dental, & vision insurance 

• Health savings and flexible spending accounts  

• Basic Life and AD&D insurance 

• Company-paid short-term disability  

• Unlimited paid time off 

• Eligible to participate in the Company’s 401(k) program with employer matching 

• Employee assistance program  

• Tuition Reimbursement  

• Great discounts on Hotels, Restaurants, and much more. 

• Eligible to participate in the Employee Referral Bonus Program. Up to $1,000 per referral.  

• The Sous Chef executes efficient daily culinary operations. 

• They create and maintain an atmosphere of professionalism, warm and inviting hospitality, and precise, thoughtful culinary execution. 

• They develop excellent interpersonal skills to build healthy, genuine relationships with employees and guests alike. 

• They are positive and energetic, possessing an innate ability to coach and inspire staff.  

• They are experienced in managing a team and have a genuine desire to take care of people. 

• They collaborate closely with the Chef de Cuisine and Executive Chef, as well all front-of-house leadership, to ensure a consistent, excellent guest experience. 

• They are kind, welcoming, detail-oriented, and urgent. 

• They are an ambassador of happiness and hospitality for all guests and staff. 

• Showcase an inherent desire to take care of others. 

• Act as a leader on the line and in the kitchen at all times, supporting prep and service with precision and care. 

• Assist in training, managing, and coaching the hourly staff, providing support and in-the-moment training and feedback to develop their skills as culinary professionals. 

• Assist the Chef de Cuisine and Executive Chef in managing BOH operations, including daily prep lists, ordering, inventory, and quality control. 

• Uphold and enforce kitchen standards around cleanliness, food safety, sanitation, and proper food handling at all times. 

• Execute recipes with consistency and help develop new dishes in collaboration with the Chef de Cuisine and Executive Chef 

• Taste food frequently, ensuring that standards are met before anything leaves the pass. 

• Help maintain accurate product counts and communicate ordering needs in a timely fashion. 

• Cultivate a fun, friendly, positive work environment for all staff, modeling behaviors of kindness, empathy, hard work, and diligence.  

• Help open and close the restaurant, managing the kitchen approximately five shifts per week. 

• Assist in recruiting and hiring, staff training and development, and ongoing staff assessments. 

• Respond to staff inquiries, comments, and grievances in a timely and professional manner. 

• Display a strong sense of awareness, perpetually listening and observing ways to enhance guest experience and maintain and improve service standards. 

• Ability to multi-task and stay organized under high-pressure situations 

• Presents a clean and professional appearance at all times.  

• Maintains a friendly, cheerful and courteous demeanor at all times.  

• Performs other duties as assigned. 

Education/Formal Training

High school education or equivalent.

Experience

• At least 2 years of kitchen leadership experience (e.g., Lead Line Cook or Sous Chef). 

• ServSafe Manager certification required. 

• A deep love of food, cooking, and hospitality. 

• Strong work ethic and team leadership skills. 

• Ability to work nights, weekends, and holidays. 

• Must be 18 years of age or older. 

• Bilingual (English/Spanish) a plus. 

Knowledge/Skills

• Requires advanced knowledge of the principles and practices within the food profession. This includes experiential knowledge required for management of people and/or complex problems and food and beverage management.
• Proficiency in a wide range of cooking techniques (e.g., sauté, grill, roasting, butchery, sauces, etc.) 
• Understanding of food costing, prep yields, recipe creation 
• Familiarity with basic ordering systems, kitchen inventory practices, and team scheduling. 
• Clear, respectful communication skills. 
• Ability to teach others with patience and clarity. 

Physical Demands

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an associate to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

• Lifting, pushing, pulling and carrying up to 50 lbs regularly: All of these functions are essential. Items include food, small equipment -75% of the time.
• Balancing, stooping kneeling, crouching, crawling, reaching handling, fingering throughout the shift. 
• Bending of the knees does become necessary when using the lower oven for cooking, 5-10 times a day.
• Mobility -full range of mobility and the ability to travel 300 feet on a regular basis throughout the day.
• Continuous standing -during preparation, during service hours or during expediting, usually all day.
• Must be able to hear equipment timers and communicate with other staff. Must have moderate hearing to hear customers, supervisors, and communicate with other staff.
• Must be able to see that product is prepared appropriately.
• Must have moderate comprehension and literacy to read use records and all special requests.
• Must be able to use tact and understanding when dealing with a variety of customer service problems, including stressful and highly emotional situations.
• Must be highly organized and able to pay attention to sound and sight details in crowded and noisy situations, particularly when handling multiple tasks.
• Must have ability to perform multiple tasks at one time, must be able to follow verbal and written instruction, and be able to communicate both verbally and in writing.  

Environment

Inside 100% of 8-hour shift. Going in the freezer temperatures can be -10 degrees. On the front line, temperatures can be over 100 degrees. Physically strenuous - prolonged standing, walking, lifting and carrying throughout entire shift in indoor environment.