Chef de Cuisine - Opening Team

WHO WE ARE

Level99 is a first-of-its-kind destination for real-world, social, challenge-based entertainment for adults featuring over 50 mental and physical challenges set in immersive, artistic environments. Each challenge is designed to bring a group together in engaging activities that take 2 to 4 minutes to complete, sparking moments of laughter in epic fails and high-fives in triumphant wins. From navigating our iconic Axe Run, to solving puzzles in a Crystal Cavern, to conquering the largest pinball game imaginable, Level99 offers endless ways to play using both body and mind. Level99 tracks each player’s progress as they work their way up the coveted leaderboard or try to collect every “star” available in the venue, unlocking exclusive rewards as they play. To enhance the gaming experience, Level99 offers a full-service bar, restaurant, and beer hall, Night Shift Kitchen + Tap, that features scratch-made cooking, legendary craft beers, hand-made creative cocktails, and a variety of dining and gathering spaces for events. In 2025, we will be adding Victory Brewing in Tysons, VA and Two Roads Kitchen + Tap in West Hartford, CT to our group of restaurants as we team up with local brewers in support of our northeast expansion. We will also be opening a fifth location at Disney Springs, FL.

Level99 opened its first location in 2021 in Natick, MA, followed by its second location in Providence, RI in 2024. A young, entrepreneurial company, Level99 has immediate plans to triple in size over the next 18 months. We are backed by Act III Holdings, led by Panera founder Ron Shaich, and we have a talented team that has worked on successful entertainment projects such as 5 Wits, Boda Borg, Blue Man Group, and Walt Disney Imagineering. This position is an opportunity for an experienced and motivated individual to dive into a fast-paced, dynamic environment where you can apply your skills in a fun and exciting setting that brings joy and entertainment to hundreds of thousands of people each year. More information on Level99 and our restaurants is available at http://www.level99.com.

Level99 Tysons, VA - opening in 2025!

JOB DESCRIPTION

The Chef de Cuisine is the culinary leader of the Level99 food & beverage operation, leading the charge with both our team members and all elements of menu execution. You will be responsible for all food service operations, dedicated to delivering our elevated product offering in a positive, authentic, and inspiring environment for both guests and team members. The Chef de Cuisine role is hands-on, in the trenches, to drive overall venue quality, standards and performance. This is a unique role, reporting both to the overall Restaurant General Manager, as well as our external F&B Exec leadership team.  

The Chef de Cuisine is passionate about getting the details right, continually improving, meeting all established standards for food quality, and advancing the Level99 brand, through our partner relationship with Victory Brewing in the taproom.  A successful Chef de Cuisine will be a strong identifier and developer of quality people, a relatable coach, and a disciplined performance manager. 

A Level99 Entertainment General Manager has honesty and personal integrity that is above reproach, prefers a joyful and positive approach to challenging situations, chooses humility over the need to “be right,” and in all things acts as though they are the Owner and Operator of their venue.

• Demonstrates complete ownership and comprehensive oversight of all aspects of kitchen operations across taproom, beer ball and events. Has primary accountability for food cost, kitchen labor and associated P&L line items. 
• Holds day-to-day operating responsibility for the food quality, kitchen team performance & culture, execution and operations.
• Works hand-in-hand with the Restaurant General Manager and Entertainment team to create a consistent overall guest service and food product offering, making profit maximizing decisions for Level99 as a whole (and not the F&B component in isolation).
• Prioritizes guest experience, allocating resources and bringing wise and timely decision making to bear to put our guests first, “meeting them where they are”.
• Continually evaluates the unique guest experience, in line with both the entertainment experience and food & beverage experience, offering strategic direction with how to optimize food offerings. 
• Models authentic, warm, approachable, and humble interpersonal interactions and instills best-in-class service in the team.
• Oversees a culinary management team impacting food, beverage, events + guest experience, with proactive and developed leadership skills.
• Takes full responsibility for all day-to-day administrative tasks required to operate a world-class culinary team, including staff scheduling, payroll administration / hours approvals, purchasing, ordering back of house and health and sanitation supplies, etc.
• Works to ensure back of house labor and controllable costs stay consistently within guidelines set by the company.
• Demonstrates wise and perceptive people performance management skills with high emotional intelligence and the ability to identify talent and develop managers to rise to their full potential, giving timely, honest, ongoing coaching and feedback through one on ones and performance appraisals.  
• Displays skill in leading and navigating hard conversations and shows skill, grace, maturity, and decisiveness in terminating team members who demonstrate inability to adhere to company policy or perform job responsibilities.
• Ensures the food & beverage side of the business is optimally staffed with individuals that embody Level99’s cultural values by continuously and actively recruiting, hiring, and training new talent, ensuring a succession plan is in place for each key role.  
• Works with the Director of Operations and F&B Exec team to identify, recruit, hire, onboard, train, and performance manage the full-time back-of-house kitchen staff.
• Lead education efforts for all Back of House staff, pursuing both daily, weekly and quarterly programming around food, beer, Victory Brewing brand, entertainment and necessary training related to compliance.
• Other duties, as assigned

• Minimum 3 years’ experience working at the Manager level, or equivalent, in a high-volume culinary business
• Ability to work a flexible schedule based on business needs which will include days, nights, weekends and holidays as well as emergency responsiveness as required
• Able to work ten hour-plus shifts, plus ability to stand, sit, squat or walk for extended periods of time, walk up and down stairs, and read 
• Able to grasp, reach overhead, push, lift and carry up to 50 pounds
• Able to work with all management teams to ensure optimal communication
• Ability to work well under pressure in a fast paced, ever changing work environment
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills
• Highly organized with strong attention to detailHigh integrity and professionalism
• High School education or equivalent  
• Understands, utilizes and embraces new technology and its implementation into our operation, with specific knowledge in, but not limited to, Microsoft Office
• Must have the ability to promote positive, fair, and ethical relations with all team members as an ambassador of the Level99 brand
• Compassionate, empathetic, humble, respectful, and kind – very high emotional intelligence
• A reliable car, current driver's license
• Ability to train on-site in Natick, MA

• Relevant Education: B.S. in Hospitality Management, Culinary, or other related degree 
• Experience with new openings for hotels, restaurants, or entertainment establishments

While we don’t expect a candidate to have deep experience in all of the above, we’re looking for someone with the passion and capability to learn quickly in the areas that are new!

YOU MIGHT BE A FIT ON THE LEVEL99 TEAM IF YOU…

• Like to laugh, would be described as a "low maintenance, low drama" person, have a tendency to have a bit of fun while you work

• Have a high tolerance for ambiguity, like to go fast, and are excited to learn on the job

• Are just a little bit obsessive about getting the details right the first time

• Have a high energy personality, the kind of person who is typically smiling, and likes to "get it done now"