Sous Chef for New Chicago American Tavern

Join the Opening Team at Black Briar!! A Modern American Tavern opening in Chicago’s West Loop - Opening 2026

The Company

• Built on fire, hospitality, and standards. The restaurant blends coal-fired cooking, a refined raw bar, strong beverage culture, and warm, disciplined service into a dining room designed to become part of the fabric of the city.

We are looking for people who care deeply about craft, consistency, teamwork, and making guests feel genuinely welcomed. Whether in the kitchen, on the floor, or behind the bar, every role matters. We believe great hospitality comes from people who take pride in details, move with intention, and want to grow alongside a great team.

The Role

The Sous Chef is the third in command of the Black Briar kitchen. You support and execute the vision of the Chef de Cuisine (CDC) - owning your station, leading your cooks, and ensuring that every plate leaving the pass meets the standard set by this kitchen. You report directly to the Chef de Cuisine.

This is an active, hands-on role. You are cooking, teaching, and holding the line accountable in equal measure. Leadership here is earned on the floor, not assigned by title.

The Kitchen

The Black Briar kitchen is built around a coal grill and a raw bar. The menu is live-fire forward, ingredient-driven, and rooted in American tavern cooking - honest, refined, and without unnecessary complexity. Every cook on this team is expected to understand the food, execute it consistently, and take pride in the standard.

This is a kitchen where technique matters, culture matters, and showing up fully prepared matters. If you are looking to grow into a CDC role, this is the place to do it.

What You Own (Job Summary)

• ● Line execution during service - quality, consistency, timing, and precision at your station and across the kitchen
• ● Pre-shift prep oversight - readiness, organization, and mise en place to standard before every service
• ● Real-time coaching and accountability of line and prep cooks during service
• ● Sanitation and food safety compliance on every shift - no exceptions
• ● Receivables support and daily product checks in coordination with the CDC
• ● Kitchen setup and breakdown - executed completely, on time, every time
• ● Communication between the pass and the team - clear, calm, and effective under pressure
• ● Menu knowledge across all stations - you can cook every position and teach it
• TO APPLY FOR THIS JOB, CLICK THIS LINK: https://blackbriar.applytojob.com/apply/ZIwSpPXRuR/Sous-Chef

What We're Looking For (Qualifications + Skills)

• ● Minimum 3 years in a professional kitchen, with at least 1 year in a lead cook or Sous Chef role at a full-service concept
• ● Live-fire cooking experience strongly preferred - this kitchen runs on coal and the candidate should be comfortable with fire
• ● Raw bar familiarity a plus
• ● Strong fundamentals - knife skills, station discipline, seasoning instinct, and an understanding of how a kitchen moves
• ● A genuine interest in developing cooks - patience and precision in equal measure
• ● Valid City of Chicago and State of Illinois Food Sanitation License required
• ● Ability to work a flexible schedule including evenings, weekends, and holidays

Who You Are

You are technically sound and quietly competitive. You take your station personally. You show up early, stay focused, and leave the kitchen better than you found it. You coach your cooks the way you would want to have been coached - directly, fairly, and with genuine investment in their growth. You are not looking for a stepping stone. You are looking for a kitchen where the standard is high, the team is serious, and the work is worth doing.

• If that is you, we want to hear from you.

Compensation & Benefits

• ● Salary Range: $60k - $75k
• ● Performance bonus tied to kitchen consistency and team development metric

● Health benefits with employer contribution

• ● Employee dining benefit
• ● Annual performance review with merit increase opportunity
• Black Briar is an