Director of Culinary Operations

Director of Culinary OperationsCompany: Happy IceLocation: Los Angeles and Anaheim, CaliforniaReports To: CEO and FounderPosition: Full Time, ExemptSalary Range: $100,000 to $130,000, plus performance bonusAbout Happy IceHappy Ice is a fast growing, Los Angeles born frozen dessert brand known for our artisanal take on Philadelphia Water Ice, Italian ice, soft serve, and unforgettable guest experiences. We have been recognized as one of the best frozen dessert destinations in Los Angeles and have built a brand that is loved by our community. One of our biggest milestones to date is being selected to operate inside Disneyland Resort, an incredible opportunity that represents how far the brand has come and where we believe it can go.Today, Happy Ice operates two brick and mortar locations, our Disneyland kiosk, two food trucks, and a full catering and events department.But we are just getting started.Over the next 24 months, our goal is to open two additional locations and prepare Happy Ice for franchising and national expansion.Who We're Looking ForWe are looking for a culinary operator and systems builder, not just a great chef.You should understand how to take an amazing product and build the recipes, systems, equipment, training, costing, and production processes needed to make it consistently and profitably across multiple locations.We need someone who obsesses over quality, efficiency, consistency, and the details.Position SummaryThe Director of Culinary Operations will own the systems behind how Happy Ice products are made.This person will lead product development, recipe standardization, production efficiency, food cost, vendor procurement, culinary training, quality control, and franchise readiness.Our goal is simple: create a culinary operation that can be successfully duplicated in every Happy Ice location.Key ResponsibilitiesProduct & Recipe Systems• Standardize every Happy Ice recipe, portion, yield, ingredient, and production process.• Build clear recipe books and production manuals that can be easily followed at every location.• Ensure every product meets the same quality standard regardless of who makes it or where it is made.Production Efficiency• Build the most efficient way to produce Happy Ice products in house at each location.• Establish production schedules, PARs, batch sizes, workflows, and productivity standards.• Improve equipment, kitchen layout, and production flow to reduce labor and increase output.Food Cost & Profitability• Own recipe costing, yields, portions, waste, and culinary food cost.• Establish the KPIs that measure production efficiency and product profitability.• Work closely with operations and finance to improve margins without sacrificing quality.Vendors & Purchasing• Establish ingredient and product specifications.• Negotiate and manage culinary vendors and identify opportunities to improve quality and cost.• Ensure purchasing decisions support consistency, profitability, and future scale.Training & Quality Control• Build production training and certification standards for every culinary position.• Develop a culinary train the trainer program.• Regularly audit product quality and production execution across all locations.Product Innovation• Lead the development and rollout of new flavors, frozen desserts, toppings, sauces, and menu items.• Make sure new products are not only exciting, but also easy to produce, profitable, and scalable.Franchise Readiness• Build a culinary system that future franchise locations can successfully duplicate.• Help determine the right equipment, production space, recipes, staffing, and processes for the Happy Ice franchise model.• Ensure Happy Ice products can be made consistently in house at every future location.Qualifications• Strong culinary operations, food production, or multi unit restaurant experience.• Proven experience building production systems and standardizing recipes.• Strong knowledge of food cost, recipe costing, yields, waste, and margins.• Experience improving kitchen or production labor efficiency.• Experience with vendor procurement and purchasing.• Strong knowledge of food safety and quality control.• Experience building culinary training programs and SOPs.• Frozen dessert, pastry, ice cream, gelato, or similar experience is strongly preferred.• Experience with growing brands or franchise systems is a major plus.• Strong attention to detail and a relentless ability to execute.What Success Looks LikeWithin 24 months, Happy Ice should have:• Every core recipe is fully standardized and costed.• Clear production manuals and training systems.• Defined production KPIs and labor standards.• Stronger food cost and reduced waste.• Clear PARs and production schedules for every location.• Improved vendor pricing and purchasing systems.• A proven equipment and kitchen setup for future stores.• Consistent product quality across every location.• A culinary operating model ready to support franchising.Our goal is to be able to hand a future franchise owner the Happy Ice culinary system and confidently say:"This is exactly how you make Happy Ice, consistently, efficiently, and profitably".