Executive Chef - Upscale / Fine Dining

Executive Chef – Upscale / Fine Dining

Location: Nashville, TN
Salary: $110,000–$135,000 + Bonus & Benefits

We are seeking an accomplished Executive Chef to lead the culinary program of a high-volume, upscale/fine-dining restaurant in Nashville. This is an excellent opportunity for a creative, hands-on culinary leader who thrives in a polished, chef-driven environment and knows how to balance exceptional food with strong financial performance.

What You’ll Do

• Lead all BOH operations, culinary execution, and kitchen leadership
• Develop and execute elevated, scratch-driven menus
• Recruit, train, mentor, and retain a high-performing culinary team
• Maintain exceptional standards for food quality, consistency, presentation, and sanitation
• Manage food and labor costs, inventory, purchasing, and budgeting
• Drive profitability while maintaining uncompromising culinary standards
• Partner closely with FOH leadership to deliver an outstanding guest experience
• Build a positive, accountable, high-performance kitchen culture

What We’re Looking For

• 5+ years of Executive Chef or senior culinary leadership experience
• Strong upscale or fine-dining restaurant background
• Experience managing high-volume, high-revenue operations
• Proven success with food cost, labor management, inventory, and P&L performance
• Strong scratch-cooking and menu-development experience
• Excellent leadership, organization, and team-development skills
• Ability to thrive in a fast-paced, quality-driven environment

Compensation & Benefits

• $110,000–$135,000 base salary
• Performance-based bonus opportunity
• Comprehensive benefits
• Paid time off
• Career growth with an established hospitality organization

If you are a passionate culinary leader ready to take ownership of an elevated restaurant operation in Nashville, TN, we’d love to hear from you.

The Restaurant Zone is a leading hospitality recruitment agency specializing in connecting top-tier talent with restaurants, hotels, and hospitality groups across the United States. We partner with growing brands and established operators to deliver high-quality candidates for management, executive, and specialized roles. Our team combines industry expertise, a vast candidate network, and a results-driven approach to help businesses build strong, reliable teams. At The Restaurant Zone, we focus on speed, quality, and long-term fit—ensuring both clients and candidates succeed.