Chef de Cuisine - Cafe Lunette

Chef de Cuisine – Café Lunette

About Freehand Hospitality

Rooted in chef-led creativity, our team is passionate about bringing people together with bold flavours, thoughtful ingredients, and warm, welcoming service. We celebrate diverse culinary styles—from upscale Maritime dining to classic French fare—paired with genuine hospitality that leaves a lasting impression. Every dish tells a story, and every experience celebrates connection, community, and a true sense of place in Halifax.

Café by day, bistro by night, we proudly play host to morning coffee and viennoiserie, breezy business lunches, weeknight rendez-vous, lazy Sunday brunches and everything in between.

Our menus feature a greatest hits list of timeless French classics — from traditional onion soup and steak tartare, to comforting boeuf Bourguignon and seafood bouillabaisse. On weekends, we invite our guests to rise and shine for a rich variety of pastries, crêpes, galettes and breakfast sandwiches.

Reporting to the Executive District Chef, we are looking for a Chef de Cuisine to guide the team to excellence and oversee all culinary operations at Café Lunette. 

Ideally, this individual will have expertise in French cooking and will bring consistency to breakfast, lunch, and dinner services with seamless transition. They should value authenticity, precision, and flavor balance. 

What you’ll be doing:

• communicating the restaurant's vision to all team members and leading by example;
• recruiting, training, mentoring, and managing kitchen staff, fostering a positive and professional environment;
• setting performance goals and conduct regular evaluations for kitchen staff;
• fostering teamwork and collaboration between front- and back-of-house teams;
• creating and maintaining seasonal, innovative menus that reflect the restaurant’s concept and target audience;
• overseeing daily kitchen operations, ensuring food is prepared and presented to the highest standards;
• managing inventory, including ordering, storage, and usage of ingredients;
• ensuring equipment is well-maintained and report any maintenance issues promptly;
• implementing systems to reduce waste and maximize efficiency through appropriate portioning and adherence to approved recipes;
• analyzing sales and expenses to improve profitability while maintaining quality;
• sourcing cost-effective, high-quality ingredients;
• engaging with guests to understand their preferences and gather feedback on food quality and presentation to refine dishes and enhance offerings, ensuring excellence in taste, presentation, and timeliness;
• handling special requests, dietary restrictions, and complaints professionally;
• other similar duties as assigned.

What we are looking for:

• 2-3 years of previous Sous Chef or Chef de Cuisine experience in a similar environment

• Extensive knowledge of French cuisine (especially bistro-style)
• High standards of kitchen cleanliness
• Strong organization skills for a café setting with rapid service times

• Passion for food & culinary excellence
• High level of integrity, discipline and vision
• Strong team leadership and interpersonal skills
• Drive and initiative
• Exceptional communication skills with all levels of the organization
• Very hands on approach and motivates others by setting the example

What’s in it for you? 

• Competitive salary
• Comprehensive Extended, Health, and Dental benefits.
• Access to our gym and fitness facilities.
• 50% Dining Discount at Freehand locations
• Company RRSP contributions
• Tuition Reimbursement

A member of The Armour Group, Freehand Hospitality is an equal opportunity employer. We value our employees and their well-being. If you would like to join an organization with which you can have a work-life balance, career growth, long term job stability, and an opportunity to positively contribute to the community, this position may be for you!

Qualified applicants are invited to submit their resume and cover letter to [email protected]. While we thank all applicants only those selected for an interview will be contacted.