Cook Job Description Templates for Small Restaurants
6 free templates for the cook who preps in the morning and works a station at night: general, independent restaurant, breakfast, cafe, institutional, and lead. Download as DOCX.
Most cook job descriptions you find online were written for a kitchen that does not exist in a small restaurant. They assume a brigade: a prep cook who breaks down product in the morning, a line cook who arrives at four and touches nothing but the grill, and a chef who plans it all. If your kitchen runs a short crew per shift, one person does all of that, and the posting has to say so.
That gap costs real money. A prep-only candidate who reads a station-heavy posting will not apply. A station cook who reads it and gets handed a delivery and a prep list on day one is gone by week two. The word cook is the broadest title in the kitchen, and a posting that leaves the scope vague pulls in applicants who want two different jobs.
At FirstHR we write hiring templates for owners who do their own HR between a delivery and a dinner rush. The six below cover the general kitchen cook, the independent restaurant, breakfast and short order, cafe and fast casual, institutional kitchens, and the lead cook, each with the pay, certification, and overtime language the generic versions skip.
TL;DR
A cook job description for a small restaurant should cover both halves of the shift: the prep list before service and a station during it. State the hourly rate, the shift times, the local food handler requirement, and non-exempt overtime status. Restaurant cooks earned a median of $17.98 an hour in the May 2025 federal wage survey.
What a Cook Actually Does in a Small Kitchen
A cook prepares ingredients before service and cooks menu items to order during it. In a kitchen with a full brigade those are two jobs. In a restaurant working a short line they are one job with two halves, and the second half only works if the first one was done properly.
That structure is worth drawing out in the posting, because it is the single thing candidates most want to know and the thing generic templates most often hide. Here is the shape of the shift.
The prep half
Before the doors open
Work the prep list in priority order
Cut, portion, batch, label, and date
Make stocks, sauces, and dressings
Take delivery and rotate stock
Check and log cooler temperatures
Set up and stock the station
The service half
Once tickets start
Cook to recipe, temperature, and plate spec
Run one station and cross-cover others
Time plates so a table finishes together
Hold food at safe temperatures
Clean the station through service
Break down, close, and write tomorrow's list
Write the Two Halves as Two Lists
Split the responsibilities section into a prep block and a service block instead of one long list of twenty bullets. Candidates read the two headings, recognize their own experience in one of them, and self-select honestly. It also forces you to be specific about the balance: a job that is seventy percent prep and thirty percent line is a different hire from the reverse, and the posting should make that obvious without anyone having to ask.
Cook, Line Cook, or Prep Cook: Pick the Right Title
The difference between the three titles is scope, not skill. A prep cook works the first half of the day and usually leaves before the rush. A line cook works an assigned station during service. A cook, used as a general title, covers both, which is why it is the title most independent restaurants actually need.
Getting this wrong is expensive in a specific way: the hire shows up, discovers the job is not what the posting described, and leaves inside a month. Our separate line cook job description templates cover station work in a kitchen large enough to split it, and the prep cook job description templates cover prep as a standalone position.
Responsibility
Cook
Line Cook
Prep Cook
Works the daily prep list
Cooks tickets during service
Owns one assigned station
Covers multiple stations in a shift
Takes delivery and rotates stock
Opens or closes the kitchen
Typical in a short-crew kitchen
Two related titles sit on either side of this one. Below it, a dishwasher often grows into prep work and then into cooking, which makes that role your cheapest hiring pipeline. Above it, a kitchen manager owns ordering, scheduling, and cost control rather than a station.
6 Cook Job Description Templates to Download
Download all six as one file or copy them individually. Each follows the same structure: restaurant overview, position summary, responsibilities, required qualifications, physical requirements, compensation and schedule, an equal opportunity statement, and how to apply. The bracketed fields are the only parts you change.
Download All 6 Cook Job Description Templates
General cook, small independent restaurant, breakfast and short order, cafe and fast casual, institutional, and lead cook. All in one download.
Cook (Prep and Station)
The default posting
The general kitchen cook: a prep list before service and a station during it, written as one job because that is how the shift actually runs.
Small Independent Restaurant
Short crew, no brigade
For the owner-operated dining room where the cook opens, preps, covers every station, and closes, with no brigade to hide behind.
Breakfast / Short Order
Flat top and volume
For diners and breakfast houses: eggs to order, ticket times, an early start, and a rush that arrives all at once and then ends.
Cafe / Fast Casual
Entry level, trained on site
For a set menu with build sheets, where you hire for reliability and train the cooking, plus a youth employment note before you set the age bar.
Institutional / Cafeteria
Batch cooking to a schedule
For schools, senior living, healthcare, and corporate dining: standardized recipes, modified diets, allergen control, and records that get inspected.
Lead Cook
Runs the shift, still cooks
For the senior cook who sets prep priorities and runs the pass, with the overtime classification stated plainly so the title does not create a problem.
Template 1: Cook (Prep and Station)
The default posting for a small restaurant kitchen. Responsibilities are split into a prep block and a service block so the candidate sees both halves of the job before applying.
Cook Job Description (Prep and Station)
COOK JOB DESCRIPTION
Restaurant: __ ([City, State])
Reports to: [Kitchen Manager / Head Cook / Owner]
Employment type: Full-time, hourly
FLSA status: Non-exempt (overtime-eligible over 40 hours in a workweek)
Schedule: [Days], [shift times], including [weekends / holidays]
Compensation: $______ per hour
ABOUT [RESTAURANT NAME]
[Restaurant Name] is a [cuisine] restaurant in [City, State] serving [lunch and
dinner / breakfast and lunch] [number] days a week. Our kitchen runs [number]
people per shift, so everyone here handles both prep and service.
POSITION SUMMARY
The Cook prepares ingredients before service and cooks menu items to order
during service. This is a combined role: you own a prep list in the morning and
a station on the line at night, and you keep both to our recipes, portions, and
food safety standards.
KEY RESPONSIBILITIES: PREP
•Work the daily prep list in priority order and finish it before service
•Wash, peel, cut, portion, and store produce, proteins, and dry goods
•Make stocks, sauces, dressings, marinades, and batches to written recipe
•Label and date every container and rotate stock first in, first out
•Check walk-in and reach-in temperatures and log them as required
•Flag low par levels and product quality issues to [Kitchen Manager]
•Break down deliveries, verify counts against the invoice, and put stock away
KEY RESPONSIBILITIES: SERVICE
•Set up and stock an assigned station before each service period
•Cook menu items to recipe, temperature, and plate specification
•Work [saute / grill / fry / cold] station and cross-cover others as needed
•Call and follow tickets so plates for one table finish together
•Hold food at safe temperatures and discard anything past its time
•Keep the station clean through service and break it down at close
•Complete closing duties, cleaning schedules, and the next day prep list
REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS
•[Number] year(s) of kitchen experience, or equivalent training
•[Food handler card / food handler permit] required, or obtained within
[number] days of hire, as required in [City / County / State]
•Working knowledge of knife skills, cooking methods, and portion control
•Understanding of food safety, temperature control, and cross-contamination
•Ability to read tickets and recipes and to follow written specifications
•Reliable attendance and clear communication in a fast kitchen
PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS AND WORKING CONDITIONS
•Standing and walking for the length of the shift
•Lifting and carrying up to [number] pounds
•Working near heat, steam, hot oil, sharp tools, and wet floors
•Frequent bending, reaching, and repetitive hand motion
COMPENSATION AND SCHEDULE
Pay: $______ per hour. Overtime paid at time and one half over 40 hours in a
workweek. [Shift meal / uniform / tip share where lawful for back of house /
paid time off / health benefits]. Typical schedule: [days and hours]. Posted
[number] days in advance.
EEO STATEMENT
[Restaurant Name] is an equal opportunity employer and provides reasonable
accommodations for the essential functions of this role.
HOW TO APPLY
Email __ or apply in person at [address] between [hours].
We reply to every applicant within [number] business days.
Template 2: Small Independent Restaurant Cook
For the owner-operated dining room where one cook opens, preps, covers every station through service, and closes. It includes a short section for the honest reasons a cook would pick you over a chain.
For diners and breakfast houses: eggs to order, flat top volume, ticket time targets, and an early start that ends by early afternoon. That schedule is a genuine selling point, so it is written as one.
Breakfast / Short Order Cook Job Description
BREAKFAST / SHORT ORDER COOK JOB DESCRIPTION
Restaurant: __ ([City, State])
Reports to: [Kitchen Manager / Owner]
Employment type: Full-time or part-time, hourly
FLSA status: Non-exempt (overtime-eligible over 40 hours in a workweek)
Schedule: Early mornings, [days], typical start [time]
Compensation: $______ per hour
ABOUT THIS ROLE
[Restaurant Name] serves [breakfast and lunch] to a [neighborhood / commuter /
weekend] crowd. Volume arrives in a wave and leaves again, so this job is about
speed, consistency, and holding a clean station while ten tickets are up.
POSITION SUMMARY
The Breakfast Cook opens the kitchen, completes morning prep, and cooks
to-order items on the flat top, grill, and fryer through the rush, keeping
ticket times inside our target.
KEY RESPONSIBILITIES
•Open the kitchen at [time]: fire equipment, check temperatures, stock station
•Prep: batter, batch eggs, portion proteins, cut produce, set up the line
•Cook eggs to order, pancakes, breakfast meats, sandwiches, and [items]
•Run the flat top and fryer at volume while calling tickets in order
•Hold ticket times under [number] minutes during peak
•Keep the flat top, fryer, and station clean throughout the shift
•Reset the station and write the prep list for the next morning
•Log cooking and holding temperatures as required
REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS
•Experience cooking eggs to order at volume strongly preferred
•[Food handler card / permit] as required in [City / County / State]
•Reliable early-morning availability, including [weekends]
•Speed under pressure with consistent plate quality
•Basic math for portioning and prep quantities
PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS
•Standing for the length of the shift, lifting up to [number] pounds
•Sustained work near an open flat top, fryer oil, and hot surfaces
COMPENSATION AND SCHEDULE
Pay: $______ per hour, overtime at time and one half over 40 hours in a
workweek. Early start differential: [yes / no]. Shifts end by [time], which
means [evenings free / a second job is possible].
EEO STATEMENT
[Restaurant Name] is an equal opportunity employer and provides reasonable
accommodations for the essential functions of this role.
HOW TO APPLY
Email __ or apply in person between [hours].
Template 4: Cafe / Fast Casual Cook
For a set menu with written build sheets, where you hire for reliability and train the cooking. It carries a youth employment note to delete before posting, because the minimum age should follow the equipment.
Cafe / Fast Casual Cook Job Description (Entry Level)
CAFE / FAST CASUAL COOK JOB DESCRIPTION (ENTRY LEVEL)
Location: __ ([City, State])
Reports to: [Shift Lead / General Manager]
Employment type: Part-time or full-time, hourly
FLSA status: Non-exempt (overtime-eligible over 40 hours in a workweek)
Schedule: [Shift blocks available]
Compensation: $______ per hour
ABOUT THIS ROLE
No kitchen experience required. [Location Name] is a [cafe / fast casual
concept] with a set menu and written build sheets, and we train cooks from the
first shift. If you show up on time and follow the recipe, we can teach the
rest.
POSITION SUMMARY
The Cook prepares ingredients to our build sheets and assembles or cooks menu
items to order during service, following food safety rules and keeping the
line stocked and clean.
KEY RESPONSIBILITIES
•Follow build sheets and portion guides exactly
•Prep ingredients: wash, cut, portion, label, and date
•Cook and assemble menu items during service at [assigned station]
•Restock the line and rotate product first in, first out
•Check and record temperatures on the schedule we set
•Clean as you go and complete assigned closing tasks
•Work with the counter team so orders leave together and on time
REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS
•No prior experience required; we train on the job
•[Food handler card / permit] as required in [City / County / State], which we
[pay for / reimburse]
•Must be at least [16 / 18] years old for this role (see note below)
•Ability to follow written instructions and keep pace during a rush
•Dependable attendance for scheduled shifts
NOTE ON YOUTH EMPLOYMENT (delete before posting)
Set the minimum age against the actual equipment in the job. Federal child
labor rules restrict what 14- and 15-year-olds may cook, and no one under 18
may operate power-driven meat slicers, grinders, choppers, or commercial
mixers. State rules may be stricter than federal rules, and work permit and
hour limits often apply during the school year. Check both before you post.
PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS
•Standing for the length of the shift, lifting up to [number] pounds
•Work near heat, hot oil, sharp tools, and wet floors
COMPENSATION AND SCHEDULE
Pay: $______ per hour, overtime at time and one half over 40 hours in a
workweek. [Shift meal, flexible scheduling around classes, raise after
(number) days, paid training].
EEO STATEMENT
We are an equal opportunity employer and provide reasonable accommodations for
the essential functions of this role.
HOW TO APPLY
Email __ or apply in person at [address].
Template 5: Institutional / Cafeteria Cook
For schools, senior living, healthcare, and corporate dining: batch cooking to a production schedule, modified diets, allergen control, and temperature records that get inspected. Compare it with the food service worker templates if the role is mostly serving.
[Employer Name] serves approximately [number] meals per day to [residents /
students / patients / employees] on a [cycle] menu. Cooking here is batch work
against a fixed timeline, with dietary requirements that are not optional.
POSITION SUMMARY
The Cook prepares and cooks menu items in quantity to a standardized recipe and
production schedule, meets modified diet and allergen requirements, and keeps
temperature and production records for inspection.
KEY RESPONSIBILITIES
•Cook to standardized recipes at the scheduled quantity and service time
•Prepare modified and therapeutic diets exactly as specified by [dietitian]
•Follow allergen procedures and prevent cross-contact
•Record cooking, holding, cooling, and reheating temperatures on our logs
•Portion and serve at the line, or set up service ware and steam table
•Rotate stock, label and date product, and keep storage areas organized
•Follow the cleaning schedule and sanitation program in place here
•Support the team during inspections and food safety audits
REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS
•[Number] year(s) of quantity or batch cooking experience
•[Food handler card / certified food protection manager credential] as
required in [City / County / State] and by our regulator
•Experience with modified diets and allergen control preferred
•Comfort with written production records and temperature logs
•Must clear the background check required for this setting
COMPLIANCE NOTE (read before posting)
Institutional kitchens carry requirements a restaurant may not: background
checks for staff working around children, patients, or older adults; specific
certification for the person in charge; and menu or nutrition standards tied to
the program that funds the meals. Confirm the requirements with your state or
local health department and your program administrator before posting. This is
general information, not legal advice.
PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS
•Standing for the length of the shift, lifting up to [number] pounds
•Handling hot pans, steam, sheet trays, and mobile racks
COMPENSATION AND SCHEDULE
Pay: $______ per hour, overtime at time and one half over 40 hours in a
workweek. [Benefits, paid holidays, set schedule, no late nights].
EEO STATEMENT
[Employer Name] is an equal opportunity employer and provides reasonable
accommodations for the essential functions of this role.
HOW TO APPLY
Email __ with your resume and availability.
Template 6: Lead Cook
For the senior cook who runs a shift and still cooks every service. The classification note matters here: adding lead to a title does not create an overtime exemption. For the role above it, use the chef job description templates.
Lead Cook Job Description
LEAD COOK JOB DESCRIPTION
Restaurant: __ ([City, State])
Reports to: [Kitchen Manager / Chef / Owner]
Employment type: Full-time, hourly
FLSA status: Non-exempt unless the role genuinely meets an exemption test
(see classification note)
Schedule: [Days and shift times]
Compensation: $______ per hour
ABOUT THIS ROLE
[Restaurant Name] needs a senior cook who can run a shift. You will still cook
every service. The difference is that when you are on, the kitchen follows your
call on timing, quality, and what gets fixed first.
POSITION SUMMARY
The Lead Cook runs the kitchen during an assigned shift: sets the prep
priorities, expedites during service, holds the quality standard, trains newer
cooks, and reports issues to the [Kitchen Manager].
KEY RESPONSIBILITIES
•Write and assign the prep list, then work it alongside the team
•Run the pass during service: call tickets, check plates, control timing
•Cook any station and step in wherever the line is behind
•Train new cooks on recipes, portions, and food safety procedures
•Check deliveries, monitor par levels, and report shortages
•Enforce temperature logging, labeling, and cleaning standards
•Close the kitchen: counts, logs, cleaning sign-off, next day prep list
•Report equipment problems, waste, and staffing gaps to [Kitchen Manager]
REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS
•[Number] year(s) of line cooking experience, including [number] in a senior
or lead role
•[Certified food protection manager credential] required or to be obtained
within [number] days, as required in [City / County / State]
•Proven ability to hold a standard when the kitchen is busy
•Clear, direct communication with cooks and front of house
•Availability for [peak shifts and weekends]
CLASSIFICATION NOTE (read before posting)
A lead cook is normally non-exempt and owed overtime past 40 hours in a
workweek. Giving someone the word lead or a small raise does not create an
exemption. An exemption would require the role to meet both the duties test and
the salary requirement in the federal regulations, and a cook whose primary
duty is cooking generally does not meet the duties test even while directing
other cooks. Track hours and pay overtime. This is general information, not
legal advice.
PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS
•Standing for the length of the shift, lifting up to [number] pounds
•Work near heat, hot oil, sharp tools, and wet floors
COMPENSATION AND SCHEDULE
Pay: $______ per hour, overtime at time and one half over 40 hours in a
workweek. [Lead differential, shift meal, paid time off, path to kitchen
manager].
EEO STATEMENT
[Restaurant Name] is an equal opportunity employer and provides reasonable
accommodations for the essential functions of this role.
HOW TO APPLY
Email __ with your resume and availability.
What Belongs in the Posting
A cook posting does four jobs: it gets read, it filters, it protects you, and it closes the hire. Most restaurant postings only do the first, which is how you end up with forty applications and two people worth calling.
Read in the first ten seconds
Hourly rate, written as a number
Shift times and days, not just full-time
Cuisine, volume, and kitchen size
Whether the job is prep, station, or both
Filters the wrong applicants out
Stations the cook will actually work
Food handler or manager certification
Experience level, stated honestly
Physical requirements and conditions
Protects you later
Non-exempt status and overtime language
Essential functions written plainly
Equal opportunity statement
Minimum age set against the equipment
Wins the hire
Shift meal, uniform, and any tip share
Schedule posted in advance
Who trains you and who you report to
A named contact and a real reply time
The most common omission is the rate. Cooks compare postings on pay before they read a single duty, and phrases like competitive pay are read as below market by anyone who has worked a kitchen. Several states now require a range on the posting anyway, so check the pay transparency rules that apply to you. For structure beyond the kitchen, our guide to writing a job description covers the general anatomy.
Requirements, Certification, and Screening
The real requirements for a cook are certification, availability, and demonstrated station experience. Formal culinary education is optional in most independent kitchens, and treating it as a filter shrinks your candidate pool for no gain.
Write requirements as a short list of things you will actually verify. Anything you will not check does not belong in the posting, because every extra line costs you applicants.
Requirement
How to handle it in the posting
Food handler card
State the local rule, whether you pay for it, and a deadline in days from hire
Manager certification
Required for the person in charge in most jurisdictions; name it for lead roles
Experience
Ask for stations worked and volume, not years alone
Availability
List actual shift days and times, including weekends and holidays
Minimum age
Set it against the equipment on the line, then state it plainly
Only if a specific language is genuinely essential to the job
Culinary school
Preferred at most, never required, unless your menu truly demands it
Screen the short list with a paid trial shift rather than a long interview. Watch how the candidate keeps a station, handles a rush, and cleans as they go. If you want a structured version, our cook interview questions pair a question set with a scorecard, and restaurant hiring tips covers where independent operators actually find people.
What to Pay a Cook
National wage data gives you a floor check, not a target. Restaurant cooks earned a median of $17.98 an hour in the most recent federal survey, and the spread between the tenth and ninetieth percentile is wide enough that the median tells you very little about your own street.
National Cook Wages, May 2025 Federal Survey
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey (May 2025), restaurant cooks had a median wage of $17.98 per hour, or $37,390 a year, with the tenth percentile near $28,700 and the ninetieth near $47,900 annually. The Bureau's Occupational Outlook Handbook projects employment of cooks to grow 5 percent from 2024 to 2034, with about 432,200 openings each year, most of them replacements.
Role
National median hourly (BLS OEWS, May 2025)
What it means for your posting
Fast food cook
$14.85
Entry level with a limited menu and heavy training on site
Food preparation worker
$16.98
Prep only; a combined prep and station role should pay above this
Short order cook
$17.25
Speed and volume rather than menu breadth
Cook, restaurant
$17.98
The benchmark for a general kitchen cook
Cook, institution and cafeteria
$18.01
Batch cooking, records, and usually better hours
Chef or head cook
$30.03
Menu ownership and kitchen leadership, not a station
Price the combined role above a prep-only rate, since you are asking for both halves of the shift. Then compete on the parts that cost you less than wages: a shift meal, a schedule posted in advance, predictable days off, and a lawful back of house tip share where you run one. Those items are real money at this pay level, and restaurant turnover is expensive enough to justify all of them.
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Hours, Overtime, and the Rules That Catch Small Kitchens
Cooks are non-exempt hourly employees owed overtime past forty hours in a workweek, and no kitchen title changes that. The other three rules that catch small restaurants are local certification, youth employment limits, and who may share in a tip pool.
Cooks are non-exempt, whatever you call them
A cook is an hourly employee owed time and one half for every hour past forty in a workweek. Titles do not change that. Lead cook, head cook, and kitchen supervisor all stay non-exempt unless the role genuinely meets both a duties test and the salary requirement in the federal white collar regulations, and an employee whose primary duty is cooking almost never meets the duties test even while directing other cooks. The salary floor for those exemptions sits at $684 a week, or $35,568 a year, after the Department of Labor rescinded the 2024 rule in May 2026 and restored the earlier level. Track hours for every cook, including the ones who come in early to start stock or stay late to clean, and pay the overtime.
Certification is local, so name the local rule
There is no national food handler license. The FDA Food Code is a model that states and localities adopt, amend, and enforce on their own schedules, so the requirement that applies to your kitchen comes from your state or county health department. Two layers are common: an individual food handler card for anyone touching food, and a certified food protection manager credential for the person in charge, which the Food Code requires under section 2-102.12 with limited exceptions for low-risk operations. Write the actual local requirement into the posting, say whether you pay for the class, and give a deadline in days from hire rather than leaving it vague.
Age limits follow the equipment, not the job title
Federal child labor rules restrict what younger teenagers may do in a kitchen. Fourteen- and fifteen-year-olds may perform only limited cooking, essentially electric or gas grills that do not involve cooking over an open flame and deep fryers with devices that automatically lower and raise the baskets, and their hours are capped during the school year. No employee under eighteen may operate, feed, set up, adjust, repair, or clean power-driven meat slicers, grinders, choppers, saws, or commercial mixers. Many states set stricter limits and require work permits. Decide the minimum age by looking at the equipment on the line, then state it in the posting.
Back of house can share tips, under one condition
Since the 2018 amendment to the Fair Labor Standards Act, an employer that pays the full minimum wage in cash and takes no tip credit may run a mandatory tip pool that includes cooks, dishwashers, and other back of house employees. If you take a tip credit for any tipped employee, the pool stays limited to employees who customarily and regularly receive tips, which leaves cooks out. Owners, managers, and supervisors may never keep tips from the pool in either arrangement. This matters for cook hiring because a lawful back of house tip share can be a real part of what a cook takes home, and it belongs in the posting rather than as a surprise on the first paycheck.
The overtime piece is where independent kitchens lose the most money in back wages. Under the Fair Labor Standards Act you owe time and one half past forty hours, and unrecorded early starts and late cleanups still count as hours worked. If you are unsure where a lead role lands, our breakdown of exempt versus non-exempt classification works through both tests.
Two Rules Worth Confirming Before You Post
Youth employment: the Department of Labor sets what younger teenagers may and may not do in a kitchen, and the restaurant child labor rules restrict cooking equipment and hours for fourteen- and fifteen-year-olds while barring anyone under eighteen from power-driven slicers, grinders, and mixers. Tip pools: an employer that pays full cash minimum wage and takes no tip credit may include cooks in a mandatory pool, per the Department of Labor guidance on tipped employees, while an employer taking a tip credit may not. State rules can be stricter than both.
If you run a pool, write the rules down before the first paycheck rather than after the first complaint. Our guide to tip pooling works through both formulas, and the tipped minimum wage rules explain where the cash wage floor sits in your state. Certification requirements come from your local health department, working from the model in the FDA Food Code rather than from any federal license.
Hiring a Cook Without an HR Department
Kitchen hiring in a small restaurant fails in three predictable places: a posting too vague to filter anyone, a process slower than the candidate market, and paperwork that lives in a drawer. Each has a fix that costs nothing.
The posting says cook, and five different people apply
Cook is the broadest title in the kitchen. Without a scope line it pulls prep-only candidates who have never worked a ticket, station cooks who expect a brigade and will not touch a prep list, and career changers with no kitchen time at all. You end up screening by phone for information the posting should have carried. Fix it in two sentences near the top: how many cooks are on a shift, which stations the job covers, and whether prep is part of the role or a separate position. A candidate who reads that and applies anyway is telling you something useful.
The best cooks are gone within a week of leaving their last job
Kitchen hiring runs faster than almost any other role in a small business. Cooks tend to line up the next job before they give notice, and the ones worth hiring are talking to several restaurants at once. If your process takes ten days, you are competing for whoever is left. Compress it: reply the same day, run a short interview, then pay for a working trial shift rather than asking for free labor, and make the offer before the trial ends if the shift went well. Speed is one of the few advantages an independent restaurant has over a chain.
Paperwork lives in a drawer and certifications quietly expire
Small kitchens hire in bursts, and the paperwork arrives with the rush: signed offer, I-9 and W-4, food handler card, allergen and safety training, the employee health reporting agreement, uniform and equipment sign-off, and the handbook acknowledgment. In most independent restaurants that lives in a folder in the office and nobody knows which card expires next month until an inspector asks. FirstHR runs the same onboarding sequence for every new cook, with e-signature for the offer and the policy acknowledgments, document storage tied to each employee profile, renewal dates tracked on certifications, and training modules for food safety before the first shift. Applicant tracking is coming soon to FirstHR.
Once the offer is signed, the work becomes a repeatable sequence: forms, food safety training, and a first week that does not depend on whoever happens to be on shift. Our restaurant employee onboarding checklist lays out day one through day ninety, and restaurant training covers what to teach before a new cook touches a ticket.
Key Takeaways
In a small restaurant, cook is one job with two halves: the prep list before service and a station during it, and the posting should list both as separate blocks.
Pick the title by the shift, not by habit: a line cook owns one station, a prep cook works only the first half, and a cook covers both.
Restaurant cooks earned a median of $17.98 an hour in the May 2025 federal wage survey, with the tenth percentile near $28,700 a year and the ninetieth near $47,900.
Cooks are non-exempt and owed overtime past forty hours in a workweek, and adding lead or head to the title does not create an exemption.
Food handler and manager certification rules are local, so name the actual requirement, say who pays for it, and give a deadline in days from hire.
An employer that takes no tip credit may include cooks in a mandatory tip pool, which is worth stating in the posting rather than saving as a surprise.
Kitchens hire in bursts, and the paperwork arrives with the rush. FirstHR runs the same onboarding sequence for every new cook, with e-signature for the offer and policy acknowledgments, document storage tied to each employee profile, food safety training assigned before the first shift, and certification renewal dates tracked so nothing expires quietly. Applicant tracking is coming soon to FirstHR.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does a cook do in a restaurant?
A cook prepares ingredients before service and cooks menu items to order during it. In a small restaurant those are one job, not two. The morning half is the prep list: washing, cutting, portioning, batching sauces and stocks, labeling and dating containers, taking delivery, rotating stock, and logging cooler temperatures. The service half is the station: setting up and stocking it, cooking to recipe and temperature, plating to spec, timing plates so a table finishes together, holding food safely, and breaking the station down at close. Larger kitchens split those halves between a prep cook and a line cook. A restaurant working a short line cannot, which is why the posting should say plainly that the cook owns both. Candidates who only want one half will screen themselves out before you spend a phone call on them.
What should a cook job description include?
Seven things: the hourly rate as an actual number, the shift days and times, the cuisine and volume, the split between prep and station work, the certification requirement with a deadline, the physical requirements, and how to apply with a named contact. Add the non-exempt overtime line and an equal opportunity statement to protect yourself, and state the minimum age against the equipment the job actually uses. Pay first matters more here than in almost any other role, because cooks compare postings on rate before they read anything else, and competitive pay reads as below market to anyone who has been in a kitchen. If you offer a shift meal, a lawful back of house tip share, or a schedule posted in advance, put those in the posting rather than saving them for the interview.
What is the difference between a cook and a line cook?
Scope. A line cook works an assigned station during service: grill, saute, fry, or cold. A cook, used as a general title, usually covers prep and service across the whole menu, which is how most independent restaurants staff a kitchen. A prep cook works only the first half, breaking down product and building the components that service depends on, and typically leaves before the rush. The practical test is what the schedule looks like: if one person opens, preps, and then cooks tickets until close, that is a cook. If the person arrives at four to set up one station and cooks nothing but that station, that is a line cook. Post the title that matches the shift, because using line cook for a job that is half prep is the fastest way to lose a hire in week one.
How much does a cook make per hour?
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey (May 2025), restaurant cooks had a median wage of $17.98 per hour, or $37,390 a year, with the tenth percentile near $28,700 and the ninetieth near $47,900 annually. Institution and cafeteria cooks sat at $18.01 per hour, short order cooks at $17.25, fast food cooks at $14.85, and food preparation workers at $16.98. Those are national numbers that ignore local minimum wage, cost of living, and the going rate on your street, so treat them as a floor check rather than a target. Benchmark against comparable restaurants in your own market, price a combined prep and station role above a prep-only role, and publish the rate in the posting, which several states now require and every candidate expects.
Are cooks exempt from overtime?
No. Cooks are non-exempt employees under the Fair Labor Standards Act and are owed time and one half for every hour worked past forty in a workweek. That holds for lead cooks and head cooks too. An exemption requires the role to meet both a duties test and the salary requirement in the federal white collar regulations, and an employee whose primary duty is cooking generally fails the duties test even while directing other cooks. The salary level sits at $684 per week, or $35,568 per year, after the Department of Labor rescinded the 2024 rule in May 2026 and restored the earlier threshold. The practical risk in a small kitchen is unrecorded time: the cook who starts stock before clocking in, or stays past close to finish cleaning. Record every hour worked and pay it. This is general information, not legal advice.
Do cooks need a food handler card or certification?
It depends on your state, county, and city, because there is no national food handler license. The FDA Food Code is a model that state and local jurisdictions adopt and amend on their own timelines, and enforcement sits with your local health department. Two requirements are common. The first is an individual food handler card for employees who touch food, typically earned through a short accredited course and valid for a set number of years. The second is a certified food protection manager credential for the person in charge, which the Food Code requires with limited exceptions for operations judged low risk. Name the exact local requirement in the posting, say whether you pay for the course, and give a deadline in days from hire. Then store the certificate with its expiration date, because renewals are what kitchens miss.
How do I hire a cook for a small restaurant with no HR department?
Run a short, fast sequence and start it before you are desperate. Post a specific job description with the hourly rate, the shift, and the prep and station split stated up front. Reply the same day, because cooks line up the next job before giving notice and the good ones are talking to several restaurants at once. Screen by phone for availability, certification status, and the stations they have actually worked, then pay for a trial shift rather than asking for free labor, and watch cleanliness and timing rather than knife tricks. Make the offer before the trial ends if it went well. Then run onboarding as a checklist: signed offer, I-9 and W-4, food handler card, allergen and food safety training, health reporting agreement, and handbook acknowledgment. FirstHR handles that sequence with e-signature, document storage, and certification renewal tracking. Applicant tracking is coming soon to FirstHR.
