Free Line Cook Job Description Templates
Free line cook job description templates: standard, prep, grill, fast casual, and independent. Download as DOCX and customize for your kitchen.
Line Cook Job Description Templates
5 free templates by station and setting. Download as DOCX or copy-paste.
A line cook is the engine of your kitchen during service: setting up the station, cooking menu items to spec, plating fast, and keeping it all clean and safe under pressure. For a small or independent restaurant, it is one of the hardest roles to fill and one you will hire for often. The job description you write sets the station, the experience level, and the expectations, and it is your first filter for a reliable cook.
At FirstHR, we build for small restaurants and kitchens where the owner or chef handles hiring directly. The five templates below cover the most common versions of the role: standard, prep, grill/station, fast casual/entry-level, and small independent restaurant. Each is ready to use. Fill in the bracketed fields, adjust to match your kitchen, and post. For the fundamentals behind any posting, the guide to writing a job description covers the basics.
Which Template Should You Use?
Pick the template that matches your kitchen and the station you are hiring for. The core structure is the same across all five, but each one emphasizes the duties, experience level, and setting that fit a specific kind of cook role. Use this guide to choose.
5 Free Line Cook Job Description Templates
Download all five as a single Word document or copy individual templates. Each one follows the same structure: restaurant overview, job summary, key responsibilities, qualifications, compensation, and how to apply. Fill in the brackets before you post.
Template 1: Standard Line Cook
The all-purpose version for most full-service restaurants. Station setup, cooking to spec, plating, and food safety, with an hourly pay range. Start here if the role fits a standard line cook.
Template 2: Prep Cook
For kitchens with a dedicated prep role. Focuses on mise en place, chopping and portioning, labeling and storage, and entry-level requirements. Use this for a prep-focused position.
Template 3: Grill / Station Cook
For grill, BBQ, and burger concepts. Adds grilling technique, temperature control, and running a specific station during service. Use this when the role centers on the grill.
Template 4: Fast Casual / Entry-Level Line Cook
For fast casual and quick service. Emphasizes assembly speed, no-experience-required hiring, flexible shifts, and on-the-job training. Use this when you are willing to train.
Template 5: Small / Independent Restaurant Line Cook
For a small independent restaurant. A versatile cook who works multiple stations, reports to the owner, and pitches in across the kitchen. Use this for a tight-knit, all-around role.
What Does a Line Cook Do?
A line cook prepares and cooks menu items at an assigned station during service. The Bureau of Labor Statistics groups line cooks under cooks, who season and prepare foods including soups, salads, entrees, and desserts. In practice, a line cook sets up and stocks the station, cooks dishes to recipe and spec, plates consistently, works fast during service, and keeps the area clean and food safe.
The role varies by station and setting. A prep cook handles mise en place and ingredient prep; a grill cook runs the grill; and a small-restaurant line cook works across several stations and helps wherever needed. That is why the job description should describe the specific role you are hiring for. For other hourly, customer-facing restaurant roles, the cashier job description templates cover front-of-house hiring.
Line Cook Responsibilities and Duties
Line cook duties fall into four broad areas. A strong job description selects the specific responsibilities from each area that apply to your kitchen rather than listing every possible task. These are the responsibilities most often expected of the role.
For a prep role, the duties center on mise en place and storage; for a grill role, on temperature control and station management. For help scoping the role before you write the posting, the guide to defining job responsibilities walks through a simple process.
What to Include in a Line Cook Job Description
Every strong line cook job description includes the same core sections, with concrete duties rather than generic ones. The templates above are built around them, but it helps to see the difference between vague and specific wording.
| Weak bullet | Strong bullet |
|---|---|
| Cook food | Prepare and cook menu items to recipe and spec |
| Set up station | Set up and stock your station before service |
| Be clean | Follow food safety and sanitation standards |
| Work fast | Work efficiently during busy service |
| Plate dishes | Plate dishes consistently and to standard |
Specific, concrete duties attract candidates who understand the work and signal a serious kitchen. Keep the language neutral and inclusive too, since the EEOC prohibits job advertisements that show a preference based on protected characteristics. For a fuller framework, the SHRM guide to writing a job description covers the standard sections.
Prep vs Line vs Grill Cook
These kitchen roles are closely related and often confused. Knowing the difference helps you write the right job description and hire for the actual need.
| Role | Focus | Typical level |
|---|---|---|
| Prep Cook | Mise en place and ingredient prep | Entry-level, often trains in |
| Line Cook | Cooking a station during service | Some experience preferred |
| Grill / Station Cook | Running a specific station | Station-specific skill |
| Small-restaurant cook | Multiple stations and prep | Versatile generalist |
In a large kitchen these are separate jobs; in a small restaurant one cook often covers all of them. Use the template that matches how your kitchen actually works so the posting reflects the real role.
Requirements and Skills
Line cook requirements are practical: the role is about reliability, speed, and food safety more than formal credentials. Listing them accurately keeps your posting honest and attracts cooks who fit.
Line cooks are paid hourly and are non-exempt, and tips and tip pooling are common in restaurants, so federal rules apply. Review the Department of Labor FLSA standards on overtime and tip pooling when you set pay and structure compensation.
Line Cook Pay
Line cooks are paid hourly, with pay varying by region, restaurant type, and experience. Set your range using government data as a baseline, then adjust for your market.
Adjust for your region and restaurant type, and remember many cooks value shift meals and tips alongside the hourly rate. With cooks among the hardest restaurant roles to fill, a competitive, transparent pay range helps a small restaurant compete. Always publish a range, since it is required in a growing number of states.
How to Write a Line Cook Job Description
A strong line cook job description takes about 15 minutes to write if you follow a clear structure. Here is the process the templates are built around. If you are building out your kitchen team, the small business hiring guide covers the steps around the posting itself.
Hiring a Line Cook for a Small Restaurant
A large restaurant group hires through a recruiting team with defined roles and a full brigade kitchen. A small or independent restaurant does not. The owner or head chef writes the posting, runs trail shifts, and onboards the new cook, often during service. As you build your kitchen, front-of-house roles follow the same pattern, which is why hiring a customer service rep or server shares the same approach. Here is how to write the posting for that reality.
From Hiring to Onboarding
The job description is step one. Once a cook accepts, the same document becomes the basis for the offer and onboarding. Because kitchens hire often and turnover is high, a smooth, repeatable onboarding process pays off every time a station opens up.
A clear first day and simple food safety onboarding get a new cook contributing on the line quickly, which matters most in a kitchen that hires often. Once your offer is ready, the offer letter template handles the next step, and an onboarding template gives the new hire a structured start. FirstHR connects the offer, paperwork, e-signatures, food safety training, and onboarding workflow in one place so a small restaurant can manage the full process from one system.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does a line cook do?
A line cook prepares and cooks menu items during service at an assigned station. Day to day, that means setting up and stocking the station, cooking dishes to recipe and spec, plating consistently, working quickly during busy service, following food safety and sanitation standards, and keeping the station clean. The Bureau of Labor Statistics groups line cooks under cooks, who season and prepare foods including soups, salads, entrees, and desserts. In a small restaurant, a line cook often works several stations and helps with prep; in a larger kitchen, they may run one specific station like the grill or saute.
What are the responsibilities and duties of a line cook?
A line cook's duties fall into four areas. Cooking and service: cooking menu items to recipe, plating consistently, and working fast during service. Station and prep: setting up and stocking the station, completing prep and mise en place, and breaking it down. Food safety: following sanitation standards, monitoring food temperatures, and storing food properly. Teamwork: communicating during service and coordinating timing with the rest of the line. The exact mix depends on the role. A prep cook focuses on mise en place and ingredient prep, a grill cook runs the grill station, and a small-restaurant line cook works across multiple stations.
What is the difference between a line cook and a prep cook?
A prep cook handles the preparation work before and during service: washing, chopping, and portioning ingredients, completing mise en place, and labeling and storing food. A line cook works the line during service, cooking and plating menu items to order at an assigned station. In simple terms, the prep cook gets everything ready and the line cook cooks it when orders come in. Prep cook is often an entry-level role and a common path to becoming a line cook. In a small kitchen, one person may do both. When you write the job description, be clear about which role you need so candidates understand the work.
What is the difference between a line cook and a grill cook?
A line cook is the general term for a cook who works a station on the line during service. A grill cook is a line cook who specifically runs the grill station, cooking proteins and items to the correct temperature and doneness and managing timing on the grill. Grill is one of several line stations, alongside saute, fry, and others. A grill cook needs strong temperature control and comfort working near high heat. In a small restaurant, a single line cook may cover the grill along with other stations. Use the grill template when the role centers on the grill, and the standard template for a general line position.
What qualifications does a line cook need?
Most line cook roles ask for some kitchen experience, though fast casual and entry-level positions often train on the job. The key requirements are a food handler permit or willingness to obtain one, knowledge of food safety and sanitation, the ability to work quickly under pressure, and the physical stamina to stand for long periods and lift kitchen items. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, cooks typically learn through on-the-job training and do not need formal education. For a small restaurant, reliability and a willingness to work multiple stations often matter more than a long resume.
How much does a line cook make?
Line cooks are paid hourly. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reports a median hourly wage of $17.19 for cooks overall in May 2024, with restaurant cooks specifically at a median of $18.62 per hour. The lowest 10 percent of cooks earned under $12.00 and the highest 10 percent over $22.45. Actual pay varies by region, restaurant type, and experience, and is usually highest in upscale restaurants and major metro areas. Many line cooks also receive shift meals and, in some restaurants, a share of tips. Always include an hourly pay range in your posting, since transparent pay attracts more candidates in a tight labor market.
How do I hire a line cook after writing the job description?
Once your job description is ready, post it, screen applicants, and run a working interview or trail shift so you can see them cook. When you choose someone, the job description becomes the basis for the offer and onboarding. Send an offer letter, collect signed paperwork, confirm the food handler permit, and run a clear first day covering your stations, recipes, food safety procedures, and the team. Because kitchens hire often and turnover is high, a smooth, repeatable onboarding process pays off every time. FirstHR handles the offer letter, document collection, e-signatures, food safety training, and onboarding workflow in one place so a small restaurant can move from job description to a productive new cook.