Head Chef – BONOWISH Focaccia Sandwich Bar
Location: Kalyani Nagar, Pune, Maharashtra
Employment Type: Full-time
Experience: 4–7 years
Salary: ₹40,000–₹70,000 per month, depending on experience and skill
Joining: Immediate / within 30 days
About BONOWISH
BONOWISH is a new food concept coming to Kalyani Nagar, Pune, focused on freshly baked focaccia, generously stuffed sandwiches, European-inspired flavours and great coffee.
We are building a modern, premium yet approachable sandwich destination where the focaccia and the fillings are the heroes.
This is a new concept, and we are looking for a Head Chef who wants to be part of building it from the ground up.
The Role
We are looking for a passionate and experienced Head Chef who can take ownership of the food and kitchen operations at BONOWISH.
The ideal candidate should have strong experience in sandwiches, bakery products, breads/focaccia, European cuisine or modern café/QSR concepts.
This person will be responsible for developing and maintaining the BONOWISH food offering, ensuring consistency, quality, hygiene and efficient kitchen operations.
Key Responsibilities
1. Menu Development
- Develop and refine the BONOWISH focaccia and sandwich menu.
- Create signature sandwiches using European-inspired flavours and high-quality ingredients.
- Develop fillings, sauces, spreads, condiments and accompaniments.
- Develop different focaccia flavours/toppings while maintaining a standardized base recipe.
- Introduce seasonal and limited-time specials.
- Work with the Founder to create a distinctive and commercially viable menu.
2. Recipe Development & Standardisation
- Create precise recipes with ingredient quantities, preparation methods and yields.
- Develop standardized recipe cards and SOPs for every menu item.
- Establish portion sizes and presentation standards.
- Calculate food costs and recommend appropriate portion sizes and pricing.
- Ensure recipes can be consistently reproduced by the kitchen team.
3. Focaccia & Bakery Production
- Take ownership of focaccia production from dough preparation through baking.
- Establish processes for fermentation, proofing, baking, cooling, storage and daily production.
- Maintain consistency in texture, hydration, crust and crumb.
- Train kitchen staff in proper focaccia handling and production.
- Identify opportunities to improve production efficiency and reduce wastage.
4. Kitchen Operations
- Plan daily production according to projected sales.
- Manage mise en place and kitchen workflow.
- Ensure timely preparation and service.
- Maintain food quality and consistency during peak hours.
- Monitor inventory and coordinate with the operations team for procurement.
- Minimize food wastage and control food costs.
5. Team Management
- Hire, train and supervise kitchen staff/commis.
- Create daily work allocation and production schedules.
- Train the team on recipes, hygiene, food handling and presentation.
- Maintain discipline and professional standards within the kitchen.
- Build a positive and efficient kitchen culture.
6. Food Safety & Hygiene
- Maintain high standards of kitchen hygiene and sanitation.
- Ensure proper food storage and temperature control.
- Follow FIFO and proper labelling practices.
- Ensure compliance with FSSAI and applicable food-safety requirements.
- Conduct regular kitchen hygiene and quality checks.
7. Pre-Opening Responsibilities
As this is a new concept, the Head Chef will also be involved in the pre-opening phase, including:
- Finalizing recipes and menu items.
- Kitchen trials and product testing.
- Ingredient and vendor trials.
- Equipment recommendations.
- Kitchen workflow planning.
- Production planning.
- Recipe costing.
- SOP creation.
- Staff recruitment and training.
- Trial production and soft-launch preparation.
What We Are Looking ForEssential
- 4–7 years of professional kitchen experience.
- Experience as a Sous Chef, Head Chef, Chef de Cuisine or similar senior kitchen role.
- Strong hands-on cooking ability.
- Good understanding of food costing and kitchen operations.
- Experience managing and training kitchen staff.
- Strong understanding of food hygiene and safety.
- Ability to work in a startup environment and build systems from scratch.
- Good communication and leadership skills.
Strongly Preferred
Experience with one or more of the following:
- Focaccia
- Artisan breads
- Italian / European cuisine
- Sandwich concepts
- Bakery-café operations
- Modern café/QSR concepts
- Fermented doughs
- Fresh sauces, spreads and condiments
- Premium takeaway food
Bakery/focaccia experience is a strong advantage but not mandatory if the candidate has excellent culinary skills and is willing to learn.
The Ideal Candidate
We are looking for someone who is:
- Passionate about food and product quality.
- Creative but understands commercial food production.
- Hands-on rather than purely managerial.
- Detail-oriented.
- Comfortable experimenting with flavours.
- Able to balance creativity with consistency.
- Comfortable working in a new business where systems are being created.
- Entrepreneurial and willing to take ownership.
- Excited about building a food brand rather than simply managing a kitchen.
What You Will Get
- Opportunity to be part of a new food brand from its inception.
- Significant involvement in menu and product development.
- Opportunity to create signature focaccia and sandwich products.
- Creative freedom within a defined brand direction.
- Opportunity for growth as BONOWISH expands.
- A leadership role in building the kitchen team and systems.
Compensation
₹40,000–₹70,000 per month, depending on experience, technical skills and suitability for the role.
Performance-based growth and incentives may be considered as the business scales.
How to Apply
Please apply with:
- Updated CV
- Current/last drawn salary
- Expected salary
- Notice period
- Details of your current/previous kitchen role
- Examples of menus or food concepts you have worked on, if available
Shortlisted candidates will be invited for an interview and practical food trial.
Pay: ₹40,000.00 - ₹70,000.00 per month
Benefits:
Work Location: In person
