Job Title: Head Chef – Italian & Continental (New Specialty Café, Founding Team)
Location: Jalandhar Heights-II, 66 Feet Road, Jalandhar, Punjab
Job Type: Full-time
Salary: ₹50,000 – ₹80,000/month (negotiable for exceptional candidates) + performance bonus after stabilization
About Us
Cavallo is a new specialty coffee café and European kitchen opening in Jalandhar. We're building a serious food program around a professional Italian gas pizza oven, a full continental line, and an in-house patisserie — supported by a specialty coffee bar running La Marzocco equipment. This is a founding-team role: you'll set the kitchen's standards, systems, and culture from day one.
The Role
You will own the entire kitchen — menu execution, team, quality, and cost. Our menu is Italian and continental café cuisine: wood-fired-style pizzas (Burrata Margherita is a signature), fresh pastas, gourmet sandwiches (Crispy Chicken Sando), all-day breakfast (Cavallo Breakfast), and plated desserts including panna cotta and Basque burnt cheesecake.
Responsibilities
- Execute and refine the launch menu: Neapolitan-style pizza (dough program, fermentation, gas deck oven), pasta, sandwiches, continental breakfast, salads, and desserts
- Own the pizza dough and bread programs end-to-end — consistency is non-negotiable
- Prepare and standardize plated desserts: panna cotta, tiramisu-style desserts, Basque cheesecake (in coordination with the bakery section)
- Build recipe cards, portion specs, and prep systems so every dish is identical every time
- Hire, train, and lead the kitchen brigade (commis, pizzaiolo, kitchen stewards)
- Manage food cost, vendor relationships, indenting, and wastage control — you own the kitchen P&L inputs
- Maintain FSSAI-standard hygiene and daily opening/closing kitchen checklists (café opens 7 AM)
- Work with ownership on seasonal menu development and specials
Requirements
- 5+ years in continental/Italian kitchens, with at least 2 years as Head Chef, Sous Chef, or senior CDP in a quality café, Italian restaurant, or 4–5 star hotel
- Demonstrated hands-on expertise with pizza dough (fermentation, stretching, oven management) and fresh pasta
- Strong dessert fundamentals — panna cotta, cheesecakes, plated desserts (patisserie/lamination experience is a big plus)
- Experience setting up or launching a new kitchen preferred
- Costing and inventory discipline — you can hit a food cost target, not just cook
- Willing to relocate to Jalandhar (relocation/accommodation support available for the right candidate)
What We Offer
- Founding Head Chef position with genuine menu ownership
- Brand-new professional kitchen: Italian gas pizza oven, deck oven, proofer, spiral mixer, full continental line
- Performance bonus linked to café milestones
- Direct access to ownership — no corporate layers
- The chance to define fine café dining in a city with no real competition at this level
To Apply: Submit your resume via Indeed. Shortlisted candidates will do a paid tasting trial — you'll cook 3 dishes from our menu style (one pizza, one sando or pasta, one dessert).
Pay: ₹60,000.00 - ₹80,000.00 per month
Benefits:
Work Location: In person
