Director of Culinary - Gastronauts Food Group

The Director of Culinary at Gastronauts Food Group, part of Lewis & Clark Capital in St. Louis, MO, leads culinary strategy and innovation for Hi-Pointe Drive-In and Taco Buddha. This hands-on role focuses on menu excellence, operational efficiency, and brand integrity, requiring collaboration across teams. Responsibilities include menu optimization, culinary standards enforcement, financial performance oversight, and team development. Candidates should have 7+ years of culinary leadership experience.
The Director of Culinary is the culinary leader for Gastronauts Food Group, overseeing menu strategy, core menu excellence, and innovation across Hi-Pointe Drive-In and Taco Buddha. This role balances creativity with operational discipline, ensuring menus are craveable, scalable, and profitable as both brands grow.

This is a hands-on leadership role for a chef who thrives in high-volume environments and enjoys collaborating across operations, and marketing.

Key ResponsibilitiesCulinary Strategy & Brand Leadership

Own the culinary vision for both brands while preserving their distinct identities. Serve as the culinary steward for menu quality, consistency, and brand integrity. Translate guest feedback, trends, and data into clear culinary priorities. Partner closely with brand leaders (President, Chief Operating Officer, Chief Concept Officer – Taco Buddha, culinary operations leaders) to ensure alignment and collaboration.Menu Optimization & Core Menu Excellence

Lead ongoing evaluation and improvement of core menus.Use menu engineering to optimize sales mix, margins, and operational simplicity. Maintain standardized recipes, specs, and portion controls across all locations.Menu Innovation & R&D

Develop and manage a structured innovation calendar (Weekly Specials at Hi-Pointe, Tacos of The Month at Taco Buddha, LTOs, seasonal items, collaborations).Lead R&D from concept through testing, costing, and rollout. Partner with Marketing to launch new items with strong storytelling and brand alignment.Culinary Operations, Quality & Food Safety

Establish and enforce culinary standards across all locations—taste, appearance, portioning, prep methods, and equipment use. Collaborate with Operations to ensure kitchens are designed, staffed, and trained to execute menus efficiently. Develop and maintain SOPs for prep and line execution, food safety and sanitation, and receiving, storage, and labeling. Implement systems for waste tracking and reduction without compromising quality. Conduct regular onsite culinary audits and tastings, providing coaching and clear follow-up plans. Partner with Ops to ensure training materials (videos, manuals, station guides, checklists) are accurate, updated, and user-friendly.Financial & Supply Chain Collaboration

Own culinary performance related to COGS and margin targets.Partner with Ops and Supply Chain on costing, vendor selection, and product specs.Identify opportunities to streamline SKUs and reduce waste without compromising quality.People & Leadership

Coach, and develop kitchen leaders across both brands. Foster a people-first, inclusive, and accountable kitchen culture. Build clear development paths for high-potential culinary talent.Growth & New Openings

Support new restaurant openings through menu planning, training, and onsite support. Adapt menus thoughtfully for new markets while protecting brand DNA.QualificationsRequired

7+ years of culinary leadership experience, including multi-unit restaurant operations. Proven success in menu development, innovation, and menu engineering. Strong understanding of high-volume kitchen execution and food safety. Experience leading and developing culinary teams. Ability to travel regularly to restaurant locations.Preferred

Experience with chef-driven fast-casual concepts (burgers, tacos, or similar). Background in both scratch cooking and scalable systems. Formal culinary training a plus.What Success Looks LikeStrong-performing, clearly defined core menus. A repeatable innovation process that drives guest excitement and incremental sales. Consistent food quality across all locations. Engaged, well-trained culinary teams. Menus that support profitable, sustainable growth.