Sous Chef -- Events + Private Dining

Sous Chef – Events & Private Dining

The Hall at Olive + Oak

Webster Groves, MO | Full-Time

Cook with creativity. Lead with care. Grow across one of St. Louis’s most respected restaurant groups.

The Hall at Olive + Oak is the private dining and events arm of O+O Hospitality Group, home to some of St. Louis’s most loved restaurants, including Olive + Oak, The Clover and the Bee, O+O Pizza, and Perennial on Lockwood.

We are looking for a Sous Chef to join our Events culinary team. This is not a “same chicken, different ballroom” kind of job. Our events team creates thoughtful, seasonal, and often highly customized menus for weddings, private dinners, celebrations, corporate events, and special gatherings. The food is chef-driven, collaborative, and personal.

This role is a great fit for a cook or emerging culinary leader who wants mentorship, variety, and the chance to grow inside a restaurant group with multiple concepts, strong culinary leadership, and a genuine culture of collaboration.

Why This Role Is Different

As a leader of the Events culinary team, you will help create bespoke menus, not cookie-cutter banquet food.

Every week brings something new: tastings, weddings, community events, charity galas, private dinners, seasonal menus, cross-property collaborations, and creative problem-solving. You will work closely with the Executive Chef and other culinary leaders across O+O Hospitality Group, with real opportunity to learn, contribute, and develop your leadership voice.

This is a role for someone who loves the craft of cooking, takes pride in stream-lined systems and strong execution, and wants to help build memorable food experiences for meaningful moments, big and small.

What You’ll Do

The Sous Chef supports the Executive Chef in leading culinary production and service for O+O Events. Responsibilities include:

• Support the Executive Chef with daily kitchen leadership, prep, production, service, and event execution
• Help lead cooks through clear communication, training, coaching, and hands-on support
• Learn, understand, and execute all stations as needed
• Assist with creating, testing, and executing seasonal and custom event menus
• Collaborate with culinary teams across O+O Hospitality Group when appropriate
• Help prepare for tastings, private dinners, weddings, and large-scale events
• Maintain strong systems for scheduling, prep lists, ordering, inventory, labeling, storage, and organization
• Uphold high standards for sanitation, food safety, cleanliness, and kitchen safety
• Communicate clearly with culinary, service, event, and management teams
• Help create a professional, focused, respectful kitchen culture
• Act as a leader in the kitchen when the Executive Chef is not present
• Perform other duties as needed to support the success of the team

What We’re Looking For

The right candidate will bring strong cooking skills, curiosity, professionalism, and the ability to lead with both urgency and calm. You do not need to have done high-volume events forever, but you do need to care deeply about food, standards, teamwork, and follow-through.

Ideal qualifications include:

• At least 3 years of professional restaurant cooking experience
• Experience on multiple stations in a scratch kitchen
• Strong prep, organization, and knife skills
• Interest in seasonal, creative, and customized menus
• Prior leadership or supervisory experience preferred
• Ability to communicate clearly and respectfully with cooks, chefs, managers, and service teams
• Strong understanding of sanitation, food safety, labeling, dating, and kitchen organization
• Ability to work nights, weekends, and event-based schedules
• ServSafe Manager certification preferred; we can assist with course and exam support if needed

What Makes Someone Successful Here

You’ll do well in this role if you:

• Like variety and can adapt when each event has different needs
• Seek mentorship and are also ready to mentor others
• Stay calm when an event’s Host asks for a pivot
• Care about the guest experience, even from behind the kitchen doors
• Communicate early, clearly, and professionally
• Believe clean, organized kitchens are the best start to a great service
• Want to grow with a restaurant group that values people, hospitality, and craft

Physical Requirements

This role requires the ability to stand for extended periods, bend, lift, carry, reach, stoop, and move throughout kitchen, storage, and event spaces. Must be able to work in a professional kitchen environment with varying temperatures, noise levels, pace, and physical demands. Must be able to work nights and weekends based on event needs.

Benefits & Perks

O+O Hospitality Group offers:

• Competitive annual salary based on experience
• Health, dental, vision, and life insurance options for full-time employees
• 80 hours paid time off for full-time employees after one year of service, renewing at 120 hours each subsequent year
• Paid parental leave for eligible e…