Job at a glance
An Ambitious New California Dinner Concept | Sherman Oaks Salary range in ad is placeholder — depends on what involvement entails (ie consulting vs permanent position), experience, etc, and is flexible. We're developing a new dinner restaurant in Los Angeles, and we're looking for an exceptional chef to help shape it from the ground up. The restaurant will operate in the existing Sweet Butter Kitchen space in Sherman Oaks, but with its own name, identity, menu, and experience.
This isn't an extension of our daytime café. We're creating something new. Our starting point is California cooking, with a particular love for vegetables, meats, and the sauces and dips that bring everything together. The goal is to create a restaurant that draws people from across Los Angeles, with a menu and identity that are entirely its own. We have a strong sense of what we love, but we're not handing someone a finished menu or a prescribed culinary direction.
We want to discover what this restaurant can be with the right person. **Who we're looking for** You may be a sous chef, chef de cuisine, or executive chef who has spent years working in exceptional kitchens and is ready to put your own point of view into something new. We're looking for someone with an extraordinary palate, strong creative instincts, obsessive attention to detail, and a genuine love of cooking.
Someone who understands that the difference between a good dish and an unforgettable one often comes down to the smallest decisions. You should have ideas you're excited to explore, the confidence to defend them, and the curiosity to challenge them. We believe great food comes from collaboration, experimentation, and a relentless willingness to make something better. We're not particularly interested in titles or pedigree for their own sake.
We care about where you've learned, what you've absorbed, and what you're capable of creating. **The opportunity** Sweet Butter is an established, successful restaurant with an existing kitchen, team, infrastructure, and loyal following. We're bringing those resources to an entirely new dinner experience, with an equally ambitious, original cocktail program and a vision for a vibrant, energetic restaurant.
This is an opportunity to play a defining creative role in building something new, without starting from zero. We're targeting a spring 2027 opening. We're serious about building a restaurant with its own voice, one that can stand alongside the best dining experiences in Los Angeles. We're looking for someone who shares that ambition. **To apply:** Tell us about yourself, your experience, and the kind of food you want to create.
We'd love to hear about a dish you're particularly proud of, or an idea you've been wanting to explore.