Join Our Team as a Chef / Culinary Partner at Two Hearted Queen!

Two Hearted Queen is looking for an experienced, creative chef to help us develop the next phase of our food program at our independent coffeehouse in Chicago’s Lakeview neighborhood.

Are you a culinary artist with a passion for creating memorable food experiences? Two Hearted Queen, a beloved local gem in Chicago, IL, is seeking a Chef / Culinary Partner to help us bring our vision to life. If you thrive in a collaborative environment and are excited about shaping a growing food program, we’d love to hear from you!

About Two Hearted Queen

At Two Hearted Queen, we’re more than just a café—we’re a community. Known for our warm, welcoming atmosphere and dedication to quality, we take pride in serving our customers with heart and creativity. Now, we’re looking to expand our offerings with a food program that complements our mission and values.

What You’ll Do

We’re looking for someone who can honor and refine our existing menu while helping us develop recipes, systems, and a kitchen setup that make sense for the space we actually have.

As our Chef / Culinary Partner, you’ll play a key role in developing and executing our culinary vision. The right person could help us with:

Developing and executing recipes that complement our existing coffeehouse menu and identity
Improving current recipes, prep methods, consistency, and kitchen workflow
Creating new breakfast, lunch, bakery, grab-and-go, and/or catering offerings
Designing a food program appropriate for our volume, labor model, and available space
Evaluating kitchen layout, equipment needs, storage, prep areas, and production flow
Identifying creative ways to expand our cooking capabilities without a traditional hood system
Training our existing team to consistently execute the resulting menu and systems
Helping us think through how the kitchen can support both daily café service and future production/catering opportunities

This is not a traditional restaurant kitchen. We currently operate without black iron or a vented hood, so we’re especially interested in someone who sees that as a creative design constraint rather than a limitation. Experience developing menus around countertop, electric, induction, rapid-cook, ventless, or other compact commercial equipment would be particularly valuable.

We’re especially interested in meeting someone who understands that a successful small food operation isn’t about creating the most elaborate menu possible—it’s about creating food that is delicious, distinctive, executable, financially sensible, and appropriate for the operation around it.

This could potentially take the shape of a consulting engagement, project-based collaboration, ongoing culinary leadership role, or deeper partnership, depending on the person and the fit.

We’d love to hear from chefs with experience in cafés, bakeries, breakfast/lunch concepts, catering, small-footprint kitchens, commissary/production environments, or other creative food operations.

If this sounds like the kind of challenge you enjoy, please reach out with a little about yourself, your culinary background, and—most importantly—what interests you about building a food program within an existing independent operation.

What We’re Looking For

We’re seeking a culinary professional who brings:

3+ years of experience in a chef or culinary leadership role.
A creative and innovative approach to menu development.
Strong organizational skills and attention to detail.
A collaborative spirit and the ability to work closely with our team.
A passion for creating food that brings people together.

Compensation

This position offers competitive compensation, starting at $40/hour, commensurate with your experience and the scope of the role. This role starts with a limited hourly engagement, with the potential to expand based on mutual fit and the success of the program.

Why Join Us?

At Two Hearted Queen, we believe in fostering a supportive and inclusive environment where creativity thrives. This is a unique opportunity to partner with us in shaping a food program from the ground up, with the flexibility to grow and evolve alongside our business.

Ready to Apply?

If you’re excited about the chance to bring your culinary talents to Two Hearted Queen, we’d love to hear from you! Please send your resume and a brief introduction outlining your experience and vision for the role. Let’s create something extraordinary together!

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