WE'RE HIRING!

Executive Chef & Business Development Partner

Puglia Pasta Bar | Byron Bay, NSW Salary up to $100,000 + Annual Performance Bonus + Guaranteed Salary Growth with Expansion

We're looking for an ambitious, experienced chef who wants to be part of something bigger than just running a kitchen!

Puglia Pasta Bar is a small but incredibly successful Italian restaurant in the heart of Byron Bay. We've built a strong reputation with both locals and tourists, a loyal following and, most importantly, a proven and highly successful business model.

Now, we're ready to grow!

With plans to open our second location in 2027 and further expansion opportunities on the horizon, we're looking for an Executive Chef & Business Development Partner to help lead the next chapter of Puglia.

The Opportunity

This isn't your typical Executive Chef position. We're looking for someone who loves cooking but also has the leadership skills, commercial mindset and ambition to help grow a successful hospitality brand.

You'll work closely with the owner, combining hands-on kitchen shifts at our flagship Byron Bay restaurant with business development, operational planning and expansion.

As we prepare to open our second location, you'll take a leading role in getting the new restaurant up and running while ensuring our flagship continues to operate at the high standards that have made it so successful.

This is a genuine long-term career opportunity, with your salary, responsibilities and rewards growing alongside the business.

Your Role Will Include

- Kitchen Leadership: Work alongside our team in the kitchen, maintaining exceptional food quality, consistency and efficiency.
- Business Development: Work directly with the owner to develop and implement our expansion strategy.
- New Restaurant Openings: Take the lead in establishing our next location, including kitchen setup, recruitment, training and operational systems.
- Multi-Venue Management: Oversee kitchen operations across locations, ensuring our flagship continues to thrive.
- Menu & Recipe Development:



Maintain the authenticity of our Italian menu while refining recipes, food costs and systems for future growth.
- Team Development: Recruit, mentor and develop strong kitchen teams and future leaders.
- Operational Excellence: Create scalable kitchen systems, procedures and standards that can be replicated across future locations.

Who We're Looking For

- An experienced Head Chef or Executive Chef with strong leadership skills.
- Passionate about authentic Italian food and traditional cooking.
- Commercially minded, with a solid understanding of food costs, labour management and profitability.
- Organised, proactive and confident managing people and operations.
- Excited by the challenge of opening new restaurants and developing a growing brand.
- Equally comfortable working hands-on in a kitchen and planning the bigger picture.
- Ambitious, reliable and genuinely interested in building a long-term career with the business.

Experience opening restaurants or managing multiple venues would be highly regarded.

Essential Requirements

- Must have permanent Australian working rights. Applicants must be Australian citizens, permanent residents or otherwise hold unrestricted, ongoing Australian work rights. Employer visa sponsorship is not available for this position.
- Must currently live in the Byron Bay/Northern Rivers region or be willing to relocate to the area for the position.
- Must be available to work on-site and undertake hands-on kitchen shifts as required.
- Must have demonstrated experience in senior kitchen leadership and managing kitchen operations.

Salary, Bonuses & Career Growth





We believe that someone who helps build and grow our business should share in the rewards of that success.

We're offering

- Starting base salary up to $100,000 per year, depending on experience.
- Annual performance bonuses linked to agreed business and operational targets.
- Structured base salary increases as new locations open, reflecting the additional responsibility of overseeing multiple restaurants.
- Salary progression linked to expansion milestones, with increases reviewed and agreed as each new venue becomes operational.
- A explicit salary progression structure documented in your employment agreement, so you know how your remuneration will grow alongside the business.
- Long-term opportunities to take on a senior leadership role across an expanding restaurant group.

Unlike many traditional chef positions, this role offers the opportunity to increase your earning potential as you help develop and grow the business.

Why Puglia?

We're not a large hospitality group with layers of management. We're a small, locally owned business that has created something special — a simple, successful restaurant concept with strong customer loyalty and real potential to grow. We're looking for someone who sees that potential and wants to help turn one successful little pasta bar into something much bigger.

If you're an experienced chef with an entrepreneurial spirit who wants to be part of building a growing restaurant brand, we'd love to hear from you.

Interested?

Send us a message on [0404 205 314](tel:0404 205 314) with a little about yourself and your experience, and we can arrange a confidential chat. Please include your current location, relevant experience and confirmation of your Australian working rights when getting in touch.

For SEEK, I'd also recommend adding two screening questions: whether the applicant has permanent Australian working rights and whether they're currently based in the Northern Rivers or willing to relocate. This should help filter unsuitable applications before interviews.

📌 Executive Chef & Business Development Partner (Byron Bay)
🏢 Puglia Pasta Bar
📍 Byron Bay