Tacombi is a fast-growing, omni-channel consumer and retail brand that is committed to globally sharing Mexican food and culture through hospitality experiences, CPG products, community outreach and digital content. Over the next couple years, we’ll be significantly expanding our footprint across the U.S., which means we are going to hire a lot of people and each one of them needs to uphold our brand promise, embody our core values and always extend Mexican Hospitality – Tacombi’s unique service culture – to our growing customer and employee bases.
The Culinary Director at Tacombi is responsible for connecting our guests to Mexico through its food. The director is a key leader focused on enhancing our culinary offerings and ensuring flawless menu execution across all locations. This role drives kitchen innovation, develops best in class and scalable back-of-house operations, upholds our sourcing philosophy, ensures operational safety practices and collaborates with the Leadership Team to achieve exceptional food quality, flavor and efficiency.
Key Responsibilities:
Menu Innovation & Execution:
- Develop and execute innovative menu items that reflect culinary trends and guest feedback while honoring Tacombi’s mission to share authentic Mexican culinary traditions.
- Oversee food production to ensure high standards of flavor, quality, and presentation.
- Collaborate with the Leadership Team on new dishes and Limited Time Offers (LTOs), promoting these initiatives effectively.
- Standardize recipes and preparation methods for consistency across locations.
- Lead tastings and workshops to train the kitchen team.
- Define and uphold the Tacombi sourcing philosophy
Team Leadership & Development:
- Mentor taqueria leaders to foster a culture of culinary excellence.
- Implement training programs to enhance leadership skills and operational readiness.
- Ensure teams are prepared for inspections and maintain high safety standards.
Operational Excellence:
- Manage daily kitchen operations for efficiency and productivity.
- Collaborate with the Leadership Team to meet labor and COGS targets, aligning with P&L goals.
- Implement waste reduction strategies and optimize resource use.
- Maintain kitchen equipment and manage inventory needs.
Qualifications:
- 5+ years of culinary leadership, ideally in multi-location settings.
- Bilingual in English and Spanish (required).
- Strong team leadership and mentoring skills, with a focus on culinary excellence.
- Solid business acumen with experience in P&L, labor, and inventory management.
- Excellent organizational, communication, and project management skills.
- Adaptable to a fast-paced, changing environment.
- Knowledge of restaurant operations, health, and safety standards.
- Proficient in Microsoft Office and restaurant management software.
- Strong relationship-building skills; collaborative and inspiring.
- Passionate about hospitality, culture, and the Tacombi brand—especially tacos!
Tacombi offers equal opportunities to all applicants, and we are committed to supporting diversity, equity and inclusion. We aim to hire, develop and retain top employees through structured processes that reduce bias and promote equity and belonging.
What We Do
Tacombi started in 2006 on the sand-dusted streets of Playa Del Carmen with a converted taco-serving bus and a dream to share Mexico with the world. We opened our first taqueria in a downtown garage in New York in 2010, and also started producing our own authentic, traditional “Vista Hermosa” tortilla products to preserve and share the flavors of Mexico. We have continued to share Mexican taco culture through neighborhood taquerias across New York, Washington DC and Miami and offer our Vista Hermosa products through stores across the country.
As Tacombi opens kitchens in new cities, we have committed to grow our nonprofit The Tacombi Foundation and The Tacombi Community Kitchen, which was established to fight food insecurity and provide food relief for those in need.
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