Job Opening: Pizzaiolo

If interested please submit a cover letter and resumé to [email protected].

Pizzaiolo:  Lala’s Brooklyn Apizza (at GRIMM)

Named “New York State Brewery of the Year” for the second year running, Grimm Artisanal Ales is an award-winning brewery committed to pursuing excellence. We seek to be one of the world’s elite breweries, and now we are turning our attention to pizza in our new rooftop space above the production brewery.

We are on the cusp of opening Lala’s Brooklyn Apizza, a fermentation-focused New Haven-inspired sourdough pizzeria located on the roof of our brewery in East Williamsburg, Brooklyn. In concept, ingredients, and attention to quality, Grimm beer and Lala’s apizza are intertwined. We begin our pizza by blending house-milled malted wheat with high-protein flour. We ferment our dough with a house sourdough culture that we sourced from Grimm’s mixed-culture sour beers. We shape the dough with a rolling pin in the manner of pizza tonda Romana, and we bake in our brand new hand-built, combination gas- and wood-fired oven. The result is a deliciously well-charred, delicate thin crust pie that we serve alongside house-cured olives, house lacto-fermented pickled vegetables, and simple seasonal salads and desserts made from locally-sourced ingredients.

Position Overview

Lala’s will be the ultimate complement to our fermentation-driven brewery, and we need a highly motivated, creative, and detail-oriented individual to collaborate on the launch of this exciting project and usher it into routine daily operation. The pizzaiolo will begin as the point of contact leading up to the opening of Lala’s, which will necessitate flexibility and awareness during the creative trouble-shooting that all restaurants undergo during their opening weeks and months.

Once Lala’s opens to the public, the pizzaiolo will be engaged in both the behind-the-scenes work of kitchen staff and inventory management as well as the hands-on, physical work of milling flour, mixing and fermenting dough, prepping and baking pizzas in our wood-fired oven, and experimenting with novel ingredients. The best person to fill this role is highly organized, adaptive, and has plenty of hands-on dough experience.

The pizzaiolo will work within the vision outlined above to lead and manage a small and efficient team executing some of the best pizza in NYC.

Qualifications

• 2+ years as professional pizzaiolo or baker;
• Experience operating a wood-burning pizza oven;
• Knowledge of culinary techniques including naturally leavened dough;
• Experience in using kitchen equipment, cutting tools, and cookware;
• Experience managing kitchen inventory;
• Ability to prioritize and manage a full and diverse workload, take initiative and be proactive;
• Demonstrate an ability to work independently and as a member of a team;
• Ability to lead a small team of kitchen and pizza staff;
• Strong communication skills;
• Highly organized, detail oriented and punctual;
• A strong self-motivation for experimentation, curiosity, and learning;
• Positive, respectful attitude;
• Ability to follow established health and safety regulations;
• Flexibility of schedule;
• Ability to stand/walk for extended periods of time;
• High school diploma or equivalent; Diploma from a culinary school will be an advantage;
• Experience working on an opening team is an advantage.

Essential Functions:

• • Collaborate with ownership and GM on the development of Lala’s kitchen staffing structure;
  • Participate in the hiring, and onboarding of all kitchen staff;
  • Develop SOPs and train new hires to adhere to SOPs;
  • Plan and direct daily kitchen operations;
  • Manage labor reports and payroll for kitchen staff
  • Schedule and lead kitchen team meetings;
  • Collaborate with GM and ownership to develop catering menus for private and public events.
  • Craft and create new seasonal menu items in conjunction with owners and GM;
  • Schedule and direct staff during public and private events;
  • Source and purchase all ingredients for pizza menu and cocktail program;
  • Maintain and order inventory to align with kitchen and bar demand.
  • Collaborate with GM to ensure seamless inventory coordination and customer experience;
  • Maintain kitchen equipment and tools;
  • Ensure the quality of goods being used and served is in accordance with Lala’s/Grimm’s standards;
  • Create systems to properly store food items in appropriate locations at appropriate temperatures;
  • Direct and monitor kitchen staff’s adherence to all technical standards for food preparation, service, and cleanliness;
  • Ensure kitchen cleanliness and organization;
  • Maintain a clean and orderly kitchen work environment in compliance with applicable fire, health and safety codes, rules, and regulations;
  • Setting regular cleaning standards for the kitchen and verifying that staff is maintaining sanitation levels
  • Perform regular quality control on food leaving the kitchen
  • Tracking kitchen finances to identify areas of potential waste
  • Perform other job-related duties as needed

Compensation:

• Salaried ranging between $55,000 – $60,000 plus benefits

Grimm Artisanal Ales is an Equal Opportunity Employer and considers applicants without regard to race, color, religion, gender, national origin, age, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, genetic information, pregnancy, military status or any other category protected by law. This policy applies to all terms and conditions of employment, including recruiting, hiring, placement, promotion, termination, layoff, recall, transfer, leaves of absence, compensation and training.

Grimm Artisanal Ales  expressly prohibits any form of workplace harassment based on race, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, national origin, age, genetic information, disability, or veteran status. Improper interference with the ability of Grimm’s employees to perform their job duties may result in discipline up to and including discharge.