Executive Chef

Do You Love Great Food, Leadership, and Mountain Living?

Work Hard. Play Hard. Live Fully in Crested Butte.

At Elk Ave Hospitality, we are building teams for people who want more than just a job. We are looking for leaders who want to build strong teams, shape culinary culture, and help grow a multi-concept hospitality company in the Gunnison Valley.

If you love developing chefs, creating disciplined kitchen systems, and translating culinary vision into consistent execution, we want to hear from you.

Whether your passion is skiing first tracks, biking wildflower-lined trails, fishing alpine waters, or simply soaking in the beauty of the Rockies, this is an opportunity to build a meaningful culinary career while enjoying the lifestyle of one of Colorado’s most remarkable mountain communities.

We are growing quickly and actively building career paths for people who want to expand their knowledge, strengthen their leadership, and contribute to a hospitality culture built around quality, accountability, and genuine care.

• A positive, team-oriented leadership environment
• The opportunity to shape culinary standards across multiple concepts
• Ongoing professional development and advancement opportunities
• Employee housing opportunities, depending on availability
• Competitive executive-level compensation
• Health benefits
• Paid time off
• The opportunity to live and work in the Gunnison Valley

This is a full-time salaried executive leadership position.

You may be a strong fit if you:

• Lead through clear standards, strong systems, and hands‑on support
• Take pride in food quality, consistency, profitability, and execution
• Can develop chefs, sous chefs, cooks, and support teams
• Understand how culinary creativity and financial discipline work together
• Communicate clearly with senior leadership, venue managers, and kitchen teams
• Can operate effectively across multiple concepts and service styles
• Thrive in a seasonal hospitality environment with changing priorities
• Bring professionalism, humility, urgency, and accountability to work each day
• Care deeply about building a culinary culture that can grow without losing quality

Our core values are Communication, Humility, Accountability, Integrity, and Respect, and we are looking for a culinary leader who will model those values throughout the organization.

In this role, you will be expected to:

• Maintain a professional appearance and model executive-level leadership
• Work mornings, evenings, weekends, holidays, and extended hours when business needs require
• Travel between concepts and remain present in the kitchens you support
• Communicate clearly and constructively with senior leadership, chefs, managers, and hourly team members
• Protect culinary standards while remaining adaptable to each concept
• Build systems that support quality, cleanliness, safety, labor efficiency, and cost control
• Lead with consistency, urgency, and a company‑first mindset
• Step into operations directly when additional leadership, stabilization, or coverage is needed

We believe strong culinary leaders understand the entire operation, not merely the menu. The Executive Chef will work across multiple concepts, service styles, and leadership teams to build a shared culinary standard while respecting the identity of each venue.

This role offers the opportunity to shape the long-term culinary direction of Elk Ave Hospitality, develop future culinary leaders, and create systems that support sustainable growth across the company.

Elk Ave Hospitality is a growing family of restaurants and hospitality businesses in Crested Butte and the Gunnison Valley. Our concepts range from elevated dining to high‑volume casual hospitality, historic mountain‑town service, destination dining, events, bakery, market, and provisions.

Our current portfolio includes Elk Prime, Bruhaus, Wooden Nickel, Bar 47, Mule’s Ear Market and Provisions, and a growing events operation.

We believe hospitality can be both a craft and a career. With multiple concepts, varied service models, and meaningful opportunities for advancement, we are building a company…