Executive Chef | New Restaurant Opening | Salary to 135k

Company: Gecko Hospitality
Location: Bentonville
Posted on: February 18, 2026

Job Description:

Job Description Job Description Gecko Hospitality is now searching for an Executive Chef to lead a new restaurant in Bentonville! The ideal Executive Chef is a collaborative, hands-on culinary leader who excels in kitchen operations, cost control, and team development while driving consistency, innovation, and exceptional guest experiences through strong partnerships and high standards. About the Company: Experience global cuisine at its finest in Northwest Arkansas, where talented chefs craft unforgettable meals and events that redefine the dining experience. We're excited to soon unveil our flagship location, a vibrant hub for culinary innovation and community connection. Join us as we bring our bold culinary vision to life and introduce award-winning talent to the region. Key Responsibilities: Lead all culinary operations in partnership with the General Manager, including hiring, training, and developing high-performing kitchen and commissary teams. Drive consistency and excellence through daily tastings, quality checks, standardized recipes, and strong operational systems. Manage food and labor performance by overseeing inventory, scheduling, budgets, and key cost metrics while maintaining compliance and safety standards. Collaborate with visiting chefs from Asia and across the globe to develop and execute menus that bring their unique culinary vision to life. Compensation: Salary: Up to $135,000 Medical/Dental Insurance Strong Bonus Potential 401(k) with match Relocation assistance Short & Long Term Disability Additional benefits shared during the hiring process What You Bring: Minimum of 5 years current Executive Chef experience in a full-service restaurant Japanese cooking experience, specifically with ramen, charcoal grill, and temaki is required to be considered for this position High volume background; must have restaurant general manager experience in establishments doing over $4 million per year Ability to maintain high levels of food quality, consistency, and hygiene Strong leadership, communication, and organizational skills Excellent work ethic and drive to succeed Executive Chef candidates must be proficient with financials (P&L's, inventory, food/labor cost, etc.) Previous experience with menu writing and costing Company Description Since 2000, Gecko Hospitality and its dedicated Franchise Partners and Recruiters throughout the United States have been pioneers in the hospitality recruiting industry. The value that Gecko Hospitality provides to its clientele is evident in the advanced networking and technology skills our professional recruiters possess in identifying qualified restaurant professionals. Our national network consists of 37 regional offices that are driven to meet the needs of the hospitality industry. In addition, Gecko Hospitality offers the largest selection of hospitality jobs, restaurant jobs, hotel jobs, resort jobs and club management jobs online. Our specialized, hospitality-focused team covers all 50 states and Canada with over 80 Franchise Partners and recruiters. Gecko Hospitality was founded on providing the finest restaurant jobs nationwide to the highest performing candidates. More importantly, our Franchise Partners and recruiters began their careers in hospitality and there is no finer training ground for recruiting than real life experience. At Gecko Hospitality, we are passionate about making sure that every member of our recruiting team is familiar with our philosophies. In the same way that we learn about people when developing relationships and friendships, we want our people to have a sense of Gecko Hospitality's values and insight into our company's "personality." With this insight comes a greater understanding of how values "fit" with Gecko Hospitality's values, why we do things the way we do as well as providing a basis for making decisions that are appropriate to those values. We all play a part in keeping these traditions and philosophies alive. We want every member of our recruiting team to understand that we are only as good as how well we follow these philosophies on an every day basis. Gecko Hospitality is all about achieving results by being motivated. This motivation to achieve results comes from within. No one can motivate us, nor can we motivate anyone else. As leaders, all that we can do is provide an environment where people motivate themselves to achieve mutually beneficial goals. Along with this philosophy, each team member possesses the following traits for which we are proud: honesty, integrity, desire, determination, listening skills, rapid learning, responding in a timely manner, effective communication skills, thoroughness, empathy, compassion, and most of all we want every team member to have a strong work ethic that motivates them to produce superior results both for our candidates and for our Clients. At Gecko Hospitality, you certainly have more choices Company Description Since 2000, Gecko Hospitality and its dedicated Franchise Partners and Recruiters throughout the United States have been pioneers in the hospitality recruiting industry. The value that Gecko Hospitality provides to its clientele is evident in the advanced networking and technology skills our professional recruiters possess in identifying qualified restaurant professionals.\r\n\r\nOur national network consists of 37 regional offices that are driven to meet the needs of the hospitality industry. In addition, Gecko Hospitality offers the largest selection of hospitality jobs, restaurant jobs, hotel jobs, resort jobs and club management jobs online. Our specialized, hospitality-focused team covers all 50 states and Canada with over 80 Franchise Partners and recruiters. Gecko Hospitality was founded on providing the finest restaurant jobs nationwide to the highest performing candidates. More importantly, our Franchise Partners and recruiters began their careers in hospitality and there is no finer training ground for recruiting than real life experience.\r\n\r\nAt Gecko Hospitality, we are passionate about making sure that every member of our recruiting team is familiar with our philosophies. In the same way that we learn about people when developing relationships and friendships, we want our people to have a sense of Gecko Hospitality's values and insight into our company's "personality." With this insight comes a greater understanding of how values "fit" with Gecko Hospitality's values, why we do things the way we do as well as providing a basis for making decisions that are appropriate to those values. We all play a part in keeping these traditions and philosophies alive.\r\n\r\nWe want every member of our recruiting team to understand that we are only as good as how well we follow these philosophies on an every day basis. Gecko Hospitality is all about achieving results by being motivated. This motivation to achieve results comes from within. No one can motivate us, nor can we motivate anyone else. As leaders, all that we can do is provide an environment where people motivate themselves to achieve mutually beneficial goals. Along with this philosophy, each team member possesses the following traits for which we are proud: honesty, integrity, desire, determination, listening skills, rapid learning, responding in a timely manner, effective communication skills, thoroughness, empathy, compassion, and most of all we want every team member to have a strong work ethic that motivates them to produce superior results both for our candidates and for our Clients.\r\n\r\nAt Gecko Hospitality, you certainly have more choices

Keywords: Gecko Hospitality, Fort Smith , Executive Chef | New Restaurant Opening | Salary to 135k, Hospitality & Tourism , Bentonville, Arkansas