A prep cook prepares the ingredients, sauces, and bases that the line needs before service starts. It is an entry-level kitchen role that supports every station and is a common first step toward becoming a line cook. Here is what the job looks like across a shift, in the order it happens.
Opening duties
- Read the prep list and ask the sous chef about priorities before you begin
- Wash hands, put on an apron and gloves where needed, and sanitize your cutting boards
- Pull the day's ingredients from the walk-in and dry storage in one trip
- Check and rotate product, pulling anything old or near its date to the front
- Set out scales, containers, labels, and a sanitizer bucket at your prep station
During service
- Finish remaining prep items and hand them off to the line as they are needed
- Restock stations with cut vegetables, portioned proteins, and sauces on request
- Answer quick requests from line cooks for more of any prepped item
- Keep the prep area clean and wash dishes and tools you have used
- Break down deliveries that arrive and store them immediately
- Taste sauces and bases before they go to the line to catch seasoning problems
- Tell the sous chef when you are low on a product that needs to be reordered
Closing duties
- Wrap, label, and date all prepped items and move them to the right shelf
- Wash, sanitize, and put away cutting boards, knives, and small equipment
- Clean the prep table, sinks, and the floor around your station
- Take out the trash and compost and rinse the bins
- Leave a short note for the next prep cook about what was finished and what is left
Weekly duties
- Help count inventory in the walk-in, freezer, and dry storage
- Clean the walk-in shelves and rotate older product forward
- Make larger batch items like stocks, pickles, or doughs on the weekly schedule
- Check par levels with the sous chef and update the prep list for the coming week
Writing a posting? The prep cook job description turns these duties into a ready-to-paste template. For shift planning, try the free restaurant schedule template.