Headline ideas
- Prep cooks wanted
- Early mornings, calm kitchen
- Start the day with us
- Join our prep team
- Now hiring prep cooks
What to put on the sign
- State the start time up front, because early shifts are the main thing a prep applicant wants to know.
- Describe the work in plain terms, such as chopping, portioning and stocking.
- Say if you have a path from prep to line, since many applicants want a way up.
- Mention that you will train new hires on knife skills and kitchen safety.
What pay to put on a prep cook poster
Posters with a real number get more walk-ins than “competitive pay.” For reference, the Bureau of Labor Statistics puts the median for food preparation workers at $16.98/hr nationally and $19.07/hr in the Boston metro (May 2025 estimates). The full prep cook salary breakdown shows the range.
The prep cook role in one line
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.
Requirements worth printing
Keep the poster to the two or three that actually screen people out. The rest belongs in the full posting.
- No formal culinary degree required, and previous kitchen experience is a plus
- Basic knife skills or a willingness to learn them quickly
- Ability to lift heavy boxes and stand on your feet for a full shift
- Food handler card or ServSafe Food Handler certification is often required
- Ability to read a recipe and measure ingredients accurately
Typical schedule
Prep shifts are commonly mornings or early afternoons, often five days a week, and they usually finish before or as dinner service begins.
Put the same opening on the free Servestack jobs board and borrow wording from the prep cook job description.