Cook/Cook Assistant/Prep Cook
General information
Job duties
- Cooking or preparing food items according to procedures or recipes.
- Placing food items on serving plates or dishes along with required condiments and utensils to present to customers.
- Preparing items quickly and accurately, ensuring no waste and in accordance with production and portion requirements and quality standards while maintaining a safe, sanitary work environment.
- Maintaining and cleaning all food service areas according to all county, state, and federal health codes and sanitation procedures, including preparation tables, equipment, floors, supply areas, refrigerators, and coolers.
- Washing all dirty dishes and equipment.
- Ensuring that cooking grease is rotated properly.
- Maintaining all necessary food reporting and labeling to ensure product quality.
- At the beginning of the day, getting food preparation areas stocked and set up.
- At the end of the day, cleaning up food preparation areas and properly storing unused food items.
- Keeping supervisor/manager informed of all supply, food, and product inventory when necessary.
- Keeping supervisor/manager informed of situations relating to facility operation, patron complaints or concerns, accidents, emergency situations, damages, and potential safety hazards.
- Attending departmental and team meetings as well as participating in all additional training courses.
- Performing all duties in a safe manner.
- Moving to different locations or job assignments within the property as needed, and performing other duties as assigned.
Housing
Details
Cook the Summer of Your Life on Mackinac Island
Imagine a place where cars are banned, horse-drawn carriages clip-clop past Victorian porches, and the smell of fresh fudge drifts down the main street. That place is Mackinac Island, Michigan – one of America’s most beloved summer destinations – and it’s where you’ll be living and working as a Cook, Cook Assistant or Prep Cook at the Chippewa Hotel Waterfront and the world-famous Pink Pony Restaurant.
The Pink Pony is a legend on the Great Lakes: sailors from the Chicago-to-Mackinac race, families on holiday and island locals all gather on its waterfront deck for burgers, whitefish, and sunsets over Lake Huron. If you love the energy of a busy kitchen and want a summer story nobody else at university can beat, this is your job.
What You’ll Be Doing
- Preparing ingredients: washing, peeling, chopping vegetables, portioning proteins and making sauces, soups and salads
- Cooking dishes on the line (grill, fryer, sauté) according to recipes and quality standards
- Plating dishes attractively and getting orders out quickly during busy service
- Following food safety, hygiene and HACCP-style sanitation rules at all times
- Receiving deliveries, rotating stock and keeping storage areas organised
- Cleaning your station, equipment and kitchen at the end of each shift
- Working as part of an international team with American chefs and supervisors
What You’ll Gain
- Real, paid experience in a high-volume American kitchen – excellent for your CV
- Fast improvement in your English, especially professional kitchen vocabulary
- A steady 40-hour schedule with the possibility of extra hours in peak season
- Employer support with housing and orientation on the island
- Friends from dozens of countries and a summer you’ll talk about for years
Who We’re Looking For
- University students aged 18–25 eligible for the Work & Travel USA (J-1) programme
- Conversational English – enough to understand tickets, recipes and instructions
- Some kitchen or cooking experience is a big plus, but a strong willingness to learn matters most for prep/assistant roles
- Physically fit: able to stand for long shifts, lift up to 20 kg and work in a hot, fast-paced kitchen
- Reliable, punctual, clean and a genuine team player
- Flexible availability including evenings, weekends and holidays
- Comfortable living on a small island where bikes replace cars
Ready to Apply?
Positions at Mackinac Island’s most iconic restaurant fill up early every season. Apply now, secure your place in the Pink Pony kitchen, and turn your summer break into an unforgettable American adventure.
Why choose Chippewa Hotel Waterfront and Pink Pony Restaurant
Why Mackinac Island?
Mackinac Island is a 3.8-square-mile island in the straits between Lake Huron and Lake Michigan, reachable only by ferry or small plane. There are no cars – you’ll get around by bicycle, just like everyone else. Between shifts you can cycle the 8-mile shoreline road, swim in the crystal-clear water, hike to Arch Rock, explore Fort Mackinac, taste the island’s famous fudge, and watch spectacular sunsets from the harbour.
The island’s summer workforce is made up of hundreds of students from all over the world, so you’ll instantly become part of a huge, friendly international community. Evenings mean bonfires, beach hangouts, staff parties and lifelong friendships. And when your programme ends, Chicago, Detroit and Toronto are all within reach for travelling.
About Michigan
Michigan's Great Lakes shores, Mackinac Island and resort towns make for a classic lakeside summer. Students work in island hotels, resorts and restaurants surrounded by beaches and forests.
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