Bethany Boathouse

Trade Your Textbooks for a Chef’s Apron on the Delaware Coast

Imagine finishing your shift and walking straight onto a golden sand beach as the sun sets over the Atlantic. That’s daily life at Bethany Boathouse in Bethany Beach, Delaware — a beloved waterfront restaurant where the seafood is fresh, the kitchen buzzes with energy, and every summer brings a new crew of international students who become lifelong friends.

We’re hiring Cooks for the Work & Travel USA season, offering $16 per hour and a guaranteed 40 hours per week from summer through fall. If you love food, thrive in a fast-paced team, and want a genuine American work experience with the beach as your backyard, this is your job.

What You’ll Be Doing

• Preparing and cooking menu items — from fresh seafood and crab cakes to burgers, salads, and coastal favorites
• Working the grill, fryer, and sauté stations during busy summer service
• Prepping ingredients: chopping, portioning, marinating, and organizing your station before service
• Plating dishes to our presentation standards so every guest gets a photo-worthy meal
• Maintaining a clean, safe, and sanitary kitchen following U.S. health and food safety rules
• Receiving deliveries, rotating stock, and helping track inventory
• Communicating clearly with servers and fellow cooks to keep tickets moving

Why Bethany Beach?

Bethany Beach is one of Delaware’s famous “Quiet Resorts” — a friendly, safe, family-oriented town on the Atlantic Ocean with a charming boardwalk, free summer concerts at the bandstand, and miles of clean beaches. It sits in the heart of the Delaware Shore, just minutes from lively Ocean City, Maryland and Rehoboth Beach, and within easy reach of Washington D.C., Baltimore, Philadelphia, and New York City on your days off.

Summer here means kayaking and paddleboarding on the bay, biking the coastal trails, boardwalk arcades, ice cream at sunset, and beach bonfires with friends from around the world. When fall arrives, the crowds thin out, the ocean is still warm, and the town becomes your own personal seaside retreat.

What You’ll Get

• $16.00 per hour — a strong wage for a kitchen position
• 40 guaranteed hours per week, with a long summer-to-fall season for maximum earnings
• Real professional kitchen experience in a U.S. restaurant — a standout line on any CV
• Daily English practice with American colleagues and guests
• A multicultural team and an instant social circle of fellow J-1 students
• Beach lifestyle: work hard, then swim, surf, and explore the East Coast

What We’re Looking For

• University students aged 18–25 eligible for the Work & Travel USA (J-1) program
• Conversational English — enough to understand orders, recipes, and safety instructions
• Genuine interest in cooking; previous kitchen, café, or restaurant experience is a big plus (but we will train motivated beginners)
• Ability to stand for long shifts in a warm, fast-moving kitchen and lift up to 20 kg
• Reliability, punctuality, and a positive team attitude
• Flexibility to work evenings, weekends, and holidays — that’s when the beach town comes alive
• Availability from summer into fall

Please note: this position does not include tips, but your $16/hour rate and guaranteed 40-hour week give you steady, predictable earnings all season long.

Ready to Cook Up an Unforgettable Summer?

Spots at Bethany Boathouse fill fast — coastal Delaware is one of the most popular Work & Travel destinations in the USA. Apply today and spend your summer earning dollars, mastering an American kitchen, and making memories on the Atlantic shore.