# Restaurant Recruiting Agencies

Matching executive chefs, restaurant managers, and sommeliers with dining concepts that demand top-tier hospitality talent.

## At a glance

- **104** agencies ranked
- **8,416** total Google reviews
- Data last refreshed **March 20, 2026**

## Top 50 ranked agencies

| # | Agency | Rating (reviews) | Office locations |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | [Bristol Associates](https://recruiterrank.co/profile/bristol-associates) | 4.1 (5) | Hermosa Beach |
| 2 | [EHS Recruiting Company](https://recruiterrank.co/profile/ehs-recruiting-company-1) | 5.0 (795) | Sarasota |
| 3 | [Hospitality Confidential](https://recruiterrank.co/profile/hospitality-confidential) | 4.9 (166) | Woodland Hills |
| 4 | [Gecko Hospitality](https://recruiterrank.co/profile/gecko-hospitality) | 4.9 (1,594) | Fort Myers |
| 5 | [Placesmart Staffing](https://recruiterrank.co/profile/placesmart-staffing-1) | 4.9 (908) | St Charles, Cartersville, Bridgeton |
| 6 | [9 Hospitality](https://recruiterrank.co/profile/9-hospitality) | 4.8 (39) | Long Beach |
| 7 | [W Talent Solutions](https://recruiterrank.co/profile/w-talent-solutions) | 4.8 (69) | Grand Rapids |
| 8 | [Job R Us](https://recruiterrank.co/profile/job-r-us) | 4.8 (1,114) | Miami |
| 9 | [A&A Staffing Solutions](https://recruiterrank.co/profile/aa-staffing-solutions) | 4.8 (262) | Orem |
| 10 | [Food Staffing Services](https://recruiterrank.co/profile/food-staffing-services) | 4.8 (25) | Madison |
| 11 | [Patrice & Associates](https://recruiterrank.co/profile/patrice-associates) | 4.8 (43) | Cincinnati, Huntington Station, McLean |
| 12 | [Lifeway Staffing Laredo](https://recruiterrank.co/profile/lifeway-staffing-laredo) | 4.8 (21) | Laredo |
| 13 | [RestaurantZone](https://recruiterrank.co/profile/restaurantzone) | 4.7 (98) | — |
| 14 | [Agencia De Empleos NYC](https://recruiterrank.co/profile/agencia-de-empleos-nyc) | 4.7 (1,352) | Brooklyn |
| 15 | [Beacon Search, Inc](https://recruiterrank.co/profile/beacon-search-inc) | 4.7 (11) | Holden |
| 16 | [The Madison Collective](https://recruiterrank.co/profile/the-madison-collective) | 4.7 (10) | — |
| 17 | [Rome Staffing & Diversity Recruiting](https://recruiterrank.co/profile/rome-staffing-diversity-recruiting) | 4.7 (23) | — |
| 18 | [Mojo Trek](https://recruiterrank.co/profile/mojo-trek) | 4.7 (13) | Chicago |
| 19 | [Advantage Business Services](https://recruiterrank.co/profile/advantage-business-services) | 4.7 (9) | Camarillo |
| 20 | [Nextgen Workforce](https://recruiterrank.co/profile/nextgen-workforce) | 4.7 (9) | Park City |
| 21 | [Dependable Staffing Solutions](https://recruiterrank.co/profile/dependable-staffing-solutions-1) | 4.6 (31) | Dublin |
| 22 | [Employment Agency "Perspective"](https://recruiterrank.co/profile/employment-agency-perspective) | 4.6 (30) | Brooklyn |
| 23 | [S&A MILE HIGH STAFFING LLC](https://recruiterrank.co/profile/sa-mile-high-staffing-llc) | 4.6 (6) | — |
| 24 | [Career Group](https://recruiterrank.co/profile/career-group) | 4.6 (837) | New York, Los Angeles, Miami |
| 25 | [Aleawa Jobs](https://recruiterrank.co/profile/aleawa-jobs) | 4.6 (5) | Destin |
| 26 | [GoHire Staffing LLC](https://recruiterrank.co/profile/gohire-staffing-llc) | 4.6 (5) | Denton |
| 27 | [Placesmart Staffing](https://recruiterrank.co/profile/placesmart-staffing) | 4.6 (90) | Fairview Heights |
| 28 | [Premier Solutions](https://recruiterrank.co/profile/premier-solutions) | 4.6 (13) | Oklahoma City |
| 29 | [123JOBS.COM](https://recruiterrank.co/profile/123jobscom) | 4.6 (3) | Hollywood |
| 30 | [Unite Management Services](https://recruiterrank.co/profile/unite-management-services) | 4.6 (3) | Myrtle Beach |
| 31 | [Cornerstone Hospitality Solutions](https://recruiterrank.co/profile/cornerstone-hospitality-solutions) | 4.5 (20) | Atlanta |
| 32 | [Rooney Personnel Co](https://recruiterrank.co/profile/rooney-personnel-co) | 4.5 (2) | Birmingham |
| 33 | [Aspru Jobs Agency](https://recruiterrank.co/profile/aspru-jobs-agency-ltd) | 4.5 (1) | Surrey |
| 34 | [Feedery](https://recruiterrank.co/profile/feedery) | 4.5 (1) | Creve Coeur |
| 35 | [Maui County Virtual Job Fair](https://recruiterrank.co/profile/maui-county-virtual-job-fair) | 4.5 (1) | Kahului |
| 36 | [Retail Network](https://recruiterrank.co/profile/retail-network) | 4.5 (1) | Mansfield |
| 37 | [Seasonal Staffing Solution](https://recruiterrank.co/profile/seasonal-staffing-solution) | 4.5 (1) | Spring Lake |
| 38 | [The Personnel Office Inc.](https://recruiterrank.co/profile/the-personnel-office-inc) | 4.5 (43) | Burton |
| 39 | [Capital Restaurant Resources](https://recruiterrank.co/profile/capital-restaurant-resources) | 4.5 (10) | Washington |
| 40 | [Corridor Careers](https://recruiterrank.co/profile/corridor-careers) | 4.5 (6) | Cedar Rapids |
| 41 | [F&C Executive Search and Recruiting](https://recruiterrank.co/profile/fc-executive-search-and-recruiting) | 4.5 (4) | Akron |
| 42 | [Access Staffing](https://recruiterrank.co/profile/access-staffing) | 4.5 (0) | Niagara Falls |
| 43 | [Andreoni Recruiting Consultants](https://recruiterrank.co/profile/andreoni-recruiting-consultants) | 4.5 (0) | Ashburn |
| 44 | [Berkeley Search Associates](https://recruiterrank.co/profile/berkeley-search-associates) | 4.5 (0) | Palm Harbor |
| 45 | [Boss Search Group, LLC](https://recruiterrank.co/profile/boss-search-group-llc) | 4.5 (0) | Las Vegas |
| 46 | [Buttoned Up Services](https://recruiterrank.co/profile/buttoned-up-services) | 4.5 (0) | — |
| 47 | [Clock'd](https://recruiterrank.co/profile/clockd) | 4.5 (0) | Madison |
| 48 | [Cnd Temp Agency Inc.](https://recruiterrank.co/profile/cnd-temp-agency-inc) | 4.5 (0) | New Bedford |
| 49 | [CS Staff Recruiting](https://recruiterrank.co/profile/cs-staff-recruiting) | 4.5 (0) | Pasadena |
| 50 | [D D Factor Recruiting](https://recruiterrank.co/profile/d-d-factor-recruiting) | 4.5 (0) | Redondo Beach |

## How These Rankings Work

Scores come from **Google Reviews** via the Google Places API — never from paid placements, and never set by the agencies themselves. We apply a **Bayesian adjusted average** to prevent small-sample distortion (a 2-review 5.0-star agency shouldn't outrank a 200-review 4.8-star one):

```
adjusted_score = (v / (v + m)) * R + (m / (v + m)) * C
```

- `v` — total reviews across all offices
- `m` — prior weight (**20**)
- `R` — the agency's weighted average score
- `C` — the platform-wide mean

So with a global mean of 4.2: an agency with **5 reviews at 5.0** scores 4.36, while one with **200 reviews at 4.8** scores 4.75. The second outranks the first because the score is backed by more evidence.

Multi-office agencies get a single weighted score across locations. Every listing is human-reviewed before publication. Scores refresh hourly. [Read the full methodology →](https://recruiterrank.co/methodology)

## FAQ

### How do restaurant recruiting agencies charge for placements?

Most restaurant recruiters work on contingency, charging 20 to 25 percent of the hired candidate's first-year compensation for roles like executive chef or general manager. Some firms add a sliding scale: lower percentages for high-volume hourly staff, higher rates (up to 30 percent) for specialized positions such as corporate culinary directors or multi-unit vice presidents. Retained search is less common but appears for C-suite hospitality roles, typically structured as partial payments across the search timeline rather than success-only fees.

### What types of restaurant roles do these recruiting agencies typically fill?

These agencies concentrate on executive and supervisory positions across all restaurant formats—fine dining, casual dining, quick-service and hotel food and beverage. Core placements include executive chefs, sous chefs, general managers, multi-unit directors, culinary directors, front-of-house managers, beverage directors and certified sommeliers. Many also recruit for corporate roles such as regional VPs, directors of operations and concept development leads. The specialist firms ranked here typically do not handle hourly line cook or server positions, focusing instead on leadership talent that directly impacts guest experience and revenue performance.

### Which restaurant credentials carry the most weight with these agencies?

Agencies prioritize certifications from the American Culinary Federation, particularly Certified Executive Chef and Certified Master Chef designations. ServSafe Manager and Certified Food Protection Professional credentials demonstrate regulatory competency. For wine professionals, Court of Master Sommeliers diplomas and Wine & Spirit Education Trust qualifications matter significantly. For restaurant managers, the Certified Hospitality Department Trainer and Certified Food and Beverage Executive from the American Hotel & Lodging Educational Institute strengthen candidacy. Agencies also value formal culinary degrees from CIA, Johnson & Wales or Auguste Escoffier, though they weigh operational track records more heavily than parchment alone.

### How can I tell if a restaurant recruiting agency is reputable?

Check whether the agency maintains relationships with multi-unit operators and independent fine-dining groups—reputable hospitality recruiters place talent across both segments. Verify they understand the distinction between front-of-house leadership and culinary executive roles, and confirm they've placed candidates who've stayed beyond the critical 90-day mark. Look for agencies that require reference checks from previous placements and can articulate the difference between a corporate executive chef role and a chef-owner partnership. Credentials from the National Restaurant Association or similar bodies signal deeper industry ties.

### How is a restaurant recruiting agency different from an in-house talent acquisition team?

Restaurant recruiting agencies maintain proprietary networks of passive candidates—executive chefs with Michelin experience, sommeliers holding Master certifications, and multi-unit general managers—who aren't scanning job boards. They also pre-screen for niche competencies your HR team may not assess reliably: a chef's ability to engineer a profitable tasting menu, a sommelier's buying relationships with importers, or a manager's track record opening concepts in competitive markets. Agencies absorb the risk of bad hires through replacement guarantees, while in-house teams carry that cost internally.

### How do recruiters verify a chef's claimed Michelin experience or James Beard nominations before presenting them to my restaurant group?

Reputable culinary recruiters maintain direct relationships with Michelin Guide representatives and James Beard Foundation contacts to confirm starred-restaurant tenures and award nominations. They request payroll records or W-2s showing employment at verified Michelin establishments and cross-check LinkedIn endorsements from executive chefs at those properties. For James Beard claims, recruiters validate through the Foundation's public nominee archives and seek recommendation letters from nominating chefs. Top-tier firms also verify stage experiences and competition placements through culinary school networks and industry associations like the American Culinary Federation.

## Explore

### Related industries

- [Hospitality](https://recruiterrank.co/industry/hospitality)
- [Healthcare](https://recruiterrank.co/industry/healthcare)
- [Retail](https://recruiterrank.co/industry/retail)
- [Administrative](https://recruiterrank.co/industry/administrative)
- [Construction](https://recruiterrank.co/industry/construction)
- [Warehouse](https://recruiterrank.co/industry/warehouse)

### Restaurant recruiters by city

- [New York, NY](https://recruiterrank.co/city/new-york-ny) — 3 agencies
- [Southfield, MI](https://recruiterrank.co/city/southfield-mi) — 3 agencies
- [Brooklyn, NY](https://recruiterrank.co/city/brooklyn-ny) — 3 agencies
- [Miami, FL](https://recruiterrank.co/city/miami-fl) — 3 agencies
- [Washington, DC](https://recruiterrank.co/city/washington-dc) — 2 agencies