Illinois private chef jobs
Tiny Spoon Chef's Illinois footprint centers on Chicago. For chefs interested in a full-time personal chef career there, the work is designed around a Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. schedule, with evenings and weekends free. You keep the craft and the client relationships. We handle the business side, from matching and scheduling to billing and support.
In a city of neighborhoods, each household brings its own table to the job. Tiny Spoon has a local chef team that shops at favorite markets, farm shares, and farmers’ markets. The market includes Logan Square, Hyde Park, Evanston, and Winnetka, where every client kitchen brings its own routines and preferences. With evenings and weekends free, that can mean a ride on the Lakefront Trail, a walk through Logan Square, or a weekend plan that does not come with invoices waiting afterward. If you want time in real kitchens, regular households, and ingredients you can stand behind, explore the current Illinois opportunities.
Independent vs. Tiny Spoon for Illinois chefs
Working independently gives you control, but it also gives you a second job: finding households, answering inquiries, planning routes, sending invoices, chasing payments, and finding coverage when you need time off. Tiny Spoon keeps the personal work personal and puts a team behind the business side.
Illinois personal chef jobs, opening soon
We aren't hiring in Illinois right now, but we're always building our bench. Get on the list and we'll reach out as soon as a role opens near you.
- Own a weekly rotation of 4–6 regular clients
- Plan and prep made-from-scratch meals in clients' home kitchens
- Shop for groceries with a provided budget
- Tailor menus to each household's tastes and dietary needs
- 3+ years professional kitchen experience
- Consistency and organization across multiple clients
- Food handler / ServSafe certification (or willing to earn)
- Reliable transportation and a valid driver's license
We're not hiring for this spot right now. Get on the list and we'll reach out as soon as a Illinois role opens.
Four questions, sixty seconds, uncomfortable honesty optional but encouraged.
Is this the right fit?
Frequently asked questions
W-2, no asterisks. Ever wonder why 1099 gigs pay more per hour but somehow feel like less? Self-employment tax. You're covering both the employee and employer share yourself. As our employee, we pick up half of that for you. That's real money back in your pocket, every paycheck.
Yes. We only build full-time rosters, no part-time patchwork.
Monday through Friday, 8am to 6pm. Evenings and weekends are yours. Want extra weekend work anyway? It's on the table, but never required.
Nope. We find them, vet them, and match them to your style. You just show up and cook.
Yes. You’ll shop for groceries and cook in client homes, so reliable transportation is required. Travel details depend on the Illinois roster you’re matched with; the hiring team can explain the likely radius for a specific opening.
Most Tiny Spoon chefs cook for 8–9 households each week. That gives you variety without the volume and pace of a restaurant line.
Yes, and it's a real list, not just health insurance and a pat on the back:
- Retirement plan, 401k and 401k matching
- Health, dental and vision insurance
- Short and long term disability
- Life insurance
- Accident and critical illness insurance
- Flexible Spending Account (FSA)
- Dependent Care Account (DCA)
- Paid time off
- Profit sharing
At least two years of culinary experience, and someone ready to trade restaurant chaos for a real schedule.
Illinois withholding may affect your paycheck alongside applicable federal withholding. If you’re hired, the payroll team can explain the forms needed to set it up.
We reply within two business days and match you to the Illinois roster.