--- title: "Restaurant Kitchen Roles Explained: Who Does What in a Bangladeshi Kitchen" date: 2026-08-23 updated: 2026-08-26 lang: en tags: ["operations", "guides", "bangladesh"] summary: "Know who does what in a Bangladeshi restaurant, from boburchi and commis to captain and cashier, with clear reporting lines for small and large teams." canonical: https://rosuii.com/blog/restaurant-kitchen-roles-bangladesh author: "Rosuii Team" --- # Restaurant Kitchen Roles Explained: Who Does What in a Bangladeshi Kitchen Know who does what in a Bangladeshi restaurant, from boburchi and commis to captain and cashier, with clear reporting lines for small and large teams. **Restaurant kitchen roles** describe who prepares food, controls quality, moves orders, serves guests, handles payments and keeps the operation organised. The titles may sound formal, but the work behind them applies to a biryani shop in Chattogram, a café in Banani and a busy family restaurant in Sylhet. Not every outlet needs every title. A small khabar hotel with five to eight staff may collapse the entire structure into two or three people: a senior boburchi, one helper and a cashier-manager who also supervises the floor. Larger Dhaka restaurants can assign separate people to stations, stores, cash, service and management. What matters is making responsibility clear, even when one employee wears several hats. ## Restaurant Kitchen Roles and Their Responsibilities The following definitions cover kitchen and floor positions commonly found in Bangladesh. Station design also affects these jobs, so it helps to understand how a [restaurant kitchen station](https://rosuii.com/blog/kitchen-station-restaurant) divides preparation, cooking and dispatch work. ### Head chef or boburchi **The head chef or senior boburchi leads food preparation, cooking standards and the kitchen team.** This person sets the daily production plan, checks taste and portion consistency, assigns kitchen work, monitors hygiene and decides when food is ready to serve. In a traditional Bangladeshi kitchen, the senior boburchi may personally control rice, curry, kebab or biryani production rather than manage from an office. The role normally reports to the restaurant manager or owner. In a small hotel, the boburchi may also purchase ingredients and supervise helpers. In a larger restaurant, the head chef oversees sous chefs and station cooks. ### Sous chef **The sous chef is the head chef's second-in-command and runs the kitchen when the head chef is unavailable.** A sous chef translates the head chef's plan into station assignments, checks preparation, solves service-time problems and trains junior cooks. The position reports to the head chef. Most five-to-eight-person outlets do not have a separate sous chef; the most experienced cook informally performs the duty. A larger kitchen may employ one sous chef per shift or production area. ### Line cook **A line cook prepares and cooks menu items at a specific service station.** The station may cover curry, grill, fry, tandoor, rice, noodles, pantry or desserts. A line cook prepares mise en place, follows portions, cooks incoming orders and keeps the station clean. The role reports to the sous chef or head chef. In a small restaurant, one cook may cover several stations. A high-volume operation separates stations so each cook can work quickly without duplicating responsibility. ### Commis **A commis is a junior cook who supports a station while learning professional kitchen work.** Typical duties include cutting vegetables, measuring ingredients, preparing garnishes, fetching stock and completing simple cooking under supervision. A commis reports to a line cook, sous chef or head chef. Small hotels may use the title kitchen helper instead, even when the employee does basic cooking. Larger restaurants distinguish commis cooks from general helpers and may rotate them between stations for training. ### Kitchen helper **A kitchen helper handles basic preparation, cleaning and carrying tasks that keep cooks productive.** The helper may wash vegetables, peel onions, move pots, clean worktops, bring ingredients from storage and remove waste. Instructions usually come from the head chef or assigned cook. In a small kitchen, the helper may also wash dishes and assist with simple cooking. In a larger kitchen, preparation, cleaning and dishwashing are more likely to be separate jobs. ### Dishwasher **The dishwasher cleans plates, utensils, cookware and washing areas throughout service.** This role maintains the supply of clean serviceware, separates waste and reports breakage or sanitation problems. The dishwasher generally reports to the kitchen supervisor, stewarding lead or manager. A small outlet often assigns washing to a kitchen helper. A busy restaurant needs dedicated dishwashing coverage because delayed plates and cooking pots can stop both the kitchen and floor. ### Storekeeper **The storekeeper receives, records, protects and issues restaurant stock.** Responsibilities include checking delivery quantities, inspecting condition, arranging dry and cold storage, issuing ingredients and flagging low or damaged stock. The storekeeper usually reports to the manager, owner or inventory controller while coordinating with the head chef. In a small restaurant, the owner, cashier or senior cook may manage stock. Larger outlets benefit from a dedicated storekeeper because purchasing, receiving and kitchen usage should be checked by more than one person. ### Expeditor **The expeditor coordinates completed dishes so each table's order leaves the kitchen correctly and together.** Often called the pass controller, this person reads kitchen tickets, checks items and modifiers, follows missing dishes and hands complete orders to service staff. The expeditor reports to the head chef or floor manager, depending on where the pass is controlled. In a small outlet, the boburchi or captain performs this role. A larger restaurant may assign a dedicated expeditor during peak periods, supported by a kitchen display system. ### Waiter **A waiter takes guest orders, serves food and looks after assigned tables.** The waiter explains menu items, records variations or add-ons, sends orders to the kitchen, serves dishes and communicates guest requests. Waiters normally report to a captain or floor manager. In a small hotel, one waiter may cover every table, clean the dining area and deliver takeaway orders. Larger restaurants divide the floor into sections, with each waiter responsible for specific tables. ### Captain **The captain supervises a section of the dining floor and coordinates waiters with the kitchen.** A captain assigns tables, checks order accuracy, handles routine complaints and watches service timing. The role reports to the restaurant or floor manager. In a small outlet, the manager or senior waiter acts as captain. Larger dining rooms may have several captains, each responsible for a section and a team of waiters. ### Cashier **The cashier prepares bills, receives payments and closes the cash counter accurately.** The cashier confirms order totals, discounts, coupons, VAT, service charge and payment method before issuing a receipt. The position reports to the manager or owner. In a small restaurant, the owner-manager often sits at the counter. In a larger operation, the cashier should remain separate from staff who approve discounts, refunds or day-close adjustments. Real payment methods may include cash, bKash, Nagad and other configured options. ### Restaurant manager **The restaurant manager is responsible for the outlet's daily people, service and financial controls.** The manager prepares shifts, coordinates kitchen and floor teams, approves authorised adjustments, handles serious complaints, reviews sales and expenses, and checks opening and closing work. The manager reports to the owner, general manager or operations head. In a small restaurant, the owner commonly fills this role while also purchasing and managing cash. A larger company may have branch managers reporting to an area or operations manager. ## How the Reporting Structure Changes with Restaurant Size A small team does not need an impressive organisation chart. It needs named responsibilities. One practical five-person setup could be a senior boburchi, a cook-helper, a dishwasher-helper, a waiter and an owner acting as manager and cashier. With eight people, the outlet might add another cook, a captain and a separate cashier. A larger restaurant can use a clearer chain: owner or operations head to restaurant manager; manager to floor captain, cashier and storekeeper; head chef to sous chef, line cooks, commis and helpers. The expeditor connects the kitchen pass with the floor but should still have one clear supervisor. Write down who opens the store, receives goods, approves discounts, counts cash, checks waste and closes the day. For practical scheduling and supervision advice, read the guide to [managing restaurant staff](https://rosuii.com/blog/manage-restaurant-staff). ## Which Roles Need Separate POS and KDS Access? Access should follow the employee's job, not seniority alone. Waiters or captains who enter orders need their own POS identities. Cashiers need billing and payment access. Managers need authorised controls and reports. Storekeepers need inventory and purchasing access without automatically receiving payroll or cash permissions. Kitchen staff using a KDS generally need a restricted station view for seeing and updating kitchen orders, not access to sales, customer or finance records. Rosuii supports role-based access across POS, kitchen, inventory, employees and reports. Its KDS can organise orders by station and move them through stages such as New and Preparing. The aim is simple: each employee should see the tools required for the job and no more. **The cashier and manager should never share one account.** If they do, the owner cannot reliably distinguish who collected a payment, applied a discount or used a management-level function. Shared credentials also allow a cashier to retain manager access after a shift change. Give each person a named login, review permissions when duties change and disable access promptly when someone leaves. A shared kitchen display may be practical at a station, but financial actions should remain tied to individual users. Real-time POS-to-KDS updates also require an internet connection. Rosuii's offline billing can keep the POS taking orders during an outage after offline data has been synced, then queue and upload those orders when the connection returns. ## Define Responsibilities Before Choosing Titles Job titles vary across Bangladesh. One restaurant's commis may be another restaurant's helper, and a senior waiter may effectively work as captain. Use the title your team understands, then attach a written duty list, reporting line, system permissions and shift handover process. This guide intentionally avoids salary figures because pay changes by city, cuisine, skill, shift length and market conditions. For compensation planning, see the separate guide to [restaurant staff salary structure in Bangladesh](https://rosuii.com/blog/restaurant-staff-salary-structure-bangladesh). Once duties are clear, Rosuii can help your team manage orders, kitchen tickets, tables, inventory, employees, permissions and reports from one bilingual platform. Plans start free, with paid options from ৳500 to ৳2,500 per month and no setup fee. **[Register for Rosuii and set up your restaurant team](https://rosuii.com/register)**. ## FAQ ### How many kitchen roles does a small Bangladeshi restaurant need? A five-to-eight-person outlet rarely needs every formal role. It may operate with a senior boburchi, one or two cooks or helpers, a dishwasher-helper, one or two waiters and an owner-manager. Assign cooking, stock, cash, cleaning and closing responsibility clearly even when people perform multiple jobs. ### What is the difference between a boburchi and a head chef? Both may lead cooking, but the usage depends on the restaurant. Boburchi is common in traditional Bangladeshi kitchens and often describes a highly skilled hands-on cook. Head chef usually includes menu standards, team supervision, production planning and broader kitchen management. ### Does every restaurant need a sous chef and an expeditor? No. Small restaurants usually assign sous-chef duties to the most experienced cook and expeditor duties to the boburchi, captain or manager. Separate positions become useful when order volume, station count and team size make coordination difficult. ### Should waiters, cashiers and managers have separate POS logins? Yes. Individual logins make responsibilities clearer and allow access to match each job. Waiters may need order entry, cashiers need payment functions, and managers need authorised controls and reports. Cashiers should not use a manager account. ### Who should control restaurant inventory? A larger restaurant should assign a storekeeper or inventory controller who coordinates with the head chef and manager. In a small outlet, the owner or manager may control stock, but receiving, recording, issuing and physical counting should still follow a documented process. --- Canonical: https://rosuii.com/blog/restaurant-kitchen-roles-bangladesh Machine-readable site overview: https://rosuii.com/llms.txt