General Manager

GENERAL MANAGER – QUICK SERVICE RESTAURANT

Department: Operations
Reports To: Owner / Director of Operations / District Manager
Employment Type: Full-Time
Classification: Salaried / Exempt, if applicable under federal and state requirements

POSITION SUMMARY

The General Manager (GM) is responsible for the overall performance and daily operation of the restaurant. This position leads the restaurant team, protects the guest experience, drives sales and profitability, maintains operational standards, and creates a culture of accountability, teamwork, and continuous improvement.

The General Manager operates the restaurant as a business, taking ownership of its People, Operations, Guest Experience, Sales, and Financial Performance.

Success in this position is measured not simply by keeping the restaurant running, but by consistently achieving operational and financial goals while developing a strong, reliable team.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES1. LEADERSHIP & PEOPLE MANAGEMENT

• Lead, coach, motivate, and develop restaurant employees and Shift Leaders.
• Create a professional, respectful, accountable, and high-performance workplace culture.
• Participate in recruiting, interviewing, hiring, onboarding, and training employees.
• Ensure all employees receive proper position and food-safety training.
• Establish clear expectations and hold employees accountable for performance and conduct.
• Conduct regular employee coaching and performance conversations.
• Identify and develop high-potential employees for future leadership positions.
• Address employee performance or conduct issues promptly and consistently.
• Maintain appropriate staffing levels based on restaurant sales and operational needs.
• Reduce unnecessary employee turnover by creating a positive and well-managed workplace.

2. RESTAURANT OPERATIONS

• Oversee the restaurant’s daily operations from opening through closing.
• Ensure opening, shift-change, and closing procedures are completed correctly.
• Maintain speed of service, order accuracy, food quality, cleanliness, and hospitality standards.
• Ensure recipes, portions, preparation procedures, and presentation standards are consistently followed.
• Conduct regular restaurant walkthroughs and operational inspections.
• Ensure equipment is properly maintained and operational issues are reported and addressed promptly.
• Maintain restaurant organization, cleanliness, and readiness during all operating hours.
• Ensure established Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) are followed consistently.

3. GUEST EXPERIENCE

• Create a culture in which every guest is treated with urgency, professionalism, and hospitality.
• Monitor guest feedback, reviews, complaints, refunds, and recurring service issues.
• Resolve guest complaints professionally and appropriately.
• Coach employees on hospitality, suggestive selling, order accuracy, and service standards.
• Identify opportunities to improve the overall customer experience.
• Build relationships with regular guests and the surrounding community.

4. SALES & BUSINESS PERFORMANCE

The General Manager is expected to understand that restaurant management includes responsibility for business performance.

Responsibilities include:

• Monitor daily, weekly, and monthly sales.
• Compare actual sales against historical performance, budget, and company targets.
• Identify opportunities to increase transactions, average ticket, and overall revenue.
• Execute company promotions and marketing initiatives at restaurant level.
• Ensure employees understand current promotions and sales initiatives.
• Monitor sales trends by daypart and identify opportunities for improvement.
• Communicate significant changes in sales or customer traffic to leadership.

5. LABOR MANAGEMENT

• Build employee schedules based on forecasted sales and business needs.
• Monitor labor throughout the day and make appropriate staffing adjustments.
• Control overtime and unnecessary labor expenses.
• Ensure employees clock in and out correctly.
• Review labor reports and understand labor cost as a percentage of sales.
• Balance labor efficiency with appropriate staffing and guest-service expectations.

Key Principle: The goal is not simply to reduce labor—it is to deploy the right number of people at the right times to deliver excellent service while protecting profitability.

6. FOOD COST, INVENTORY & WASTE

• Participate in and/or oversee restaurant inventory counts.
• Ensure inventory is completed accurately and according to company schedule.
• Monitor food usage, waste, portioning, and product variance.
• Ensure recipes and portion standards are followed.
• Maintain appropriate inventory levels without excessive purchasing or stockouts.
• Verify receiving procedures and product quantities.
• Monitor product quality and proper storage.
• Ensure FIFO procedures and proper product rotation.
• Investigate significant food-cost or inventory variances.
• Implement corrective actions when food cost exceeds established targets.

7. FINANCIAL ACCOUNTABILITY

The General Manager should understand the basic financial drivers of the restaurant.

The GM is responsible for monitoring and helping manage:

• Sales
• Food Cost / COGS
• Labor Cost
• Prime Cost
• Waste
• Discounts and Comps
• Overtime
• Average Ticket
• Transactions
• Restaurant Operating Expenses
• Restaurant Profitability

The General Manager should be able to review restaurant performance with ownership or senior leadership and explain operational factors affecting financial results.

8. FOOD SAFETY, CLEANLINESS & COMPLIANCE

• Maintain compliance with applicable food-safety and sanitation requirements.
• Ensure proper food temperatures, storage, labeling, rotation, and handling.
• Ensure employees follow required handwashing and sanitation procedures.
• Maintain required food-handler or manager certifications.
• Ensure restaurant safety procedures are followed.
• Report workplace accidents and incidents according to company procedures.
• Maintain required operational and compliance documentation.
• Prepare the restaurant for health department inspections and internal audits.

9. COMMUNICATION & ACCOUNTABILITY

• Conduct regular pre-shift or team meetings.
• Communicate company priorities, operational changes, promotions, and expectations.
• Maintain effective communication with ownership and/or the District Manager.
• Report significant operational, staffing, financial, equipment, or guest-service issues promptly.
• Participate in management meetings and performance reviews.
• Follow through on commitments and assigned action items.

KEY PERFORMANCE INDICATORS – KPIs

The General Manager’s performance may be evaluated using metrics including:

Financial

• Sales Growth
• Food Cost %
• Labor Cost %
• Prime Cost %
• Average Ticket
• Transactions
• Waste %
• Overtime
• Restaurant Profitability

Operations

• Speed of Service
• Order Accuracy
• Inventory Variance
• Health Inspection Results
• Restaurant Cleanliness
• Equipment / Maintenance Compliance

People

• Employee Turnover
• Staffing Levels
• Training Completion
• Employee Performance
• Leadership Development
• Attendance / Scheduling Compliance

Guest Experience

• Customer Complaints
• Online Reviews / Guest Satisfaction
• Refunds and Comps
• Repeat Customer Experience

QUALIFICATIONS

• Previous restaurant management experience preferred, particularly in Quick Service Restaurant or fast-casual operations.
• Strong leadership and employee-management skills.
• Understanding of restaurant operations, scheduling, labor management, inventory, and food cost.
• Ability to read and understand basic restaurant financial reports.
• Strong communication and problem-solving skills.
• Ability to work effectively in a fast-paced environment.
• Strong organizational and time-management skills.
• Ability to coach employees and hold team members accountable.
• Basic proficiency with POS systems and restaurant technology.
• Food-safety certification as required by applicable regulations.

PHYSICAL & SCHEDULING REQUIREMENTS

• Ability to stand and walk for extended periods.
• Ability to work in a fast-paced restaurant environment.
• Ability to work mornings, evenings, weekends, and holidays as required by business needs.
• Ability to safely perform the essential physical functions of the position, with reasonable accommodation where required by law.

GENERAL MANAGER STANDARD

A successful General Manager should be able to answer five questions at any point:

1. How are our guests doing?
Are we delivering fast, accurate, friendly, and consistent service?

2. How is our team doing?
Are we properly staffed, trained, motivated, and accountable?

3. How are our operations doing?
Are we following recipes, procedures, food-safety standards, and company systems?

4. How are our numbers doing?
Where are Sales, Labor, Food Cost, Prime Cost, Waste, and Profitability?

5. What are we doing to improve?
What specific actions are being taken this week to make the restaurant better?

CORE EXPECTATION

The General Manager owns the restaurant’s results.

The GM leads the people, manages the operation, protects the guest experience, understands the numbers, identifies problems early, and takes action to continuously improve restaurant performance.

Job Type: Full-time

Pay: From $65,000.00 per year

Benefits:

• Employee discount
• Paid time off
• Relocation assistance

Work Location: In person