Assistant General Manager

Benefits:

• Bonus based on performance
• Competitive salary
• Dental insurance
• Employee discounts
• Health insurance
• Opportunity for advancement
• Training & development

Job Type:

Full-Time

Location:

Bethesda, MD

About Us

ACK F&B operates a growing group of Paris Baguette bakery cafés across Maryland and Virginia, with our newest location opening soon in Crofton, MD. We are building a strong, disciplined, customer-focused operation with the goal of growing into a multiple-location bakery café management company. The company currently operates multiple stores in MD and VA, with a few more becoming operational within another year.

This is an opportunity for the right candidate to join at the ground level of a growing company, help establish the foundation for daily operations at our new Crofton location, and develop into a long-term leadership role as more locations become operational.

Position Summary

The Assistant General Manager will support the ownership team in managing daily store operations, employee training, customer service, product quality, cleanliness, inventory, scheduling, reporting, and overall café performance.

This is a hands‑on leadership position in a newly opening bakery café. The right candidate must be willing to lead from the front, work side‑by‑side with the team, learn company standards, implement procedures, complete required reporting, and follow through without excuses.

This is not a standard 40-hour‑per‑week position, especially while the store is being organized and stabilized around opening. The schedule may require early mornings, evenings, weekends, holidays, and additional hours based on business needs. Candidates must understand that leadership in a new food‑service operation requires flexibility, urgency, ownership, and commitment.

Who We Are Looking For

We are looking for a candidate with:

• Competence – someone who can learn quickly, understand operations, manage details, and execute consistently.
• Grit – someone who can handle pressure, solve problems, and stay committed when the work is challenging.
• Accountability – someone who takes ownership, follows through, and does not make excuses.
• Adaptability – someone who accepts feedback, learns from mistakes, and applies what was learned immediately.
• Discipline – someone who can follow company standards, enforce procedures, and complete required reporting.
• Career mindset – someone who wants to grow with a company that is building toward multiple bakery café locations.
• Team‑first leadership – someone who understands that managers must support the team, protect the customer experience, and uphold the standards of the business.
• Customer service mastery – must lead by example with hospitality that turns first‑time guests into regulars; this is a core, non‑negotiable requirement of the role. Working knowledge of marketing or sales‑driving tactics (social media, local promotions, loyalty programs) is a strong bonus.
• Communication – consistent, clear communication with ownership, the General Manager, and fellow team members is paramount; issues, updates, and results must be communicated proactively, not just when asked.
• Reliability – consistent, punctual, on‑time delivery of tasks, reporting, and commitments is a must; the team and ownership need to be able to count on you every single shift.
• Whatever it takes – willingness to take on any other responsibilities, and the mental toughness and mindset, needed to help a brand‑new store succeed — this role will not always fit neatly into a fixed job description.

This is not the right role for someone who wants a narrow job description, a fixed schedule, or a position where every responsibility is already perfectly organized. We need someone who can help create structure, improve systems, follow procedures, and grow with the company.

Key Responsibilities

Store Operations

• Support the General Manager in daily bakery café operations.
• Learn, implement, and enforce company standards and operating procedures.
• Help maintain high standards for customer service, cleanliness, product quality, and guest experience.
• Manage POS and credit card systems during business hours.
• Serve as a point of contact for catering and special orders.
• Assist with daily inventory counts, product availability, ordering, receiving, and waste control.
• Help manage deliveries, merchandise, ingredients, and store supplies.
• Regularly inspect the café to ensure standards are being maintained.
• Support basic store maintenance needs and coordinate issues with the appropriate parties.
• Act as a substitute for the General Manager when needed.

Reporting & Administrative Responsibilities

• Complete required daily, weekly, and monthly reporting.
• Track and report sales, labor, inventory, waste, customer concerns, incidents, and operational issues.
• Use POS and reporting systems to help measure revenue, labor, product movement, and store performance.
• Help complete monthly inventory counts using Excel or other company systems.
• Support health inspection readiness, quality control, and internal checklist completion.
• Communicate important issues clearly and promptly to the General Manager and ownership team.
• Follow company procedures for documentation, reporting, cash handling, inventory, and employee‑related matters.

Team Leadership & Employee Management

• Train and coach employees to provide excellent customer service.
• Delegate tasks and follow up to ensure completion.
• Help create employee work schedules for final review by management.
• Enforce policies, procedures, and standards consistently.
• Monitor employee performance and provide constructive feedback.
• Report and address incidents, customer issues, and operational concerns.
• Help build a culture of accountability, teamwork, urgency, professionalism, and continuous improvement.

Business Growth Support

• Support product launches, promotions, seasonal events, and local marketing efforts.
• Collect customer and community feedback to identify local needs.
• Help improve systems and procedures as the store becomes more organized.
• Contribute to the development of operating practices that can be used as the company grows into additional locations.
• Demonstrate the leadership potential to grow into a General Manager or multi‑unit leadership role.

Qualifications

• High school diploma or GED required; college preferred.
• 2–4 years of food service, café, restaurant, bakery, hospitality, or retail management experience preferred.
• Prior supervisory or shift leadership experience strongly preferred.
• Demonstrated mastery of customer service required; working knowledge of marketing or sales‑driving tactics (social media, local promotions, loyalty programs) is a strong bonus.
• Strong organizational skills and attention to detail.
• Strong verbal and written communication skills.
• Ability to lift up to 50 lbs.
• Ability to prioritize and manage multiple tasks in a fast‑paced environment.
• Experience with POS systems required; Toast experience is a plus.
• Basic Excel or spreadsheet experience preferred.
• Must be dependable, punctual, accountable, and willing to work flexible hours.
• Must be comfortable working early mornings, evenings, weekends, and holidays as needed.
• Must be willing to complete required paid training in Bethesda, Maryland.
• Must be willing to be hands‑on in all areas of the café.

What Success Looks Like

• Take ownership instead of making excuses.
• Learn company standards and apply them consistently.
• Follow procedures and ensure the team follows them as well.
• Complete required reporting accurately and on time.
• Help stabilize and organize a newly opened, busy bakery café.
• Improve team performance through coaching, training, and follow‑up.
• Maintain high standards for cleanliness, product quality, and customer service.
• Communicate clearly with management and ownership.
• Help build a strong operating culture for future growth.
• Show the potential to grow into a General Manager or multi‑location leadership role.

Path to Promotion — General Manager and Beyond

Once you've demonstrated full command of every facet of store operations for a sustained period — typically 9–12 months — and the store consistently hits the following benchmarks under your leadership, you'll be considered for promotion to General Manager:

• Customer review ratings sustained at 4.6 or higher (Google/Yelp)
• Passing scores on all corporate operational and food‑safety audits
• Consistent delivery of sales targets

For General Managers who continue to demonstrate strong, consistent store performance, there is a further path to Regional Manager as the company opens additional locations across MD and VA — overseeing multiple stores, supporting new store openings, and helping build the operating standards for the growing company.

Benefits

• $55,000/year plus bonus
• Paid training
• Training‑related costs covered by the company
• Flexible schedule based on business needs
• Discounted meals during shifts
• Birthday cake benefit
• Medical, dental, and vision benefits may be available based on eligibility
• Strong career growth opportunity as additional locations become operational