Assistant General Manager

Summary of Position:

The role of the Assistant General Manager is to assist the GM in leading the restaurant and set the pace for the performance of the restaurant. You are tasked with ensuring that we comply with corporate standards of service inclusive of wine list management, HR management, PR and Marketing initiatives as well as ensuring that we meet/exceed our financial goals for various costs in order to outperform our budgeted net income. A minimum qualification is level 1 sommelier certification that will guide in building of the wine list. Beverage control is at the heart of this position.

Duties & Responsibilities include but are not limited to :

• Be the main presence at the front door and roaming around the dining room constantly in communication with servers, captain, and guests throughout the service
• Show guests to tables during Lunch and Dinner Service as needed. Ensure the standards being applied when seating guests such as introducing the menus, pulling out the chairs for the guests (ladies first)
• Greet and escort guests with a professional and positive attitude. Ensure the right of way is being followed per our standard. Hold a conversation to make them at ease from the beginning
• Oversee the flow of guests within the restaurant. Ensure seat first, seat last tables are being followed by the host team. Ensure that guests are being properly greeted upon arrival with a smile and phones are answered within 3 rings.
• Possess a full understanding of how OpenTable works and how to plan the book for the night. Must know every special request, allergy, VIP that is coming in each night and plot special tables accordingly.
• Have a full understanding of standards of all positions for the FOH including the hostess manual, bartender’s role along with cocktail preparation and service steps. Full menu knowledge along with cocktail preparation is a must. The Maitre’D must be able to step in to do everyone’s job, such as bussing tables, waiting on tables, making drinks etc.
• Manage the Front of House team to ensure the team is always in their sections and taking care of our guests per our standard
• Monitor service table clearing, speed of resets and ensure sanitation protocols are adhered to. Must jump in to always assist on the floor and help bussing tables where needed. Refilling drinks to assist is required as well. The role is not to be above everyone else, but to be present and by the side of everyone.
• Act as liaison between kitchen staff and floor staff, and assist with any questions the Chef has regarding special requests, entering in of menu counts, 86’ing of menu items, server error follow up, etc. Their role is to coach the service team to do better.
• Maintain ambience of the restaurant, such as lighting, music, cleanliness, and hygiene – make sure the music volume is at the correct level, the type of music is correct per standard, lighting is appropriate, etc.
• Oversee and proactively deal with guest queries and complaints. This only happens when you are always present on the floor and in your zone; speak with the manager on duty before you comp any items.
• Maintaining a constant presence at the host stand and ensure all phone are being answered in a timely manner, manage the scheduling of Hosts, reservationists and overseeing plotting of all tables and server station assignments.
• Be present on the floor during the transition if the manager is conducting the pre-shift.

• In the absence of the GM you will be responsible for the restaurant
• You will be responsible for the interviewing, hiring and training of the entire Front of the House team with the GM.
• Proper time management must be maintained so that your office hours do not conflict with the service hours and that you are present on the floor during the peak times.
• Hire staff according to our desired needs and according to our FTE schedule and labor budgets with approval by the GM.
• Attend the weekly marketing meeting and plan our social media posts with PR. Inspire new ideas on how to better position the team through marketing and advertising. Work with the Corporate Director of Operations in creating ads that work for our advertising campaigns.
• Must ensure all staff are performing at the level required by FOH standards.
• Staff are in proper uniform and sign off on uniform form upon hiring.
• Ensure music is set per standard along with appropriate lighting for the time of day. We will establish programming so it will be automated but it must still be monitored.
• Assist with standardization of service and ensure scheduling pars are adhered to. Cocktails are made to standard, servers are extending all standards of service, bussers are swarm bussing, runners aren’t auctioning off food at the table.
• Must act like a manager, team leader and motivator for the front of the house team along with directing the floor captains to ensure all responsibilities are being completed.
• Ensure that daily walk-through checklists are followed and completed. Workplace safety and health department standards are of the utmost importance.
• Ensure that the codes of conduct are followed and that nobody is in violation of our handbook. If so then progressive discipline must ensue.
• You are responsible for chairing the weekly manager’s meeting in the absence of the GM. You must make sure the event order weekly meetings are being held consistently as well.
• Reporting of R&M if noticed during the daily walkthrough.
• You will be required to also taste the food randomly on a daily basis to ensure that it is to standard. Portion sizes are correct, presentation is perfect etc..

Skill Set:

• Customer service skills – working with customers is a key part of a Assistant General Manager’s position; the ability to remain professional at all times is vital to this role
• Numerical abilities – Assistant General Manager’s have administrative duties; a good grasp of numeracy is important to carry out tasks such as budgeting and administering payroll along with managing costs and P&L.
• Organization – General Manager’s need to be organized to keep track of shifts, customers, deliveries, and the general workings of the restaurant inclusive of the take out and delivery revenue center.
• Physical stamina – working in a restaurant can be physically demanding, requiring a good level of fitness to endure standing for long periods of time and carrying heavy items such as trays, furniture etc..
• Leadership skills –motivating a team and ensuring good performance from all members of the staff are key to keeping things running smoothly

Qualifications:

• 5 years experience as a Manager in a restaurant operation.
• Prior experience in customer service
• Excellent phone skills and communication skills
• Must be a team player
• High school diploma or GED equivalent required

Physical Demands:

This position is very active and requires standing for long periods of time. The position may require occasional lifting of products weighing up to 20 pounds.