general manager

General Manager

Cottage Grove, Minnesota

Ayvaz Pizza LLC is looking for a Restaurant General Manager who leads from the floor, not from behind a desk. This is not a back-of-house or paperwork-first role - we need a player-coach in the mold of the best high-volume, fast-casual GMs in the industry: someone who is physically present on the line, on register, and on the floor during every rush, setting the pace by working alongside the team rather than observing from the office. You will own everything that happens within your four walls - people, product, and profit - but you will do it standing next to your team, not from a back office.

Competitive salary and bonus opportunities.

Leadership coaching and development.

Career advancement opportunities.

Recognition for outstanding performance.

Medical, dental, and vision benefits (based on eligibility).

A discount program with savings on glasses, hearing aids, weight loss programs, step tracking devices, shoes, and more.

A provider finder/cost estimation tool to find in-network providers and get cost estimates before a visit.

A wellness program - earn points for things like achieving step goals, redeemable for wellness-related items.

A pregnancy planning tool that helps track fertility, baby growth, and milestones.

GED credentials at no cost to you.

Tuition Assistance - we invest in YOU with empowerment and building confidence for your future.

This role is built for a hands-on operator who:

• Works a station - make line, oven, register, or drive-thru - during every peak period, every day.
• Sets the pace of the shift by physically leading it, not by directing from a distance.
• Is the first to jump in when the rush hits and the last to leave when the shift is short-staffed.
• Reads the floor in real time and makes fast, decisive calls under pressure - comfortable with speed and constant change.
• Builds culture through visible, in-the-trenches presence, not memos or scheduled check-ins.
• Treats admin, scheduling, and reporting as things that get done around the shift - never as a substitute for floor time.

Think owner-style GM energy: relentless floor presence, high tempo, and a personal hand in every rush - applied to the Pizza Hut brand and systems.

Floor Leadership & Restaurant Operations

• Personally work shifts alongside the team, including make line, register, and drive-thru during rushes - this is a daily expectation, not an exception.
• Lead all aspects of restaurant operations, ensuring excellence in food quality, customer service, cleanliness, and brand standards.
• Execute all company policies, procedures, systems, and operational initiatives.
• Maintain food safety and sanitation standards with zero compromises.
• Monitor and personally drive speed-of-service and customer satisfaction in real time, on the floor, shift by shift.
• Manage inventory, ordering, cash handling, and restaurant security procedures.

Team Leadership & Development

• Recruit, hire, train, coach, and develop restaurant team members and shift leaders - primarily through hands-on, side-by-side coaching during live shifts.
• Build schedules that balance guest demand with labor goals.
• Conduct performance evaluations, coaching sessions, and corrective actions.
• Develop future leaders through mentoring, modeling behavior on the floor, and succession planning.

Financial Management

• Review and analyze Profit & Loss (P&L) statements regularly.
• Manage labor costs, food costs, and controllable expenses.
• Drive sales growth through operational excellence, speed, and guest satisfaction earned shift by shift.

Who You Are

• A high-energy, hands-on leader who would rather be on the line than in the office.
• Thrives in fast-paced, high-volume, and occasionally chaotic environments - and brings order to that chaos by working through it, not managing it from afar.
• People-first leader who develops teams by working beside them.
• Highly accountable and willing to own results, including the uncomfortable ones.
• Data-driven and comfortable managing operational and financial metrics, without letting the numbers pull you off the floor.
• Coachable, resilient, and energized by pace and change rather than drained by it.

Education & Experience

• High School Diploma or GED required; college degree preferred but not required for the right operator.
• Proven hands-on restaurant management experience required - high-volume, fast-paced concepts strongly preferred (QSR, diner-style, breakfast/all-day-service, or comparable high-tempo formats).
• A demonstrated track record of personally running shifts and working stations, not solely supervising from the office.
• Experience managing labor, food cost, inventory, and operational metrics.

Performance Metrics

• Speed of Service (IST/OTD)
• WIN Score
• Customer Satisfaction (SMG)
• Food Cost (COS)
• Labor Cost (COL)
• Hut Compliance

The Company reserves the right to conduct a background check of its employees, and your employment may be conditioned on satisfactory results. This position requires that you are authorized to work in the United States. Ayvaz Pizza LLC is an equal opportunity employer.