Bagel Chef

About the Role

The Restaurant General Manager, internally referred to as the Bagel Chef, is the leader of the shop and is fully accountable for its people, performance, product, hospitality, and culture.

This is a hands-on General Manager position with responsibility for all front-of-house and back-of-house operations. The Bagel Chef owns store-level financial performance, develops the leadership team, maintains culinary and food-safety standards, and ensures every guest receives a consistently excellent experience.

The ideal candidate is an experienced restaurant operator who understands that great results come from clear expectations, disciplined execution, and a well-developed team. This leader can operate strategically, solve problems independently, and build a shop that does not require constant District Manager intervention.

What You'll Own

Shop Operations & Financial Performance

• Own all aspects of daily shop operations and four-wall P&L performance.
• Drive sales, transactions, profitability, labor efficiency, food cost, waste reduction, and controllable expenses.
• Review daily and weekly performance information and implement corrective action plans when results are off target.
• Build staffing plans and schedules aligned with sales forecasts, employee availability, service standards, and labor goals.
• Maintain disciplined inventory, ordering, receiving, product rotation, and waste-control practices.
• Manage POS, scheduling, digital ordering, delivery, and other shop technology.
• Execute product launches, promotions, operational initiatives, and company programs.
• Identify operating problems early and bring solutions and action plans to the District Manager.

Team Leadership & Development

• Recruit, interview, select, onboard, train, coach, evaluate, and retain high-performing team members.
• Directly lead and develop assistant leadership, shift leaders, trainers, and hourly team members.
• Establish clear performance expectations and hold team members accountable for results and workplace conduct.
• Create a culture of urgency, hospitality, teamwork, respect, inclusion, and continuous improvement.
• Conduct regular one-on-one meetings, development conversations, and performance reviews.
• Provide timely recognition, coaching, and corrective action.
• Address employee-relations matters promptly and consistently in partnership with the District Manager and HR.
• Develop managers and shift leaders who can run excellent shifts independently.
• Maintain a ready-now succession plan for key shop leadership positions.
• Create opportunities for high-performing employees to learn additional stations and advance into leadership.

Culinary Execution & Food Safety

• Ensure every product is prepared according to company recipes, procedures, portions, and quality standards.
• Maintain excellence across bagel production, baking, preparation, packaging, and guest handoff.
• Ensure the entire leadership team can effectively supervise front-of-house and back-of-house operations.
• Protect product consistency during peak-volume periods.
• Maintain accurate ordering, receiving, storage, labeling, rotation, and temperature-control practices.
• Ensure compliance with Department of Health requirements and all applicable food-safety and sanitation standards.
• Maintain required certifications, logs, inspections, and food-safety documentation.
• Keep the shop prepared for health inspections and internal operational reviews.
• Take immediate corrective action when food quality, sanitation, or safety standards are not met.

Guest Experience & Brand Leadership

• Serve as the face of hospitality for the shop.
• Create an energetic, welcoming environment that reflects the company's culture and brand standards.
• Engage with guests and ensure the team can confidently explain products, ingredients, and the overall experience.
• Monitor order accuracy, service speed, product presentation, cleanliness, and hospitality.
• Respond to guest concerns professionally and resolve issues promptly.
• Review guest feedback and convert recurring concerns into operating improvements.
• Build relationships within the local community and represent the company professionally.
• Maintain the visual, service, and operating standards expected of the brand.

Compliance & Employee Relations

• Maintain operations in compliance with applicable federal, state, and local requirements.
• Uphold company anti-discrimination, anti-harassment, workplace conduct, and safety policies.
• Ensure wage-and-hour practices, timekeeping, scheduling, breaks, and payroll records are properly managed.
• Maintain accurate employee, training, performance, food-safety, and operating documentation.
• Escalate significant employee-relations, safety, or compliance concerns promptly.
• Protect company assets, confidential information, equipment, and facilities.

How Success Will Be Measured

• Sales, transactions, and store contribution compared with approved targets.
• Labor cost, food cost, waste, inventory accuracy, and controllable expenses.
• Product quality, order accuracy, speed of service, cleanliness, and guest feedback.
• Food-safety performance and health-inspection results.
• Team-member attendance, retention, engagement, and performance.
• Strength and readiness of the shop’s leadership bench.
• Timely completion of schedules, payroll review, inventory, ordering, and administrative responsibilities.
• Successful execution of product launches and company initiatives.
• Ability of the shop to operate consistently without unnecessary District Manager intervention.

Required Qualifications

• At least two years as a General Manager or equivalent store leader with full operational accountability.
• Three to five years of progressive restaurant management experience.
• Demonstrated responsibility for sales, labor, food cost, inventory, waste, and staffing.
• Experience managing both front-of-house and back-of-house operations.
• Proven success recruiting, coaching, developing, and retaining restaurant teams.
• Strong business judgment and ability to interpret financial and operational information.
• Excellent communication, organization, delegation, conflict-resolution, and time-management skills.
• Ability to set clear expectations and hold others accountable.
• Comfort using restaurant POS, scheduling, payroll, inventory, and digital-ordering systems.
• Ability to work early mornings, weekends, holidays, and peak periods based on business needs.
• Active ServSafe Manager or equivalent food-protection certification, or ability to obtain it within 30 days of hire.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience in a high-volume fast-casual, QSR, bakery-café, or scratch-kitchen environment.
• Experience leading a newly opened restaurant or operational turnaround.
• Experience developing assistant managers or shift leaders for promotion.
• Familiarity with delivery platforms, digital ordering, labor forecasting, and restaurant reporting systems.
• Catering sales experience is a plus.

Bagel or bakery experience is helpful but not required.

The successful candidate will be expected to complete the company's operational and station-certification process.

Physical Requirements

The following essential functions may be performed with or without reasonable accommodation:

• Stand and walk for extended periods.
• Frequently lift and carry up to 25 pounds.
• Occasionally lift and carry up to 50 pounds.
• Bend, reach, twist, and perform repetitive motions.
• Work in a kitchen environment with exposure to heat, cold, noise, and cleaning agents.

Details

• Reports to: District Manager
• Position Type: Full-time, on-site, salaried
• Schedule: 6 am-4 pm
• Schedule: Early mornings, weekends, holidays, and peak business periods as required