Cafe General Managers - Coffee - Boston - No nights!

At George Howell Coffee Company cafés/restaurants, the General Manager (GM) is at the center of the guest's hospitality experience and our team's performance. Our managers create a warm, welcoming environment for the guests and staff. The General Manager is responsible for overseeing an extensive coffee program, often serving up to 10 different coffees and espressos on a daily basis, retail bag and equipment sales, daily customer coffee education program, controlling financial costs and working with the team to deliver on expectations set by leadership. The position will take ownership over the daily operations of the café's food service and service ensuring every aspect is executed with excellence in mind. We currently have five operational cafes, three cafe's are in Boston . We are growing and are looking for cafe leaders who will be responsible for our operation, SOP's, staffing, training and ensuring the customer experience is memorable. Our cafes will be open seven (7) days a week and you will be supported on-site by Assistant General Managers and a staff of up to twenty (15) hourly team members. Industry professionals with exceptional food, beverage and coffee experince are invited to apply. Additional experience with catering would be a plus

Authority, Duties, And Responsibilities In Summary Include

• Work with senior management to identify, develop and evaluate innovative offerings in the restaurant/café including coffee flight program, artisanal food, beverage and coffee products
• Ensure guests and staff are warmly received and welcomed at every opportunity and engage with our guests to deliver a personalized experience
• Manage the day-to-day operational and financial activities to optimize profits, ensuring top guest experiences and the highest team performance in a best-in-class work environment
• Assist in achieving sales and profitability goals while leading the team in providing an experience that is grounded in hospitality
• Control operating expenses through the timely maintenance of the café and equipment
• Coach, direct, support, and recognize Team Members through performance feedback, including disciplinary action when necessary
• Oversee and mentor a staff of 15+ team members
• Teach our company’s quality standards to Team Members and ensure we maintain those standards.
• Oversees and coordinates the planning, organizing, training, and leadership necessary to achieve stated objectives in sales, costs, employee retention, guest service and satisfaction, beverage and food quality, cleanliness, and sanitation.
• Assist with launching a specialty coffee drink, food and dessert program.
• Ensure consistent achievement of speed and steps of service at all business levels
• Participate in ongoing personal training to advance your food and beverage knowledge and share this knowledge to the guests and staff
• Completely understands and supports all company policies, procedures, standards, specifications, guidelines, and training programs.
  
  

Core Tasks

• Staff, Management, and Personnel:
• Achieve or exceed company objectives in sales, service, quality, facility and sanitation appearance, and cleanliness through training employees and creating a positive, productive working environment.
• Ensure that all coffee and food products are consistently prepared and served according to the café recipes, portioning, cooking, and serving standards.
• Identify and authorize staff members responsible for developing and evaluating innovative offerings in the café, including coffee and espresso drink creations, artisanal food, beverage, and coffee products, and review these potential offerings with senior management.
• Ensure that designated staff members identify, develop, and evaluate innovative offerings in the café, including coffee and espresso drink creations, artisanal food, beverage, and coffee products, and review these potential offerings with senior management.
• Oversee retail products and areas and ensure the retail areas have a complete inventory, organized coffee bags, and neatly displayed, clean equipment displays. Be creative and change displays frequently to showcase both new products and those we want to move inventory.
• Maintain an accurate and up-to-date plan of cafe staffing needs for front-of-house, back-of-house, retail, and customer-tasting areas. Review staffing levels to ensure that the cafe can be efficient and staffed at all times within the payroll budget allotted. Ensure that the café is running efficiently at all times and in a friendly manner by allocating staff assignments according to proven ability.
• Recruit, interview, hire, and effectively train new employees and provide ongoing training to ensure that service standards and coffee, espresso, and food product quality are consistent and maintained at all times. Work with the GHC Trainer for staff training to ensure drink quality is up to GHC standards. Complete and promptly deliver to the corporate office the required paperwork for new hires and articulate an accurate overview of employee benefits with the HR department's assistance.
• Make employment and termination decisions focusing on hiring experienced, service-dedicated, and interaction-focused coffee professionals whenever possible. New hires should have a strong interest in coffee and some food experience in barista, retail, and cashier positions.
• Manage the performance of all employees and, when necessary, discipline according to company policies with action steps and feedback as required. Provide frequent constructive feedback as needed and adhere to current HR policies on the annual review process.
• Ensure that all staff, including management, are provided with tools, materials, and knowledge to continuously improve to ensure our guests continue to return again and again.
• Continually strive to develop staff in all areas of managerial and professional development.
• Motivate and coordinate multiple activities and tasks for café staff to ensure guests are satisfied.
• Ensure that policies, procedures, and standards are maintained and followed in a fair and consistent manner.
• Hold staff meetings as needed (but at a minimum twice a year) and coordinate with the roastery for coffee-related educational components.
• Oversee direct team and tasks assigned to them. Provide support and opportunity for continuous productive feedback.
• Work on the floor serving guests as needed to meet target labor rates to the best of your ability without sacrificing quality service levels.
• Guest Service and Care:
• Continuously strive to ensure 100% guest satisfaction and that no guest leaves unhappy.
• Always ensure exceptional guest service in all areas. Ensure that all guests feel welcome and receive responsive, friendly, and courteous service.
• Be always easily accessible to guests and staff when on duty to enhance the beverage and dining experience and work environment.
• Display contagious energy
• Expediently respond to guest inquiries, concerns, or complaints, taking all appropriate actions to turn dissatisfied guests into return guests. Any serious or significant concerns or complaints from guests should be communicated to the Director of Cafe Operations in a timely manner.
• Fill in where needed to ensure guest service standards and efficient operations.
• Review online reviews (e.g., yelp, google, TripAdvisor) and adjust procedures accordingly. Work with the Director of Cafe Operations on any significant comments on responses.
• Operational / Financial:
• Schedule labor for each shift as required by anticipated business activity while ensuring that all positions are staffed when and as needed. Meet labor cost objectives. Always look for efficiencies and potential alterations to staff schedules to achieve exceptional guest experience and maintain the labor budget.
• Respond in a timely and complete manner to emails and information requests from senior management and accounting staff.
• Oversee the operation of the front of the house, including pour-over and espresso bars and retail, to maximize profitability and minimize liability. Conform to food handling safety regulations.
• Maintain a positive working relationship with vendors, suppliers, and maintenance personnel.
• Ensure all health and safety café policies and procedures are followed.
• Oversee the effective management of all food items, coffee supplies, other supplies, and all inventories as needed.
• Ensure that all assigned financial-related administrative duties are completed accurately, on time, and in accordance with company policies and procedures. This includes timely collection, review, and approval of invoices, packing slips, and other daily paperwork. Submit paperwork to the corporate office daily, as designated by the accounting department. Provide supporting receipts for all payouts and promotions. Provide necessary information and data to accountants and proper storage of receipts, invoices, packing slips, and any other critical accounting records, including invoicing and sales data (e.g., Toast reports).
• Take monthly inventory of all café products. Inventory is the General Manager's responsibility; however, if delegated to staff, review the inventory for accuracy and completeness before forwarding it to accounting. Consider recounting a few items for the accuracy of the staff's count.
• Review discounts daily for unusual transactions.
• Regularly review, develop, implement, and/or evaluate all operating procedures and systems to ensure relevancy, efficiency, and productivity.
• Perform operational functions using point-of-sale (POS) software application and have a deep understanding of how the POS system works to manage technical issues properly.
• Maintain and implement all technologies to ensure good working order and enhance efficient operations (such as phones, internet, computers, printers, scanners, etc.).
• Ensure the accuracy of recorded time worked by employees by reviewing and adjusting time entries recorded by employees in the POS system when necessary.
• Fully understand and comply with all federal, state, county, and municipal regulations that pertain to health, safety, and labor requirements of the café, employees, and guests. Contact the President, CFO, COO, or DO with any questions or clarifications on these matters.
• Coffee, Beverage and Food Planning, Health, and Safety:
• Demonstrate a passion for our quality artisanal products
• Ensure consistently high-quality preparation and presentation of batch-brewed coffee, single-cup pour-over coffee, and espresso drinks.
• Ensure consistently high-quality preparation and presentation of food.
• Enforce sanitary practices for food handling, general cleanliness, and maintenance of storage areas. Ensure compliance with operational standards, company policies, federal/state/local laws, and ordinances.
• Oversee the timely ordering and delivery of bulk and retail coffee, food, other beverages, and other supplies with vendors and distributors to ensure consistently maintained appropriate inventory levels at the restaurant.
• Ensure that all equipment is kept clean and in excellent working condition through personal inspection and by following the café's preventative maintenance programs. Complete the Maintenance Log for any work completed on any equipment or utilities at the cafes. Alert the President of any unusual issues or problems with equipment timely to determine service needs.
• Oversee the timely completion of daily, weekly, or monthly cleaning task list items.
• Ensure that the building, including the attached property and its infrastructure, is well maintained, kept clean, and in good working condition through proactive inspections and preventative maintenance programs. Immediately report any issues to the Director of Cafe Operations with a resolution summary or a request for assistance in resolution identification.
• Ensure that all products are received in the correct unit count, and condition and deliveries are performed in accordance with the cafés receiving policies and procedures. All receiving documents should be signed and dated as of the receipt date by the staff or General Manager. Ensure that incorrect items or pricing are resolved immediately, and all final vendor invoices are reviewed, approved for payment, and delivered to accounting promptly. If updated invoices are not possible, clearly note on the receiving documents those items not to pay.
• Review coffee, food, and other beverages’ estimated costs to ensure proper budgeting and cost-effectiveness. Work with café supervisors, suppliers, accountants, and owners regarding the efficient usage and purchasing of café supplies.
• Ensure adequate bar supply of necessary items (e.g., espresso and coffee porcelain cups, paper and plastic coffee cups, glasses, condiment bar items, pastry papers, pastry and sandwich china, flatware, paper goods, menus) to ensure availability during each day.
• Marketing and Public Relations:
• Develop, plan, and carry out restaurant marketing, advertising, and promotional activities/ campaigns, including management of loyalty programs if applicable.
• Work with the in-house marketing leader, GHC leadership, and/or executive management (e.g., President, CEO) to create new marketing strategies, including social media opportunities.
• Proactively market to neighboring businesses, colleges, and residential buildings. Establish a plan to bring in potential residential and corporate customers.
• Work with Director of Cafe Operations and marketing staff (when applicable) to develop promotional emails and coordinate their timely release.
  
  

Requirements Section

Knowledge

• Working knowledge in the following dimensions of café functions: food planning and preparation, purchasing, sanitation, security, company policies and procedures, personnel management, recordkeeping, and reports preparation.
  
  

Skills

• Strong written and verbal communication skills and exceptional consciousness of non-verbal language.
• High level of active listening skills and strong guest service skills, including the ability to resolve guest issues/complaints with tact and diplomacy.
• Strong leadership and people management skills.
• Strong interest in the 3rd wave specialty coffee industry and artisan food products and goods, and continuously cultivating the ability to taste foods and beverages for quality control purposes.
• Strong multi-tasking, organizational, and time management skills to ensure a quick response to guests, staff, and corporate office needs.
• Excellent problem-solving skills to detect changes in circumstances or events and ensure guests' satisfaction; also required to work effectively under pressure and/or busy situations.
• Required to adapt quickly to change to ensure the smooth and effective operation of the business.
• Punctual for work and meeting commitments.
• Professional and courteous demeanor.
• Professional attire.
• Must be agile to ensure all legal compliance is strictly followed.
• Positive team and motivational skills.
• Aptitude for accurate mathematical calculations as it relates to inventory and related supplies.
• Exceptional personal hygiene and positive representation of the organization to employees, guests, and vendors.
• Fluent in English speaking, writing, and understanding.
  
  

Abilities

• Energetic self-starter with the ability to prioritize and multi-task efficiently
• Maintains a calm demeanor during periods of high stress
  
  

Physical Characteristics (Physical attributes required with or without a reasonable accommodation)

• Ability to maintain stationary (e.g. standing) for extended periods of time frequently and be on your feet for up to 8 hours per shift
• Ability to move around the restaurant/café throughout the day assisting staff and guests as well as performing shift responsibilities constantly
• Ability to move and lift supplies, equipment, boxes and other items up to 50 pounds from floor to shelves, under counter and up a set of stairs frequently
• Ability to reach items under counter and overhead on shelves frequently
• Ability to tolerate exposure to cleaning solutions frequently
  
  

Tools Used (Equipment Required For The Position)

• POS System (Toast)
• Computer knowledge, including the use of Microsoft Excel and Word
• Coffee brewing equipment
  
  

Environmental Factors (Working conditions (inside or outside))

• Indoor fast-paced café setting
  
  

Credentials/Experience (Minimum Level Of Education, Experience, And Certifications)

• Bachelor's degree, or equivalent, preferred in café and restaurant management or related field. A combination of practical experience and education will be considered as an alternative.
• Must be ServSafe Certified (Food and Alcohol if applicable or TIPS equivalent), certified in Choke Saving, and completed allergen awareness training. If not certified, must be willing to attend training for certifications
• Minimum of five (5) years of directly related café or casual dining restaurant management experience which includes personnel management and operational experience.
• Minimum of five (5) years in similar general manager level role
• Can fluently read and speak English. Bilingual candidates are encouraged to apply.
• Fully functional with POS operations and MS Office
  
  

Other Requirements (Items that do not fit other categories such as travel, weekends, nights, etc.)

• Must have a flexible schedule to work various hours during the week and weekends needed to staff the café adequately.
• May need to fill in for absent staff on occasion
• Expected to work on the floor helping customers, filling drinks, etc., in addition to administrative activities.
  
  

Expected Compensation Range depending on qualifications = $70,000 to $90,000