General Manager
About the role
The General Manager at JustFoodForDogs is responsible for leading the day-to-day operations of the Costa Mesa Kitchen, ensuring exceptional guest experiences, driving high operational execution, and fostering a positive workplace culture.
Key Responsibilities
Live our Mission: Lead each day with a customer-first mentality, inspiring the team to find creative ways to say “yes” to guests and deliver great service.
Model the Standard: Maintain a strong floor presence during peak hours to greet guests, ensure speed of service, and immediately handle guest feedback with empathy and professionalism.
Foster a Positive Attitude: Ensure the team maintains a warm, welcoming, and positive atmosphere that keeps guests returning.
People Planning & Talent Acquisition: Oversee recruitment, onboarding, and regular talent benchmarking to ensure the store is optimally staffed with highly performing individuals.
Build a Transparent, Collaborative, and Motivating Work Environment: Address behavioral and performance issues promptly and respectfully through active coaching and corrective action. Provide ongoing training, intentional career growth pathing, and constructive feedback to direct reports.
Deliver Results: Work through your front and back-of-house teams to deliver a consistently exceptional guest experience, rooted in operational excellence to exceed sales and profitability goals.
Operational Standards & Execution
Maintain Peak Excellence: Oversee daily opening and closing procedures, ensuring strict compliance with brand standards, product quality, inventory control, and standard operating procedures.
Safety & Compliance: Enforce rigorous food safety, sanitation, and physical security measures, ensuring the kitchen and sales areas pass all audits.
Financial Stewardship: Manage labor schedules, control food waste, optimize supply ordering, and analyze P&L statements to drive profitability without compromising on quality or service.
Agile Problem Solving: Anticipate bottlenecks during rush periods and make quick, calculated adjustments to staffing positions or workflows.
Adaptability: Welcome change and adapt smoothly to new corporate initiatives, product rollouts, or unexpected mechanical/facilities challenges; and can independently solve problems.
Conflict Resolution: Serve as the ultimate problem solver for interpersonal team conflicts or intricate customer complaints, resolving issues with an open mind and structured judgment.
Qualifications & Requirements
Experience: Minimum of 2–3 years of progressive leadership experience in a high-volume quick-service or fast-casual restaurant environment (as a GM, AGM, or high-level Service Leader).
Skills: Excellent verbal and written communication skills; strong emotional intelligence and sense of team dynamics.
Work Ethic: "Hungry and Humble"—a self-motivated professional who takes immediate initiative, acts on feedback, possesses a servant’s heart, and continuously looks for operational improvements.
Physical Requirements: Ability to stand, squat, and walk for extended periods, work in a fast-paced environment, and lift up to 50 lbs. Ability to work alone at times.
Availability: Flexible schedule, including the ability to work mornings, evenings, weekends, and holidays.