General Manager, Fresh Food Kitchen & Retail

About the role

The General Manager, Fresh Food Kitchen & Retail oversees operations at the Sports Arena Kitchen location. This position reports directly to the Regional Director and plays a crucial role in maintaining exceptional guest experiences, driving high operational execution, and fostering a positive workplace culture.

Key Responsibilities

• Guest Service Leadership:

  • 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.

• Team Leadership & Development:

  • 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: People and performance go together. 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:

  • Navigate High-Volume Environments: 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.

Tenets of the Pack (Company Values)

• Liv Our Mission: We believe this is more than a job. It’s a cause.

• Be a Team Player: We put company goals and success first.

• Maintain a Positive Attitude: We bring energy, enthusiasm, and drive to everything we do.

• Deliver Results: We play to win.

Equal Opportunity Employer

JUSTFOODFORDOGS is an Equal Opportunity Employer. JUSTFOODFORDOGS does not discriminate due to race, color, creed, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender and/or gender identity or expression, marital or parental status, national origin, ethnicity, citizenship status, veteran or military status, age, disability, unemployment status or any other legally protected basis, and to the extent permitted by law.