General Manager - Fullerton

Better Buzz Coffee is a rapidly growing brand with a passion for coffee and community. We’re looking for General Managers who share our enthusiasm and are ready to lead our cafés to new heights. Join us in delivering outstanding guest experiences while fostering a fun, upbeat work environment. Learn more about us at betterbuzzcoffee.com.

About the Role

The General Manager is the most senior leader within a Better Buzz café, accountable for delivering a consistent, brand-defining guest experience, building and developing a high-performing team, and operating a profitable, compliant business. This role spends the majority of time leading the team and managing café operations, executing goals, solving problems, and serving as an example of excellence for guests, team members, and the wider Better Buzz community.

Every day, in every café, we inspire our team and community to rise early, dream big, have fun, and maximize their human potential. General Managers uphold this mission by leading with integrity, sound judgment, and a relentless pursuit of elevating the coffee experience.

Selected candidates will train for 8 weeks, assist in the market, and wait to be awarded a store—either as part of a new opening or to backfill an existing location to support our growth.

Responsibilities

• Leadership & Team Development
  • Build, lead, and develop a team of Assistant General Managers, Lead Shift Supervisors, Shift Supervisors, and Team Ambassadors/Baristas who embody the Better Buzz culture.
  • Act with integrity, honesty, and knowledge to promote the Company’s culture, values, and mission.
  • Source, interview, hire, and onboard new team members; identify and develop internal talent for promotion.
  • Address all team concerns with urgency, fairness, clarity, strength, and compassion.
  • Champion a workplace environment free of harassment, discrimination, and retaliation, ensuring all mandated trainings are completed.
• Guest Experience & Brand Standards
  • Lead the team to deliver exceptional guest experiences.
  • Resolve guest concerns professionally and recover the experience with empathy and urgency.
  • Champion training and readiness for all brand initiatives, promotions, and seasonal campaigns.
• Operations & Financial Performance
  • Operate the café to meet or exceed financial targets (e.g., sales, labor, food cost, waste targets).
  • Build and post accurate, compliant team schedules in advance; manage labor to forecast and team availability.
  • Manage to given metrics, identify gaps, build plans to close gaps, and cascade plans to the team for execution.
  • Drive overall sales through consistent modeling of hospitable service and upselling.
  • Promote adherence to speed of service, fulfillment, and drive-thru time standards.
  • Maintain high guest feedback scores.
  • Ensure all meal and rest breaks are taken and properly recorded in accordance with state law.
  • Lead and ensure proper inventory management (e.g., pars, ordering, receiving, rotation, storage, and waste tracking).
  • Maintain cash handling integrity and follow loss prevention protocols.
• Compliance, Safety & Wellbeing
  • Maintain food safety and sanitation standards in line with ANSI-certified Manager certification and county health requirements.
  • Comply with all applicable federal, state, and local employment laws, including wage and hour, scheduling, and leave requirements.
  • Complete and document required incident reporting, including workplace injury, harassment complaints, and communicable disease notifications under AB 685.
  • Maintain a safe physical environment for guests and team members and promote a culture of psychological safety.
• Communication & Partnership
  • Partner with the District Manager on team coaching, business performance, and people strategy.
  • Communicate clearly and respectfully with The Hive (Better Buzz Support Center), vendors, and cross-functional partners.

Requirements

• 3 years of prior general management experience in a similar high-velocity, high-volume coffee or fast-casual environment.
• Manager Food Safety Certification.
• Open availability—days, nights, weekends, and holidays.
• 45 hours of work per week.

Preferred Qualifications

• Associate’s Degree.
• Drive-thru experience.
• New location opening experience.

Skills

• People-first leadership mindset.
• Business-ownership mentality.
• Ability to meet and execute key performance indicators.
• Commitment to operational excellence.
• Resiliency, endurance, and adaptability.
• Competitive spirit—striving to win every transaction, every day, every shift.

Pay

This position pays an hourly rate of $32.00–$35.00 based on a 45-hour work week, translating to an annual range of roughly $79,000–$86,000. General Managers can earn a significant monthly bonus in addition to base pay.

Benefits

• Work with an amazing team of coffee enthusiasts.
• Opportunities for career growth and advancement with a quickly growing brand.
• Full benefits package, including Medical, Dental, Vision, Life Insurance, and 401K with a company match.
• Paid time off.
• Paid training.
• Monthly bonus potential once awarded a location.