MAXWELLS TRADING is looking for a General Manager

Underscore Hospitality partners Josh Tilden and three-time James Beard finalist Chef Erling Wu-Bower have a new restaurant in the works! Maxwells Trading is slated for a winter 2023 opening in Chicago’s Kinzie Industrial Corridor. 

We are looking for an experienced General Manager who values service, quality, hospitality, and community. Our ideal candidate is passionate about making the restaurant industry a better place to work in for all, has the ability to be empathetic and hold themselves and others accountable, and possesses both soft and hard skills.  

About Underscore Hospitality:

Underscore Hospitality is borne from the idea that the hospitality industry can be a place of professional stability and home for career minded individuals.  We believe firmly that the key to success is the care and support that we offer our team members, as they will be the ones cooking our food and serving our guests.

JOB DESCRIPTION 

Position Summary: Front-end management that directs and oversees all food, beverage, and service at Maxwells Trading in accordance with standardized policies in order to provide friendly, efficient services and profitable operations.  

Essential Duties and Responsibilities 

The essential functions include, but are not limited to the following:

• Work with the Partners and Executive Chef / CDC in setting the direction of the business in day to day operations as well as developing and executing a plan to drive sales, manage costs, and grow the business.
• Manages staffing responsibilities for all FOH staff; servers, server assistants, hosts, food runners, baristas, porters, event team; bartenders, barbacks). This includes overseeing hiring, training, scheduling, evaluating, and terminating. All schedules must be posted four days before the following pay period begins.
• Oversees and manages all FOH managers and PDR / Events managers. This includes hiring, training, scheduling, evaluating and terminating, as well as holding managers responsible for their assigned duties (training plans, steps of service, scheduling, new hires, etc) [All hiring and terminating of managers must be approved by operations partners.] 
• Monitor, address and document individual hourly employee performance through on-going feedback, positive recognition, formal performance reviews, coaching and, when necessary, disciplinary action up to and including employment termination
• Works directly with Executive Chef / Chef de Cuisine in order to promote a strong and unified leadership dynamic—unifying the FOH and BOH teams.
• Oversees and manages all payroll and payroll related HR functions. 
• Responsible for conducting bi-weekly meetings with all FOH managers to update them on financials, service, new procedures, things to improve on.
• Meet regularly with Executive Chef / Chef de Cuisine to discuss culture, staffing and new ideas for increased team morale and overall financial management.  
• Responsible for scheduling and executing quarterly departmental meetings for the FOH service team. These meetings should cover service standards and guidelines, review of F&B, new ideas for continued growth, as well as give an opportunity to hear from team members and implement changes based on their suggestions (when appropriate).
• Responsible for holding pre-shift meetings within every service and every department OR have another manager holding these in your absence. Pre-shifts must be consistent, informative, and positive.
• To be fluent in all aspects of the budget and P&L in order to educate all managers on how to meet and exceed all goals.
• Work closely with FOH and BOH managers and key team members to develop and execute a cohesive strategy on managing marginal and operating costs.  
• Ensure repair and maintenance needs are addressed
• Handles all exiting of employees; this includes appropriate documentation and execution of Personal Action Form.
• Oversee organization, efficiency and policies pertaining to service in the dining room.
• Become proficient with the use of all restaurant technology – POS, Payroll / HR, Scheduling Software, Guest Management Software, etc.
• Work closely with FOH and BOH managers and key team members for cohesion throughout all the services, policies, communication, procedures. 
• Have strong communication with FOH and BOH managers and key team members to communicate any issues, concerns, or ideas.
• Supervises staff in terms of guest service, cleaning, and repairs to restaurant and grounds.
• Must be able to balance admin responsibilities with service responsibilities. 
• Enhance and strengthen guest relationships, established and new.
• Promotes cooperative effort, a team spirit, and good morale among all employees.
• Delivers excellent guest service including personally greeting and seating guests.
• Work on revising all steps of service, side work, etc with as needed given the demands of the restaurant that also promotes healthy teamwork.  
• Use tact and good judgment when dealing with challenges pertaining to guests, vendors and employees, and respond with patience and courtesy.
• Make sure the entire space looks, smells, and feels good (lighting, temperature, bathrooms, cleanliness, and seating arrangements).
• Participates in training about standardized policies (HR, fire, hygiene, health, safety, employee handbook, etc.).
• Helps with duties of other employees (i.e. server, food runner, etc.) when necessary because of an unexpected absence or extra volume.
• Responds to guest and community interests to develop marketing and advertising.
• Has a strong understanding of company and concept background and the philosophy.
• To be familiar with the food and beverage items on all menus.
• To have a strong awareness of FOH scheduling to ensure that payroll is monitored through proper allocation of vacation/request offs from the service team, as well as schedule switching.  
• To work a combination of shifts if needed—opening and closing—as well as the potential of a sixth shift during the weeks of major conferences/conventions such as the NRA, NEOCONN, Radiology, etc.  
• To flex one’s self through the schedule so that there is as much direct work with all FOH team members - lunch, dinner, PDR, etc. - as possible.
• Responsible for ensuring that all server check outs and restaurant closing duties are performed on a daily basis to company standards. 
• Performs other work-related duties as assigned.

Minimum Qualifications (Education, Experience, Skills) 

• High school diploma, GED certificate, or demonstration of sufficient reading and math skills to read manuals and prepare computer reports as required; hospitality and restaurant management certification or college degree preferred.
• Previous restaurant experience required.
• Previous management experience required.
• Serve Safe certification required.
• Illinois Manager Food Sanitation certification required.
• Illinois Allergen Certification required.
• Basset Certification required.
• Willingness to work mornings, evenings and weekends as required.
• Excellent guest service to treat patrons like family.
• Strong communication skills to train and motivate employees.
• Strong time management skills and accuracy to deal with a variety of duties and prepare reports according to schedule.

Physical Demands and Work Environment 

The work that restaurant managers do is both physically and mentally demanding. They are on their feet for several hours at a time. Managers in this position typically work fifty to sixty hours a week. However, because the restaurant serves the public and are open six days a week, managers may work longer, irregular hours.

The description of the physical demands and the work environment characteristics here represent those that must be met by staff to successfully perform and those staff encounters while performing the essential functions of this position.  Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable qualifying individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions of the position. 

This position requires staff to work in close quarters with other staff and/or guests which may result in physical, non-sexual contact with other staff and/or guests.

While performing the duties of this job, the staff is regularly required to talk or hear in a loud environment. The staff is occasionally required to sit; use hands to finger, handle, or feel; reach with hands and arms; climb or balance; and stoop, kneel, crouch, or crawl. The staff may frequently lift and/or move up to 50 pounds or more. Specific sensory abilities required by this job include sight, taste, smell, and hearing.

While performing the duties of this job, the staff is occasionally exposed to raw meat, moving mechanical parts, airborne particles, hazardous materials, and risk of electrical shock. The noise level in the work environment is moderate to loud.

This job description in no way states or implies that these are the only duties to be performed by the employee(s) incumbent in this position.  Employees will be required to follow any other job-related instructions and to perform any other job-related duties requested by any person authorized to give instructions or assignments.