General Manager

Biscuits & Butter is a breakfast, brunch, and lunch eatery built around exceptional food, thoughtfully crafted beverages, genuine hospitality, and memorable guest experiences.

We are building a restaurant culture centered around hospitality, accountability, consistency, teamwork, cleanliness, and operational excellence.

The General Manager plays a critical role in establishing and protecting that culture.

The General Manager (GM) is responsible for the overall leadership, performance, profitability, culture, and day-to-day operations of Biscuits & Butter.

This position oversees both Front-of-House and Back-of-House operations, including guest experience, team leadership, hiring and training, scheduling, labor management, food and beverage costs, inventory, financial performance, safety and sanitation, facility standards, and overall execution of the Biscuits & Butter brand.

The General Manager is expected to operate the restaurant as if it were their own business while maintaining alignment with company ownership and established policies.

This is a hands-on leadership position. The GM should be visible, engaged, and actively involved in restaurant operations—not managing solely from an office.

The ideal candidate is a strong leader who understands both hospitality and business performance and can build a team that delivers consistent results.

• Oversee all daily restaurant operations.
• Lead both Front-of-House and Back-of-House management teams.
• Maintain exceptional guest-service standards.
• Protect and uphold the Biscuits & Butter brand and company culture.
• Recruit, interview, hire, onboard, train, coach, and develop employees.
• Create appropriate staffing plans based on projected business volume.
• Manage restaurant schedules and labor costs.
• Monitor food, beverage, and operating costs.
• Review restaurant sales and financial performance.
• Maintain inventory controls and oversee ordering procedures.
• Ensure compliance with company policies and operating procedures.
• Maintain all food safety, sanitation, alcohol-service, and workplace safety requirements.
• Ensure the restaurant remains clean, organized, safe, and guest-ready.
• Manage guest concerns and service recovery.
• Conduct pre-shift meetings and management meetings as appropriate.
• Communicate restaurant performance, concerns, and opportunities to ownership.
• Develop managers and employees into stronger leaders.
• Maintain accountability across all restaurant positions.
• Ensure opening and closing procedures are completed properly.
• Take ownership of the overall success of the restaurant.

The General Manager sets the tone for the entire restaurant.

The GM is expected to build a culture where employees understand that high standards and positive hospitality can exist together.

Leadership responsibilities include:

• Lead by example.
• Establish clear expectations for every position.
• Maintain consistent accountability across the team.
• Coach employees in real time.
• Address performance concerns promptly.
• Recognize and develop high-performing employees.
• Create opportunities for internal growth and advancement.
• Maintain professional communication at all times.
• Promote teamwork between Front-of-House and Back-of-House employees.
• Address conflict professionally and consistently.
• Maintain appropriate management boundaries.
• Protect a respectful and productive workplace.
• Ensure managers are actively managing rather than simply supervising.
• Build a team that takes pride in Biscuits & Butter.

The GM should never ask employees to maintain standards they are unwilling to demonstrate themselves.

The General Manager is ultimately responsible for the guest experience.

The GM should:

• Be visible and accessible during service.
• Regularly interact with guests.
• Monitor dining room conditions.
• Monitor food and beverage quality.
• Observe service standards.
• Review guest feedback.
• Address guest concerns promptly and professionally.
• Follow up on serious complaints when appropriate.
• Identify recurring service issues and implement solutions.
• Empower managers to resolve appropriate guest concerns.
• Build relationships with regular guests.
• Create an environment where guests feel welcomed, appreciated, and excited to return.

Every guest concern should be viewed as an opportunity to improve the restaurant.

Breakfast and brunch service can create significant volume within a short period of time.

The General Manager must be able to lead effectively during peak periods.

Responsibilities include:

• Review reservations and projected volume before service.
• Ensure proper staffing levels.
• Verify Front-of-House and Back-of-House readiness.
• Conduct pre-shift meetings.
• Monitor wait times and table turnover.
• Monitor ticket times.
• Identify operational bottlenecks.
• Reposition employees when necessary.
• Communicate with kitchen leadership regarding service flow.
• Support the host stand during significant waits.
• Monitor beverage ticket times.
• Assist employees and managers where needed.
• Maintain calm and professional leadership during high-pressure situations.

A busy restaurant should still feel organized.

The General Manager is responsible for understanding and protecting the financial health of the restaurant.

Responsibilities include:

• Monitor daily and weekly sales.
• Review sales against forecasts and budgets.
• Manage labor according to established targets.
• Monitor food and beverage costs.
• Monitor overtime.
• Identify unnecessary spending.
• Monitor discounts, comps, voids, refunds, and other adjustments.
• Review inventory variances.
• Work with the Kitchen Manager to reduce food waste.
• Work with beverage leadership to control beverage costs and waste.
• Review restaurant operating expenses.
• Identify opportunities to increase revenue and profitability.
• Communicate significant financial variances to ownership.
• Understand how operational decisions impact restaurant profitability.

The GM is expected to balance guest experience, employee experience, and financial responsibility.

The General Manager is responsible for ensuring the restaurant is appropriately staffed without unnecessary labor.

Responsibilities include:

• Review and approve employee schedules.
• Schedule according to projected sales and business needs.
• Monitor labor percentages.
• Monitor overtime.
• Ensure proper coverage for all positions.
• Adjust staffing when business volume changes.
• Maintain an appropriate staffing pipeline.
• Ensure employee availability is properly documented.
• Monitor employee attendance and punctuality.
• Address recurring attendance concerns.
• Ensure timekeeping procedures are followed accurately.

The GM is responsible for building and maintaining a strong restaurant team.

This includes:

• Maintain appropriate staffing levels.
• Interview candidates.
• Make hiring decisions in accordance with company procedures.
• Ensure new hires complete required onboarding.
• Ensure employees receive position-specific training.
• Monitor training progress.
• Evaluate employee performance.
• Provide ongoing coaching.
• Identify employees with leadership potential.
• Develop internal candidates for promotions.
• Maintain training materials and standards.
• Ensure managers are effectively training their teams.

Training should not end after an employee's first week. Continuous coaching and development are expected.

The General Manager is responsible for developing and holding the restaurant's leadership team accountable.

This may include:

• Kitchen Manager
• Assistant Managers
• Shift Leads
• Lead Bartenders / Baristas
• Other designated department leaders

The GM should establish clear responsibilities for each manager and ensure accountability for assigned areas.

Managers should be trained to solve problems, lead teams, manage costs, and protect the guest experience rather than depending on the GM for every decision.

The General Manager oversees restaurant inventory systems and controls.

Responsibilities include:

• Ensure inventories are completed accurately and on schedule.
• Review food and beverage inventory.
• Monitor ordering and receiving procedures.
• Review significant inventory variances.
• Prevent excessive inventory.
• Monitor waste and spoilage.
• Ensure products are stored properly.
• Protect company products and supplies from loss or misuse.
• Maintain appropriate controls for high-cost products.
• Work with department managers to maintain established cost targets.

The General Manager is responsible for ensuring that every product served represents Biscuits & Butter appropriately.

The GM should regularly inspect:

• Food quality
• Portion sizes
• Plate presentation
• Food temperatures
• Coffee and espresso beverages
• Matcha beverages
• Specialty non-alcoholic beverages
• Cocktails and brunch beverages
• Glassware and beverage presentation
• To-go packaging and presentation

If something does not meet the Biscuits & Butter standard, it should be corrected before reaching the guest.

The restaurant should remain inspection-ready every day.

The General Manager is responsible for ensuring:

• Health department standards are consistently followed.
• Food safety procedures are maintained.
• Required temperature logs and documentation are completed.
• Employee hygiene standards are enforced.
• The dining room remains clean and presentable.
• Restrooms remain clean and stocked.
• The kitchen remains sanitary and organized.
• Bar and coffee areas remain clean.
• Storage areas remain organized.
• Exterior and entry areas remain guest-ready.
• Workplace hazards are addressed immediately.
• Required licenses, permits, and certifications remain current as applicable.

The General Manager is responsible for protecting the physical condition of the restaurant.

Responsibilities include:

• Conduct regular restaurant walkthroughs.
• Identify maintenance concerns early.
• Report and coordinate repairs.
• Maintain preventative maintenance schedules when applicable.
• Ensure equipment is properly used and maintained.
• Protect restaurant furniture, fixtures, equipment, and supplies.
• Monitor HVAC, refrigeration, plumbing, electrical, kitchen equipment, and other essential systems.
• Communicate significant facility issues to ownership immediately.

Biscuits & Butter operates as one restaurant—not separate Front-of-House and Back-of-House businesses.

The General Manager is responsible for maintaining strong communication between departments.

The GM should ensure:

• FOH understands kitchen needs and limitations.
• BOH understands guest and service needs.
• Managers communicate throughout service.
• Menu shortages are communicated immediately.
• Guest allergies and special requests are handled correctly.
• Ticket-time concerns are addressed collaboratively.
• Employees communicate respectfully across departments.
• Problems are solved without blame or unnecessary conflict.

The General Manager may also work with ownership and marketing leadership to support restaurant promotions and brand initiatives.

Responsibilities may include:

• Ensure employees understand current promotions and specials.
• Prepare the restaurant for marketing activations or events.
• Communicate upcoming events to employees.
• Ensure restaurant presentation aligns with brand standards.
• Help identify guest feedback and trends that may inform marketing.
• Support local partnerships and community initiatives when appropriate.
• Ensure employees understand that their behavior contributes to the Biscuits & Butter brand.