General Manager
Taco Azul
Boston, MA
Hola! Welcome to Taco Azul! We are a casual full-service restaurant serving delicious guacamole, tacos, and margaritas!
Taco Azul is founded on the principle of a focused menu that is executed perfectly consistently.
Taco Azul is centered around Blue Corn (Maiz Azul) and Blue Agave (Agave Azul), hence "Azul" in the name. All tortillas and chips are made with Blue Corn, and all margaritas are made using tequila distilled from Blue Agave.
Taco Azul is the perfect restaurant for families with strollers, couples on dates, colleagues on business meetings, a fun night out with friends, and everyone in between.
Taco Azul Values
Taco Azul is built around 3 core values:
GREAT PEOPLE - People are the most important part of this business. From our team, to our vendors, to our partners, everyone matters. Everyone respects and nurtures a safe community. We are a team.
AMAZING FOOD - The goal of every dish, every bite, every sip, is to be delicious. We are welcoming guests to dine with us, and we will always guarantee amazing food and drinks.
SMILEABLE EXPERIENCES - Smiles will organically be created when great people serve amazing food. Smiles are why we do what we do.
General Manager - Roles & Responsibilities
Role Overview
The General Manager role is crucial at Taco Azul. While keeping our values as the guiding principle, the GM will own and be accountable for everything that goes on within the 4-walls of the restaurant.
At a high level they are responsible for the execution of systems and processes that ensure we serve delicious food and drinks, in a simple and consistent manner, with excellent guest service and a happy team.
What this means practically is that the GM is responsible for every detail of the restaurant operation big and small!
Uncompromising commitment to Taco Azul values.
Oversee and manage all areas of the restaurant and make final decisions on matters of importance to the guest experience.
Manage shifts which include: daily decision making, scheduling, planning while upholding standards, product quality and cleanliness.
Maintain an accurate and up-to-date plan of restaurant staffing needs.
Prepare schedules and ensure that the restaurant is staffed for all shifts.
Able to handle the pressures of simultaneously coordinating a wide range of activities and recommend appropriate solutions to problems.
Adhere to Taco Azul standards and service levels to increase sales and minimize costs, including food, beverage, supply, utility and labor costs.
Maintain the restaurant image, including restaurant cleanliness, proper uniforms, appearance and atmospheric standards (good vibes only!).
Keeps leadership promptly and fully informed of all issues (i.e. problems, unusual matters of significance and positive events) and takes prompt corrective action where necessary.
Ensure a safe working and guest environment to reduce the risk of injury and accidents.
Maintains a favorable working relationship with all employees to foster and promote a cooperative and harmonious working climate.
Complete accident reports promptly in the event that a guest or employee is injured.
Run successfully high-volume stores.
Estimate food and beverage costs for efficient provisioning and purchasing of supplies.
Help to cultivate the systems, structure, and tools to support growth.
Has an entrepreneurial spirit! Bring ideas and a point of view to the table, not just an ability to execute what we are told to do.
Possess leadership skills- an ability to teach, coach and develop a large team, understanding that their success is your success.
Interview hourly employees: direct hiring, supervision, development and termination of employees.
Ensure positive guest service in all areas.
Respond to complaints, taking appropriate actions to turn dissatisfied guests into return guests.
What Does Success Look Like For This Role?
Success in this role is very simple and complex at the same time. Success means that guests are in a better/happier state than when we first interacted with them, every single time. Regardless of a dine-in experience, a takeout experience, or a delivery experience, we strive to put a smile on our guests faces. Regardless of the team, the ingredients, and the conditions, consistent Smileable Experiences are what success looks like for this role.
Accomplishing success is quite complex. Systems, policies, procedures, verifications, and culture, will help ensure our team can execute consistently.
What Questions Should This Role Be Asking/Answering?
How can I best support the team today?
Does my team feel happy and want to work with me as their leader?
Does my leadership team find me to be engaged, pleasant to work with and fully aligned with the vision for Taco Azul?
How can I create smileable experiences that inspire guest loyalty? How can I inspire my team to do the same?
Have I planned out my day/week?
Am I working shoulder to shoulder with my team in a productive role 80% of the time (or more)?
How can we put more smiles on people s faces?
How am I showing up today (mentally, physically)? How does my team perceive me?
Am I taking ownership of this moment, this shift, this business and 100% of the outcomes?
How can we/I improve?
What role did I play in this?
What Systems Will This Role Lead?
Point of Sale (Toast)
Reservations (Resy)
Scheduling (Sling)
Training (Opus)
HR Platforms (Toast Payroll)
Health & Safety (ServSafe, Govt regulations)
SOPs (Opus)
Checklists (Opus)
Hiring & Firing (Indeed)
What Business Metrics Will This Role Lead?
Labor Cost & COGS
R&M Spend
Inventory Management
Guest Satisfaction - Guest Scores
Hiring/Firing - Turnover
Sales Volume
Opus completion %
Health Inspection Results
Quarterly Audit (in-house)
What Commitment Is Expected From This Role?
Full belief in Taco Azul, its vision, its values, and its success.
Minimum 50 hours/week.
40+ hours per week will be scheduled outside the office working on the floor in a hands on, admin free, computerless, shoulder to shoulder role coaching, developing and supporting the team.
10+ hours per week is elective time that could be used to write a schedule, place orders, do inventory, look at financials, write a report, or work on an approved project.
Understanding that schedules must be approved by leadership and are subject to edits and change by/with leadership.
A belief that you are here to serve the team and our guests - not the other way around.
First and last point of quality assurance in all team and guest interactions.
Leadership, composure, trust, and reliability.
Immersive education into Mexican food, drink, culture, and all things Taco Azul.
Ensuring the restaurant is running smoothly on a daily basis (whether physically present or not).
Humility and the desire to receive direct actionable feedback from leadership + the ability to take the feedback, thoughtfully consider it, and then act on it in a positive way.
Compliance with Taco Azul manager dress code.
A growth is not optional mindset! This means that we are committed to development from our leadership team and take ownership of our own self-development too!
What Is Not A Part Of This Role?
Taco Azul is not meant to be a restaurant that revolves around one person. This does not mean that a GM is not important - quite the opposite - this role is very important. The systems, service, care, and decisions are made for what is best for Taco Azul as a whole, not just for one person.
Excuses. Everything in a restaurant is interconnected and therefore whether or not we understand how our action or lack of action impacted an outcome, we believe and understand that, as the leader, we are responsible for it - period.
Blaming others. Whether something happens as a result of our direct or indirect actions (or inactions), whether we are present in the store or not, whether we know about it happening or not if it happens we own it, accept it, and figure out how to learn from it and grow from it.
Creating new processes, recipes, or ways of doing things without consulting leadership. Ideas are great, but this role is primarily about excellent execution, not creation and ideation.
This is not a remote position.
This is not a low-touch / low-involvement role.
80% of hours will literally be spent on your feet, working on the floor with the team.
This is not a role that is worked from a computer or checklist or office.
Having a know-it-all attitude.
Having a victim mentality.
Being defensive, sarcastic or passive aggressive.
Engaging in gossip, unprofessional conversations, or favoritism.
Having a that s not my job attitude.
What Support Will This Role Have?
While this role will have full ownership of tasks and responsibilities laid out above, this is not a dictatorship role. This role will work closely with ownership to carry out the vision for Taco Azul.
While this role will have full ownership of tasks and responsibilities laid out above, this is not a role where you are working alone on an island. Leadership is always available to help when needed.
This role will have dedicated time on a weekly basis to review, discuss, and align on all work (i.e. weekly manager meetings).
This role will be able to work individually and ask for collaboration as wanted/needed.
There will always be a safe, open door policy where leadership will be committed to hear feedback, concerns, questions without judgment.
This role will have the support wanted/needed to have a lasting impact on Taco Azul.
What Qualifications Are Required For This Role?
3+ years of restaurant management experience
Toast POS/ POS operating knowledge
Expert in reservation systems
Extensive experience in hiring and training
Ownership mentality
Growth experience
Legally able to work in the US
Ability to work on feet 10+ hours per day
What Will This Role Receive?
$75,000 annual salary paid weekly.
You are eligible to participate in the company bonus program.
The role is eligible for the following yearly bonus thresholds calculated on 12/31 of each year:
$5,000 - Google Reviews 4.8+, tracked monthly
$5,000 - Food Cost under 21%, for the year (P&L)
$5,000 - Labor Cost under 21%, for the year (P&L)
$5,000 - Upon achieving $2,500,000 in net sales
Your vacation includes: 10 days (2 weeks) paid vacation.
The company will contribute 50% of a base Mira Health Plan.