Restaurant GM

General Manager Service-Driven, James Beard Recognized Restaurant (St. Louis, MO)
Salary: $70,000 $80,000 with ability to make over $100,000 with bonus, health insurance, paid time off & major holidays off.

We re a James Beard semi-finalist restaurant in St. Louis, known for big-hearted hospitality, simple beautiful food, and a welcoming, community-centered dining room. We re now looking for a General Manager who wants to build a joyful, high-functioning team and make our dining room feel like the best version of home for both guests and staff.

Think of this role as a cross between a restaurateur and a Trader Joe s captain : present on the floor, genuinely kind, a little quirky, deeply organized, and obsessed with making things better for everyone who walks through the door.

The General Manager will:

• Lead the full guest experience in the dining room: greeting, flow, pacing, problem-solving, and the overall emotional tone of the room.
  

• Cross-train in every major station (BOH & FOH) during the first weeks so you truly understand what you re leading: dish, prep, line, expo, host, server, takeout.
  

• Hire, schedule, coach, and support the entire hourly team so they feel respected, clear on expectations, and proud of their work.
  

• Partner with ownership on systems, service standards, and culture, and then protect those on busy nights when it s hardest.
  

• Own key operational rhythms: pre-shift meetings, side work, checklists, basic reporting, and closing the loop on guest feedback.
  

• Watch the numbers (labor, COGS, sales) and work with ownership to hit agreed targets without burning people out.
  

We re intentionally cultivating a culture with some of the best parts of Trader Joe s:

• Warmth begins with coworkers. We expect people to talk to each other with the same kindness and respect we want them to show guests.
  

• Everyone pitches in. No one is above any task; leaders jump on dish, run food, wipe a table, or take a phone call when needed.
  

• High standards, low drama. Clear expectations, direct communication, consistent follow-through without yelling, shaming, or ego trips.
  

• Ideas from the ground up. The people doing the work often have the best ideas. We listen to them, test improvements, and keep what works.
  

• Playful and human. We work hard, but we want our team to feel like they can bring their personality, not a fake service robot persona.
  

We want a GM who not only fits this, but actively models it.

You might be a great fit if:

• You have recent GM or AGM experience in a full-service or busy fast-casual environment, ideally $2M+ annual volume or comparable.
  

• Have operated at a chef or kitchen manager but love guest interaction and see the restaurant as an ecosystem over BOH vs FOH.
  

• You genuinely love being in the dining room: reading the room, noticing small details, remembering regulars, stepping in before issues snowball.
  

• You re comfortable with basic restaurant numbers (labor %, COGS %, daily/weekly reports) and can use them to make sane scheduling and purchasing decisions.
  

• You re a coach, not a dictator: you hold people accountable, but you do it with clarity and respect.
  

• You re excited (not threatened) by learning every station and being able to jump in anywhere in a pinch.
  

• You care about equity, psychological safety, and long-term sustainability for yourself and for your team.
  

• Base salary: $70,000 $80,000, depending on experience.
  

• Bonus: Performance-based bonus opportunity tied to:
  

• • Hitting agreed financial targets (labor/COGS/prime cost).
    

  • Maintaining strong guest satisfaction scores and handling feedback with care.
    

  • Building and retaining a healthy, well-trained team.
    

• Health insurance: Employer-supported health insurance (details in interview).
  

• Paid time off:
  

• • Paid vacation time.
    

  • Paid sick/mental health time.
    

  • Paid time off for major holidays.
    

• Perks: Shift meals, staff discount, and a direct working relationship with ownership where your voice actually affects how the restaurant runs.
  

Please send:

• Your resume
  

• A short note telling us:
  

• • A story about a time you turned around a rough service or upset guest.
    

  • One concrete example of how you ve improved culture or systems in a past restaurant.
    

  • What hobby or show or activity are you most excited about right now and what does it bring to your life?
    

Subject line: GM [Your Name] St. Louis

This role is for someone who wants to build something meaningful with us: a place where guests feel cared for, staff feel respected and supported, and the work has both excellence and heart.