General Manager – Coconuts Caribbean Restaurant
Location: Downtown Palo Alto, CA
Compensation: $80,000–$100,000 + Lucrative Quarterly Performance Bonus Opportunity & Clear Pathway to Group Leadership
About Coconuts
Coconuts Caribbean Restaurant is a vibrant, full-service culinary destination in Downtown Palo Alto, renowned for authentic Caribbean flavors, warm hospitality, and a dynamic bar program.
We are entering an important period of growth with Coconuts 2.0—our vision for the next generation of Coconuts and the continued growth of our restaurant group. We are looking for a General Manager who wants to be a key driver of that expansion.
This is not simply a position for someone looking to run shifts and maintain the restaurant. We are looking for a true restaurant operator with vision, strong leadership skills, financial discipline, and an entrepreneurial mindset who can lead Coconuts today while helping us build what comes next.
The Opportunity
The General Manager will hold full P&L responsibility, driving operations, hospitality, team development, financial performance, bar execution, and brand standards. Crucially, you will play a hands-on role in architecting the systems, standards, and talent pipeline required to scale Coconuts 2.0 into multi-unit operations.
Key Responsibilities
- Operations & Guest Experience: Maintain total FOH/BOH alignment, safeguard food/beverage quality, and ensure consistent, high-energy Caribbean hospitality across all shifts.
- People, Leadership & Culture: Recruit, coach, and retain top talent. Build clear accountability structures, conduct regular performance reviews, and establish career growth pathways to prepare emerging leaders for group-level expansion.
- Financial & Business Management: Drive P&L performance. Optimize labor scheduling, monitor food and beverage waste/costs, and collaborate with ownership on forecasting, budgeting, and data-driven operational strategies.
- Sales, Beverage & Events: Identify new revenue drivers by optimizing average guest checks, strengthening the bar/cocktail program, and scaling catering, private dining, and community partnerships.
- Coconuts 2.0 Systems Architecture: Standardize operational SOPs, technology platforms (POS, inventory, scheduling), and training frameworks to prepare the business for multi-unit growth.
Qualifications
- 5+ years of restaurant management experience preferred (GM, AGM, or Owner/Operator strongly preferred).
Experience managing a high-volume, full-service restaurant.
- Strong understanding of both FOH and BOH operations, including proven P&L management, labor optimization, and cost controls.
- Demonstrated ability to recruit, train, and develop high-performing teams.
- Strong background or familiarity with bar and beverage programs, as well as catering and special events execution.
- Solid understanding of California labor compliance, health safety, and modern restaurant tech/POS platforms.
- Entrepreneurial mindset with an ambition to grow beyond daily shift management.
Compensation & Benefits
- Base Salary: $80,000–$100,000 (commensurate with experience)
- Quarterly Performance Bonus tied directly to key financial and operational metrics
- Health, Vision, and Dental Insurance
- Paid Time Off (PTO) & Professional Development
- Accelerated career growth and expanded leadership scope as Coconuts 2.0 and the restaurant group expand
About Us
Back A Yard Caribbean Grill is your destination for the best Caribbean & American food in the Bay area with five (5) locations to serve you. We also cater events of any size. Don’t forget to browse through our store for some delicious desserts, our specialty sauces, marinades and freshly baked Jamaican hardough breads – new to our menu!
Our name “Back A Yard” is a common term in the Caribbean and represents the lifestyle, culture, spirit, food and the vibe of welcoming visitors to your home. Simply meaning, the way things are done “Back Home”.