General Manager

Potbelly (Potbelly Corporate)•Chicago, IL

1d•$60,000 - $65,000

About The Position

The General Manager leads a Potbelly shop and creates an upbeat, welcoming environment that encourages teamwork and belonging for team members and customers. The role focuses on developing and retaining a strong team, delivering effective shop operations, maintaining food safety and service standards, and growing sales through local marketing. The General Manager spends 80–90% of their time on the shop floor in the Front of the House and must be able to work a minimum of 45 hours per week.

Requirements

Be at least 18 years of age.
Meet the state's food safety requirements and pass and obtain a Food Safety Certification. After two unsuccessful attempts, the applicant will no longer be eligible for a Leader role.
Have a friendly, customer-first mindset and the ability to thrive in a fast-paced, energetic environment.
Have strong written and verbal communication skills.
Enjoy problem-solving.
Have open availability.
Be able to maintain deadlines and prioritize while running an effective shift.
Have strong organizational skills and the ability to multitask.
Be comfortable working in a bustling kitchen environment.
Be able to manage potential allergens including peanut products, egg, dairy, gluten, soy, seafood, and shellfish.
Be able to build and develop strong teams and handle conflict resolution.
Have strong interviewing skills.
Be able to write effective schedules and maintain labor goals.
Have Microsoft Office skills.
Have strong business acumen and the ability to understand and interpret financial reports.
Be able to stand or walk for 8–9 hours or as needed.
Have the ability and stamina to work a minimum of 45 hours per week.
Be able to lift up to 10 pounds frequently and up to 50 pounds occasionally.
Illinois employees must become food safety certified within 30 days of employment.

Nice To Haves

At least 2 years as a General Manager in a restaurant or retail environment with P&L responsibility is preferred.
Knife skills are a plus.

Responsibilities

Train, coach, and develop shop team members, assess their abilities, and create and implement development plans.
Interview, select, and hire people who represent Potbelly Values.
Develop and maintain a positive shop culture that supports attraction and retention.
Schedule Associates, Certified Trainers, and Shift Leaders effectively.
Update the communication board with critical shop information and hold regular meetings with key shop staff.
Delegate tasks effectively and ensure a high standard of execution.
Ensure security procedures and back-of-the-house procedural standards are followed.
Count drawers and follow daily cash-handling procedures.
Drive neighborhood shop marketing and promotions, including sourcing and blitzing outside the shop for recruiting and marketing.
Control cost of goods, variances, inventories, and assigned P&L line items.
Create a marketing plan and lead local shop marketing to increase sales, ideally engaging with community, school, local business, social, and not-for-profit activities.
Spend 80–90% of time on the shop floor in the Front of the House.
Maintain deadlines and priorities while running an effective shift.
Comply with food, cleanliness, health, and safety standards.
Handle customer complaints and issues effectively.
Perform other duties as assigned.