Cafe & Kitchen General Manager
2 days ago
New York
Job Description About us: From innovative menus and striking design to impeccable service and critical attention to detail, at Great Performances, we weave our mission into all we do. Serving New York City for over four decades, Great Performances’ has evolved from a waitress staffing agency to the leading catering, events, and hospitality companies in the greater New York area. We provide food services in an array of celebrated New York City cultural institutions, including Jazz at Lincoln Center, Brooklyn Museum, Brooklyn Academy of Music, Wave Hill, and The Apollo Theater. We are known for full-service catering and events, corporate workplace dining and amenity programs, and large-scale event and festival production. Great Performances is the nation’s first caterer to own and operate an organic farm, Katchkie Farm, located in Kinderhook, NY. Progressive from the start, we consistently set the pace for industry best practices. We are seeking highly motivated and talented individuals to join our team and to support our vision, mission, and values through everything they do. If you share our passion and want to make a meaningful impact, we invite you to apply. Our Vision: Building Community to Better Our World Our Mission: Unleash Joy through Genuine Hospitality Our Core Values: Craftsmanship: developing new menus, designs, and moments to deliver engaging experiences to our clients and guests. People: creating fair access, opportunity, and advancement for everyone. Our employees are our greatest asset. Sustainability: upholding and elevating standards for sustainable behaviors that support our planet. Collaboration: aligning with our clients’, colleagues’, and community’s visions to execute a successful experience. Doing Good Through Food: engaging in action around food access, health and wellness, education, and philanthropy. We are seeking a Café & Kitchen General Manager to lead the daily operations of a fast-paced café and kitchen within one of our cultural institution venues. This role is designed for a seasoned hospitality operator who thrives in high-volume service environments and can confidently lead both front-of-house and back-of-house teams. The Cafe & Kitchen General Manager will be responsible for overall operational performance, financial management, culinary execution, team leadership, and guest experience. This individual must bring strong organizational discipline, hospitality instincts, and a proven ability to drive efficiency and consistency in a fast-casual service environment. The ideal candidate combines restaurant leadership experience, operational rigor, and a passion for hospitality. Responsibilities Operational Leadership • Oversee all café and kitchen operations, ensuring smooth coordination between front-of-house and back-of-house teams., • Maintain high standards for speed of service, ticket times, food quality, and guest experience during peak service periods., • Develop and implement standard operating procedures and service systems to ensure consistency and efficiency., • Ensure the café operates at health-inspection readiness at all times, maintaining strict adherence to food safety and sanitation protocols., • Provide culinary oversight to maintain quality, consistency, and presentation standards across all menu items., • Support seasonal menu updates, prep systems, and recipe standards in collaboration with culinary leadership., • Ensure café beverage programs, including specialty coffee and barista operations meet quality standards., • Lead, coach, and develop a diverse hospitality team across kitchen and service operations., • Recruit, hire, and train team members to maintain a high-performing workplace culture., • Foster strong communication between FOH and BOH teams to promote a collaborative “one-team” environment., • Own financial performance of the café including labor management, COGS, purchasing, and operating expenses., • Analyze sales trends, labor utilization, and operational data to identify opportunities for improvement., • Maintain disciplined cost control while protecting the guest experience and team culture., • Partner with hospitality and events teams to support on-site catering and venue events., • Coordinate operational logistics, staffing, and service execution for building events., • Has successfully run high-volume restaurant or café operations and enjoys leading busy service environments., • Is comfortable taking full operational ownership of both kitchen and service teams., • Thrives in a fast-paced, guest-facing environment where service standards and efficiency must coexist., • Has experience managing labor, food cost, inventory systems, and operational budgets., • 2 - 4 years of progressive hospitality or restaurant management experience., • At least 3 years in a General Manager, Operations Manager, or Senior Restaurant Leadership role., • Proven success managing high-volume café, fast-casual, or restaurant operations., • Experience leading teams of 10–25+ staff members across FOH and BOH., • Strong understanding of fast-casual service models, kitchen workflow, and high-volume ticket management., • Demonstrated ability to maintain operational discipline during busy peak service periods., • Experience implementing operational systems and workflow improvements., • Proven ability to manage P&L performance, labor modeling, COGS, inventory, and purchasing systems., • Experience in achieving financial targets while maintaining hospitality standards., • Strong knowledge of NYC Department of Health regulations, sanitation standards, and food safety protocols., • NYC Food Protection Certificate (or ability to obtain immediately) required., • Strong leadership presence with excellent communication and organizational skills., • Ability to thrive in fast-paced hospitality environments., • Experience with restaurant POS systems, scheduling platforms, and inventory tools. Base salary: $105,000 - $115,000/year Benefits: PTO, 401(k), medical, dental, and vision insurance, transit benefits, sick and safe time, and FSA (Flexible Spending Account). You must be able to provide valid documentation that you are legally eligible to work in the United States. Great Performances is an equal-opportunity employer. At Great Performances, we employ qualified individuals based solely on ability, training, and experience. Great Performances does not discriminate against any employee or applicant for employment or promotion based on race, national origin, sex, age, disability, veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity, or any other classification protected by law.