General Manager - Restaurant

The Opportunity

Aubergine Kitchen is a fast-growing, health-forward fast-casual brand operating across Utah, Arizona, Idaho, and Nevada — with several new locations opening in the next 18 months. Our mission is changing lives with real food, and we take pride in offering food that is both delicious and genuinely good for you.

As we grow, we are looking for experienced restaurant leaders who are ready to run their own house — a GM who owns the full operation, develops a team of leaders, and holds a high bar on every detail of the guest experience.

This is not a role for someone who manages from the office. The best GMs at Aubergine are on the floor, in the kitchen, and in the conversations that matter — building the kind of team and culture that makes guests come back.

What You Will Own

Restaurant Performance

• Own the full P&L for your restaurant — understand what is driving your numbers, close the gaps, and bring solutions to your District Manager, not just data
• Drive consistent performance across the metrics that matter: sales, same-restaurant growth, food cost, labor, guest satisfaction, teammate retention, etc.
• Identify performance issues early and move quickly — with the autonomy to act before problems become patterns
• Maintain the operational standards that make Aubergine what it is: food quality, speed of service, cleanliness, and guest experience, every shift

Team Leadership & Development

The most important thing a General Manager does at Aubergine is build the next generation of leaders.

• Recruit, hire, and onboard teammates who reflect Aubergine’s values — and do it with the same care you bring to the guest experience
• Develop your Assistant Managers and Senior AMs into leaders who can run the restaurant in your absence — with documented development plans and regular coaching conversations
• Build a bench: know who on your team is ready for more, who is developing, and what they need next to get there
• Conduct timely, constructive performance evaluations and handle people decisions — including corrective action and separations — with fairness, clarity, and consistency
• Create scheduling that serves both the business and the team — managing labor efficiently without burning people out

Operations & Standards

• Run daily operations across both front and back of house — present, observant, and leading by example on every shift
• Ensure full compliance with food safety standards, health regulations, and Aubergine operating procedures — every day, not just on audit days
• Manage inventory effectively: place accurate orders, control waste, and maintain the food cost discipline that protects your restaurant’s profitability
• Perform regular equipment and facility inspections — scheduling preventive maintenance and escalating corrective needs before they become disruptions
• Oversee catering order execution with the same attention to quality and punctuality as your dine-in operation

Guest Experience & Culture

• Set the pace for hospitality in your restaurant — be the standard your team sees and follows, not just the person who sets expectations
• Resolve guest complaints diplomatically, empathetically, and quickly — turning difficult moments into reasons for guests to return
• Build a restaurant culture that reflects Aubergine’s values: integrity, customer obsession, fanatical consistency, and joyful teamwork
• Be a visible presence in the dining area — connecting with guests, supporting the team, and modeling the experience we promise

Execution of New Initiatives & Continuous Improvement

• Execute new menu item launches and limited-time offerings with precision — coordinating team training, prep readiness, and guest-facing rollout so every launch lands at your location the way it was designed
• Champion operational changes introduced by corporate — translate new standards and systems into clear direction for your team and hold accountability for adoption
• Identify what is not working and bring solutions — flag patterns, test improvements, and share what you learn with your District Manager for broader consideration
• Maintain a continuous improvement mindset: every shift is a data point, and the best GMs are always asking how to make the next one better

Partnership with District Leadership

• Work closely with your District Manager to align on priorities, flag performance concerns early, and execute on strategic initiatives
• Provide honest, accurate reporting on store performance and team health — your DM should never be surprised by what is happening in your restaurant
• Participate in broader operational conversations as Aubergine grows — your restaurant-level perspective shapes how the company develops

Compensation & Benefits

Compensation is competitive with single-unit GM roles at comparable fast-casual brands and reflects the full scope of this position — including base salary and a performance-based bonus tied to your restaurant’s results.

Full compensation details are shared during the interview process. Additional benefits include meal benefits, PTO, and ongoing leadership development opportunities.

Who We Are Looking For

We are looking for a restaurant operator who knows what it means to truly run a location — not just manage the shift in front of them, but own the full picture: the team, the numbers, the culture, and the guest experience. Someone who develops people, not just schedules them. Someone who is energized by a growing brand and understands that the best time to shape something is while it is still being built.

You Bring:

• Proven restaurant management experience — ideally 2 years as a GM or senior AM in a fast-casual, full-service, or comparable environment
• A track record of developing team members who went on to lead — not just people who showed up and did their job
• Demonstrated fluency in restaurant P&L: you can read the numbers, identify what is actually driving variance, and know which levers to pull
• Experience running or significantly contributing to new store openings or major operational transitions is a plus
• Hands-on knowledge of food safety standards, inventory management, and scheduling in a high-volume environment
• Strong interpersonal skills — you can give direct feedback in a way that makes people want to improve, not shut down
• Demonstrated ability to execute operational changes and new initiatives — you have successfully launched new items or implemented process changes and can point to the results

You Lead Like This:

• You are on the floor — not in the back office reviewing reports while the shift runs itself, but present, observing, and working alongside your team
• You develop first, evaluate second — you coach before you correct, and build trust before you demand performance
• You own your outcomes — when something goes wrong, you find the cause and fix it, rather than escalating and moving on
• You are honest with your team, with your District Manager, and with yourself about what is working and what is not
• You are energized by a growing brand, not slowed down by one that does not have every answer yet

Requirements:

• Bilingual (English and Spanish or Portuguese) required
• Must be at least 20 years of age
• Food Manager Certification required within 60 days of hire — company support provided
• Availability to work full-time Monday through Saturday, including most holidays — Aubergine is closed on Sundays and on Thanksgiving, Christmas, and the 4th of July
• Ability to stand, walk, and remain active on the floor for extended periods; ability to lift up to 50 lbs

Benefits:

• Employee discount
• Paid time off

Work Location: In person