What are the responsibilities and job description for the Bar Manager / Lead Bartender position at The Roux Seafood Kitchen & Cocktails?
Bar Manager / Lead Bartender — The Roux Seafood Kitchen & Cocktails
We're opening The Roux Seafood Kitchen & Cocktails a new upscale casual Cajun/Creole restaurant on Atlanta's Edgewood Ave — and we're hiring a hands-on bar leader to help us build and run our beverage program from the ground up.
This isn't a desk job. You'll be behind the bar making drinks, leading your team, developing the cocktail menu alongside ownership, managing vendors, and owning the numbers — all with a structured performance bonus that rewards you when the bar performs.
PAY & POSITION DETAILS
- Base Pay Hourly Rate: determined based on experience
- Tips: Tip pool participation on all bar shifts worked
- Performance Bonus: Paid monthly based on beverage revenue, cost targets, and team retention (details below)
- Benefits: Health, dental & vision after 60 days
- Job Type: Full-time
- Schedule: Evening and weekend availability required
ABOUT THE ROUX
The Roux is an upscale casual Cajun/Creole concept rooted in the food and spirit traditions of Louisiana. We're opening in one of Atlanta's most culturally vibrant corridors with a cocktail program that will draw from Gulf Coast spirit traditions: bold, intentional builds with Southern character. We have a clear direction for the program and we're looking for the right bar leader to help bring it to life.
WHAT YOU'LL DO
- Work behind the bar during service on a regular basis, this is a working leadership role, not a manager-only position
- Partner with ownership to refine and execute The Roux's cocktail menu; develop seasonal features and specials on an ongoing basis
- Train, and develop all bar staff from pre-opening through ongoing operations
- Build and maintain bar training materials: recipe cards, pour guides, tasting notes, and service protocols
- Manage vendor relationships spirits, wine, beer, and specialty ingredient sourcing
- Manage weekly ordering, inventory, and receiving; hold the team to par levels and minimize waste
- Track beverage cost weekly and take corrective action on variances before they hit the P&L
- Run monthly team tastings and ongoing beverage education to keep the team sharp
- Ensure full TIPS/RBS compliance and lead responsible service as a daily standard
WHAT WE'RE LOOKING FOR
- 5 years of bar experience with at least 2 years as a lead bartender or bar manager — you've run a program, not just worked one
- Comfortable working high-volume service behind the bar consistently, this is not a step back from bartending
- Strong cocktail technique across classics and contemporary builds, with the ability to teach both
- Experience developing or contributing to a cocktail menu in an upscale or full-service environment
- Working knowledge of beverage cost: pours, yields, variance, and margin management
- Hands-on vendor relationship experience, you know how to build a book and use rep partnerships strategically
- A natural teacher whose bar team performs because they were built right, not just supervised
- TIPS or ServSafe Alcohol certification required before first service shift
- Familiarity with Louisiana spirits culture, Southern cocktail traditions, or seafood-forward flavor profiles is a strong plus
PERFORMANCE BONUS STRUCTURE
We believe the team that builds our success should share in it. The Roux Bar Manager bonus is paid monthly and calculated on three metrics:
- Beverage Revenue — Meeting or exceeding monthly goals
- Beverage Cost % — Additional incentive for beating the target cost percentage
- Team Retention — Guided by bar staff turnover in each month
WHAT WE OFFER
- Hourly base salary DOE
- Tip pool participation on every bar shift you work
- Monthly performance bonuses
- Health, dental & vision insurance after 60 days
- Annual spirits education and industry event budget
- Direct voice in the cocktail program, your expertise will shape what we serve
WHY THIS ROLE IS DIFFERENT
Most bar leadership postings are either pure management with no bartending, or pure bartending with no real ownership. This role is both and it pays you like both. You'll have genuine responsibility, a real performance upside, and the kind of ownership partnership that most bar managers never get. The Roux is a family-owned concept with serious backing, a clear identity, and a neighborhood that is ready for it. The people who build it from the ground up will be known for it.
HOW TO APPLY
Apply through really. In your application, tell us about a experience behind the bar and with management responsibilities, drinks or cocktail menus you helped develop the concept, the direction, and what made is successful. A portfolio or menu PDF is welcome. We want to understand how you think before we meet.
Pay: $50,000.00 - $70,000.00 per year
Work Location: In person
Salary : $50,000 - $70,000