Chicago Winery-General Manager

Chicago Winery creates magic for our guests everyday, whether that’s delighting guests who join us for a nice dinner in Liva, creating a new delicious food dish from our wine, bringing a dream wedding to life, or letting people discover a new passion on one of our winery tours. We do this while maintaining an approachable, warm, inclusive, down-to-earth attitude that reflects our passion to bring traditional winemaking into urban centers so people don’t feel they have to travel to experience the magic of winemaking and great food.

We are searching for team members who are committed to hospitality. People who deeply care about creating a friendly, warm experience for our guests. People who live and breathe passion for food and wine. People that love to learn, share, and tell others about their stories and adventures. If you have the same passion for people, good food, and great wine, then we want you to join our team!

Position Summary

At Chicago Winery, we seek leaders with an entrepreneurial spirit and a team player mentality who strive to make a positive impact on their team, our guests, and the community. The General Manager will oversee the day-to-day operations of Liva Restaurant, the Tasting Room, and Private Dining Events. Key responsibilities include driving sales, enhancing guest satisfaction, and fostering staff development. This role requires building a strong team through effective hiring, training, and coaching of both salaried and hourly staff. The General Manager will focus on delivering high levels of hospitality and exceptional guest experiences by nurturing a culture of teamwork and engagement. Success in this role also involves building a strong presence in our neighborhood and cultivating a robust community base around the restaurant.

Core Responsibilities

Staff and Leadership Development

• Oversee all onsite operational managers and all restaurant and tasting room staff ensuring adherence to all company policies. Work with management team to provide training and education, ongoing coaching, counseling and development of all restaurant, and tasting room staff members including real-time feedback as well as performance reviews
• Provide leadership and direction to management team and hourly staff during service to create a superb and consistent customer experience
• Recruit, manage, and discipline staff in accordance with company policy and procedures
• Responsible for maintaining business and staff compliance with local regulations and requirements.

Hospitality and Customer Experience

• Ensure a strong emphasis is placed on hospitality and steps of service through proper and regular training of the team.
• Ongoing interaction with guests to ensure positive experiences and promptly address any complaints
• Develop strong communication and line reporting procedures to guide service implementation making improvements or changes where required
• Interface with the culinary to ensure proper delivery and coordination of food service that meets guest and client’s expectations and Company’s standards
• Manage and respond to guest reviews - this includes following up on poor reviews and celebrating great reviews with the team.

Business and Operational Results

• Work closely with the culinary team to ensure restaurant, tasting room, and private dining operations are up to standards.
• Work with management team to maintain appropriate cost controls around labor and products (China/glass/silver, paper goods, beverage, etc)
• Manage labor costs and meet labor budget targets
• Prepare financial and other reports for management that clearly explain operational effectiveness, trends and variances
• Maintain a positive, productive, organized, and safe environment for all employees
• Coordinate with the Events team as needed to manage Private Dining Events.
• Work with marketing department to effectively implement marketing strategies and promotions
• Other duties as assigned to meet changing business needs

Job Requirements

• 3-5 years as a General Manager in a full service, fast paced restaurant environment
• Knowledge of and appreciation of wine strongly preferred
• Must have a deep passion for service, hospitality, and providing memorable guest experiences
• Ability to analyze department operations, identify areas of improvement, provide data-based support, and present findings, solutions, and recommendations to senior management
• Strong financial acumen and the ability to analyze data, develop budgets, and manage financial performance.
• Ability to increase sales and build rapport in the community
• Strong interpersonal skills and the ability to interface with guests and clients; must demonstrate professional phone and business etiquette
• Ability to establish productive relationships with key stakeholders at all levels
• Maintain a positive and adaptable approach to problem solving
• Must demonstrate proficient knowledge and use of computer and basic programs (e.g., POS,Google docs, sheets, etc.)
• Detail oriented and exceptional organizational skills
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills
• Ability to multitask in a fast-paced environment, competently handling demanding deadlines
• Must have a flexible schedule with the ability to work weekends, nights and holidays
• Servsafe Management Certification preferred
• TIPs Certified

Physical Requirements

• Able to independently lift up to 25lbs for an extended period of time
• Must be able to walk and/or stand for 8-10 hours per day
• Hand-eye coordination
• Reaching, bending twisting, stooping
• Pushing and Pulling
• Lifting overhead
• Must be able to climb stairs in venue that have multiple level

Compensation/Benefits

• $90,000k-$100,000k annually
• Medical, Vision, Dental Insurance
• PTO
• Paid Sick Time
• 401K
• Commuter Benefits

Chicago Winery provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment and prohibits discrimination and harassment of any type without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin, disability status, genetics, protected veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local laws.

This policy applies to all terms and conditions of employment, including recruiting, hiring, placement, promotion, termination, layoff, recall, transfer, leaves of absence, compensation, and training.