Cafe General Manager

Recruiting Partner: Emily Lauro

Washington, District of Columbia | Food & Beverage & Lodging | Not Remote | $60,000 to $75,000 | Job ID: 164617

Job Summary

To Apply for this Job Click Here

We’re seeking an energetic and hospitality-driven General Manager to lead a café operation known for delivering a daily escape to the local community. This is an opportunity to oversee a beautiful, high-volume café where hospitality, efficiency, and financial performance come together to create an unforgettable guest experience.


General Manager – Benefits & Compensation

  • Competitive base salary (commensurate with experience)
  • Comprehensive health, dental, and vision insurance
  • Paid time off and holidays
  • Employee dining discounts
  • Career growth and professional development opportunities
  • Supportive leadership and collaborative work environment

General Manager – Requirements & Qualifications

  • Minimum 2 years of experience as a manager in a quick service or full-service restaurant, or 2 years as a Team Captain
  • Demonstrated success achieving KPIs (sales, labor targets, guest satisfaction) and ability to articulate the actions taken to deliver results
  • Strong leadership and team development skills with a passion for coaching and mentoring
  • Excellent organizational, communication, and interpersonal skills
  • Ability to perform in high-pressure environments while keeping teams calm and focused
  • Experience using a Point of Sale (POS) system
  • Embodies the 5Cs of leadership: Competency, Commitment, Courage, Candor, and Consistency

Must Haves

  • Lead café operations daily, visible on the floor to welcome guests, monitor service, and support the team
  • Drive financial performance by meeting sales and average check targets, managing labor costs, and reducing waste
  • Train, coach, and onboard new team members while maintaining high-performance standards
  • Build strong community connections by engaging with locals, knowing their names, and participating in neighborhood events
  • Ensure Department of Health compliance, sanitation, and safety standards at all times
  • Maintain a clean, organized, and inviting café environment with consistently beautiful food and beverage presentation

General Manager – Preferred Background & Skills

  • Experience in both quick service and full-service restaurant environments
  • Strong understanding of local community engagement and guest loyalty building
  • Proven ability to partner cross-functionally (Ops, Supply Chain, People Ops) for smooth execution
  • A passion for creating memorable guest experiences and inspiring teams to do the same

At Goodwin Recruiting, we are committed to our core values and providing world class customer service. We are committed to helping our clients navigate and comply with the complex and ever-changing labor laws as well as help ensure that in every hiring decision, internally and with our client partners, that all viable candidates are considered, and the most qualified candidate is offered the role. We evaluate the knowledge, skills, and abilities that meet the requirements of the position and aim to open doors and change lives. We value all people, understanding that uniqueness and diversity foster a stronger team that is innovative and brings varying perspectives to the table. We put our money where our mouth is and are proud of our efforts to identify a broad slate of candidates, with many hiring success stories to share.

 

JOB ID: 164617

#post

Emily Lauro

To Apply for this Job Click Here

Share This Job

Share This Job

Additional Information

At Goodwin Recruiting we are committed to our core values. We take our value, Dedicated to Diversity, Equity & Inclusion, very seriously and will never discriminate against a candidate or client based on any protected classes. Our clients seek qualified candidates, and that is what we deliver. A person’s age, gender, race, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, veteran or disability status, or arrest or conviction record has no bearing on whether he, she, or they are able to do the job. We evaluate the knowledge, skills, and abilities that meet the requirements of the position and aim to open doors and change lives. We value all people, understanding that uniqueness and diversity foster a stronger team that is innovative and brings varying perspectives to the table. We put our money where our mouth is and are proud of our efforts to identify a broad slate of candidates, with many hiring success stories to share.

Emily Lauro

Senior Recruiting Partner & Training Coach

Director of U.S. Operations

Atlanta, Georgia
Food & Beverage & Lodging
$115,000 to $135,000

Director of U.S. Operations

Chicago, Illinois
Food & Beverage & Lodging
$115,000 to $135,000

General Manager

Boston, Massachusetts
Food & Beverage & Lodging
$110,000 to $135,000

Assistant Manager

Altadena, California
Food & Beverage & Lodging
$54,000 to $62,400

Additional Information

At Goodwin Recruiting, our clients seek qualified candidates, and that is what we deliver. A person’s age, gender, race, color, marital or family status, national origin, disability, religion, veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity has no bearing on whether they are able to do the job. We evaluate the knowledge, skills, and abilities that meet the requirements of the position and aim to open doors and change lives. We work hard to identify a broad slate of candidates for each of our clients, with many hiring success stories to share.

Emily Lauro

Senior Recruiting Partner & Training Coach