Area Manager Chicago Milwaukee

Fairgrounds Coffee and Tea; Chicago (IL); On-site; USD 90,000 - 130,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Bonus based on performance

Competitive salary

Dental insurance

Employee discounts

Health insurance

Paid time off

Vision insurance

Job summary

Fairgrounds Coffee and Tea in Chicago and Milwaukee markets is seeking an Area Manager to lead the operational and financial performance of our cafés. This role requires an owner’s mindset, a relentless focus on standards, and a commitment to delivering exceptional guest experiences.

You’ll spend most of your time in cafés coaching General Managers, driving execution, and building high‑performing teams. You’ll measure success by people growth and business results, using data to guide decisions

Qualifications

• Ownership mindset with accountability and strong leadership.
• Fanatical about standards and execution.
• Data-driven decision making.
• Ability to coach and develop leaders.

Responsibilities

• Operational excellence across every café.
• Sales, profitability, labor, and cost performance.
• Coaching and developing General Managers.
• Accountability to Fairgrounds standards and KPIs.
• Guest experience and hospitality.
• Building high‑performing, winning teams.

Skills

Owner mindset

Standards execution

Problem solving

Honesty & accountability

Data driven decisions

People development

Job description

Benefits

• Bonus based on performance
• Competitive salary
• Dental insurance
• Employee discounts
• Health insurance
• Paid time off
• Vision insurance

Area Manager

Chicago & Milwaukee Markets

About Fairgrounds

At Fairgrounds, our mission is to expertly craft unique, authentic, joyful experiences. Our vision is simple: to become the Neighborhood's Most Loved Café. We believe operational excellence is hospitality. Clean cafés, perfectly crafted beverages, exceptional leaders, disciplined execution, and genuine hospitality are all part of the same guest experience. We don't separate operations from hospitality. We believe one creates the other. We’re looking for a Regional Operations Manager who believes the same.

The Role

This leader is responsible for the operational and financial performance of our Chicago and Milwaukee cafés.

We’re looking for someone with an ownership mentality who treats the business like it’s their own, is fanatical about standards, relentlessly develops leaders, and is driven to deliver exceptional results.

You’ll spend the majority of your time in cafés coaching General Managers, improving execution, holding teams accountable, and building a culture where winning is the expectation.

What You’ll Own

• Operational excellence across every café
• Sales, profitability, labor, and cost performance
• Coaching and developing General Managers
• Accountability to Fairgrounds standards and KPIs
• Guest experience and hospitality
• Building high‑performing, winning teams

Who You Are

• You think like an owner.
• You are fanatical about standards and execution.
• You don’t walk past problems.
• You coach with honesty, care, and accountability.
• You use data to drive decisions and results.
• You believe people perform best when expectations are clear and accountability is consistent.
• You measure success by the growth of your people and the performance of your business.

Why Fairgrounds?

We’re building something special. This is an opportunity to shape the future of a growing company with ambitious goals, a passionate team, and a commitment to becoming the best neighborhood café experience in every market we serve.

If you’re energized by building leaders, raising standards, and winning together, we’d love to meet you.