General Manager

LPQ USA; California; On-site; USD 70,000 - 82,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Real work-life balance - daytime hours

Medical, dental

Job summary

Le Pain Quotidien in California is hiring a General Manager to lead the restaurant with a clear focus on people, hospitality, and business performance. You will set the tone for the restaurant culture, lead visibly from the floor, and inspire a team dedicated to creating memorable experiences for every guest.

This role requires 2+ years as GM in a full-service setting, a passion for hospitality, and strong skills in budgeting, forecasting, and team development.

Qualifications

• 2+ years of General Manager experience in a full-service restaurant.
• Passion for hospitality with energy, empathy, accountability, and vision.
• Proven ability to build strong restaurant cultures where staff thrive.
• Experience recruiting, coaching, and retaining high-performing teams.
• Track record of driving business results while upholding hospitality standards.
• P&L ownership, forecasting, labor, COGS, and inventory control.

Responsibilities

• Lead from the floor during service and maintain exceptional hospitality.
• Own the guest experience, resolve concerns with empathy and urgency.
• Build and develop a high-performing team through coaching and retention.
• Create a culture of accountability and recognition.
• Own restaurant operations across opening, service, and closing.
• Maintain food safety, quality, cleanliness, and compliance.
• Own financial performance using P&L, trends, and costs to drive results.
• Manage food costs and inventory, address waste and inefficiencies.
• Partner with leadership to forecast needs and translate goals into actions.
• Lead with a long-term mindset balancing needs and growth.

Skills

Leadership

P&L ownership

Forecasting

Team development

Guest experience

Food safety

Languages

Education

NYC Food Handlers License

Job description

Be home in time for dinner!

At Le Pain Quotidien, we believe exceptional hospitality starts with purpose, in our ingredients, our standards, and how we care for people. When you join LPQ, you become part of a 35-year-old beloved brand built on warmth, community, and connection.

From the bread we bake to the experiences we create, we take pride in doing things the right way, every day. Regular guests become familiar faces, teammates support one another, and every shift feels purposeful.

We also offer something different from many restaurant environments: a more predictable schedule, a sustainable pace, and the ability to build a career without sacrificing your life outside of work.

As part of Convive Brands, you'll have opportunities to grow your career across a portfolio of restaurant concepts, including California Pizza Kitchen and Little Beet.

At LPQ, you're not just joining a restaurant, you're joining a place where you can develop your skills and career, take pride in your work, and be part of building a strong community.

About the Role:

As General Manager, you will lead the restaurant with a clear focus on people, hospitality, and business performance . You'll set the tone for the restaurant culture, lead visibly from the floor, and inspire a team dedicated to creating memorable experiences for every guest.

As the leader of the restaurant, you'll have meaningful ownership across guest experience, team development, operational execution, and financial performance . You'll build and develop a high-performing team, coach leaders in the moment, identify opportunities to improve the business, and create an environment where both our people and our guests want to return.

This role is designed for an experienced hospitality leader who thrives in a fast-paced environment, leads with energy and authenticity, and is motivated by the opportunity to make a tangible impact on the people, performance, and culture of their restaurant every day.

You Will

• Lead from the floor , staying highly engaged throughout service, connecting with guests, coaching the team in real time, and setting the standard for exceptional hospitality.
• Own the guest experience , anticipating needs, resolving concerns with empathy and urgency, and turning service recovery moments into opportunities to build loyalty.
• Build and develop a high-performing team by recruiting, interviewing, hiring, onboarding, coaching, and retaining top talent.
• Create a strong culture of accountability, recognition, development, and hospitality , ensuring team members understand what great looks like and have the tools to achieve it.
• Own restaurant operations , ensuring consistent execution across opening, service, and closing while maintaining high standards for food, service, cleanliness, and hospitality.
• Maintain rigorous standards for food safety, quality, cleanliness, and compliance .
• Own restaurant financial performance , using the P&L, sales trends, labor, COGS, inventory, and other key metrics to identify opportunities and drive results.
• Manage food costs and inventory, proactively addressing waste, variances, ordering opportunities, and operational inefficiencies.
• Partner with leadership to forecast business needs, set priorities, and translate financial goals into clear actions for the team .
• Lead with a long-term mindset, balancing the immediate needs of the restaurant with the continued development of the team and the health of the business.

You Have

• 2+ years of General Manager experience in a full-service restaurant, hospitality group or comparable restaurant environment. We also welcome experienced Assistant General Managers or senior restaurant leaders with significant people, operational, and financial ownership who are ready to step into a General Manager role.
• A genuine passion for hospitality and a proven ability to lead with energy, empathy, accountability, and vision .
• A track record of building strong restaurant cultures where team members feel valued, motivated, challenged, and inspired to perform at their best.
• Demonstrated success in recruiting, developing, coaching, and retaining high-performing teams .
• A proven track record of driving business results while maintaining high standards for hospitality, service, food quality, and guest satisfaction .
• P&L ownership and financial acumen , including experience with forecasting, labor management, COGS, inventory, and identifying opportunities to improve profitability.
• A leadership style that balances hands-on floor presence with strategic thinking , knowing when to coach, when to delegate, and when to step in.
• Must be able to stand for prolonged periods and lift and carry items weighing up to 50 lbs.
• A NYC Food Handlers License is required to be considered for this position.
• Proficiency in Spanish, French, and/or Arabic is a plus.

The annualized salary range for this position (plus a bonus) is: $70,000 - $82,000

Perks and Benefits:

• Real work-life balance - daytime hours
• Medical, dental