General Manager

El Pollo Loco, Inc.; Manhattan Beach (CA); On-site; USD 70,000 - 90,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Competitive pay and quarterly bonuses

No overnight hours

Employee discount on food

Excellent career growth potential (we)

Medical + Dental + Vision Insurance +

Job summary

El Pollo Loco, Inc. seeks a General Manager to lead a high-energy team at our Los Angeles-area restaurant. You will drive profitability, coach staff, and ensure an exceptional guest experience through strong operations, scheduling, and adherence to brand standards.

You will oversee all aspects of restaurant operations, focusing on quality, growth, and staff development while delivering flamin’ good service and a positive work environment for the team.

Qualifications

• Must be at least 18 years old; high school diploma or GED preferred.
• 3+ years of management experience, preferably in a restaurant.
• Must be EPL Assistant Manager or have equivalent experience.

Responsibilities

• Strategically manages, coaches, and recognizes team member performance to drive efficient restaurant operations.
• Oversees opening and closing procedures, restaurant setup, food preparation, and cleaning processes.
• Optimizes labor and workforce planning with scheduling to align with sales and labor hour targets.
• Provides hands-on support to ensure coverage of all restaurant workstations and backups as needed.
• Maintains focus on guest service and speed of service to meet sales and profitability goals.
• Oversees hiring processes from interviews to onboarding to ensure staffing requirements are met.
• Performs other duties as assigned by management.

Education

High school diploma or GED preferred

18 years old or older

3+ years of restaurant management experience

Job description

2801 Crenshaw Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90016, USA •

Westlake Village, CA, USA

Job Description

Posted Tuesday, July 22, 2025 at 7:00 AM

As a General Manager, you’ll be the spark that keeps the flame alive, leading a passionate team, driving success, and ensuring every guest gets a taste of the Loco experience. You’ll oversee all restaurant operations with a focus on quality, growth, and building a team that’s as fired-up as you are. Ready to ignite your flamin’ good career?

POSITION PURPOSE:

The General Manager assumes full accountability for the comprehensive operations of an El Pollo Loco restaurant, encompassing all facets of the business. Leading initiatives aimed at providing an exceptional and consistent experience for both customers and team members, this position meticulously ensures adherence to all El Pollo Loco policies, procedures, and standards while striving to meet or exceed sales and profitability targets. Accountabilities include maintaining optimal staffing levels and fostering the professional growth of the restaurant team to effectively execute all operational objectives.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Strategically manages, coaches, and recognizes team member performance to drive efficient and effective restaurant operations.
• Executes and trains team on opening and closing procedures in alignment with El Pollo Loco policies, overseeing restaurant setup, food preparation, and cleaning processes.
• Optimizes labor and workforce planning through effective and efficient team deployment and scheduling. Ensures staffing levels are aligned with anticipated sales volume in alignment with current labor modeling to uphold productivity and customer service standards while meeting labor hour targets.
• Provides hands‑on support by ensuring proper coverage of all restaurant workstations. May be required to provide backup support to cover team member breaks, as necessary.
• Maintains focus on guest service and speed of service, ensuring achievement of company goals for timeliness. Educates team on restaurant operational efficiency metrics and ensures compliance with standards.
• Schedules workforce ensuring labor hours are adequate to provide required level of service that is based on sales projections and labor hour guidelines.
• Oversees hiring processes in the restaurant, from interviews, references, I‑9 verification, and new hire orientations, ensuring all restaurant staffing requirements are effectively and compliantly achieved.
• Performs other duties as assigned by management to support restaurant operations.

QUALIFICATIONS – EDUCATION, EXPERIENCE, LICENSE/CERTIFICATIONS:

To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to satisfactorily perform the essential functions of the job. Reasonable accommodation will be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions of the job. The requirements listed below are representative of the education and/or experience required.

Education/Work Experience:

Must be at least 18 years old. High school diploma or equivalent (GED) preferred. Must be an EPL Assistant Manager or have the equivalent of 3 or more years of management experience, preferably in a restaurant environment.

License/Certifications:

• Possess and maintain a valid driver’s license and a reliable vehicle that may be used for company business.
• Must obtain Serve Safe Certification

What’s in it for you?

• Competitive pay and quarterly bonuses
• No overnight hours
• Employee discount on food
• Excellent career growth potential (we promote from within)
• Medical + Dental + Vision Insurance + Flexible Spending Account
• Paid vacation
• 401(K) Plan with match and immediate vesting (must be at least 21 to participate)
• Employee Assistance Program
• Life Insurance Legal Insurance, Long Term Disability Coverage and Pet Insurance
• Discounts on theme parks, movie tickets, sports events, hotels and more...

Why work for us?

When it comes to our people, our motto is: Let them cook. In fact, we see you as our secret ingredient. While our chicken is fire, it’s our people

Who set us ablaze. You’re the ones bringing the passion, ideas and energy–the flavor–whether cooking in the restaurant or working in the support center. That’s why we take pride in providing a place where you can express, develop and belong… all while enjoying a healthy balance. Here, fire-grilled chicken makes flamin’ good careers

The pay range identified is the hourly or salary rate El Pollo Loco expects to pay for the posted position. This range does not include any benefits or bonus opportunities that might be available for the position based on position and eligibility criteria. Individual pay will vary based on a variety of factors including years of experience, industry experience, education, geography, etc.