General Manager at Nature's Storehouse & Cafe

Empregara; Town of Canton (NY); On-site; USD 64,000 - 70,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health insurance

Employee discount

Housing option

Job summary

Nature's Storehouse in Canton, NY is seeking a General Manager to run the store and café, leading a strong team and owning daily operations. The role covers open hours from 7am to 7pm, seven days a week, with a focus on developing managers and staff, improving retail standards, and tightening inventory.

The position is salaried with a compensation range of $64,000–$70,000 per year, plus an annual bonus up to 10% based on store profit; benefits include health insurance and employee discounts.

Qualifications

• At least 3 years managing an independent natural foods store, co-op, specialty grocery, or café with retail.
• Experience leading other managers, with a track record of building and keeping a strong team and holding staff to clear standards.
• Strong retail and merchandising skills; understanding of P&L, margins, labor and food cost.
• Comfortable with technology and willing to learn new systems; experience with Clover, Shopify, or Klaviyo is a plus.
• Willing to live in the Canton area and cover shifts when needed, including early mornings, evenings, and weekends.

Responsibilities

• Take full responsibility for daily operations of the store and café, ensuring open hours from 7am to 7pm every day.
• Develop and coach grocery and café managers and staff, including hiring, training, scheduling, and performance management.
• Manage sales, margins, labor, and food cost; review results with owners weekly.
• Oversee purchasing, pricing, vendor relationships, and merchandising.
• Run inventory counts and keep data accurate in POS and inventory systems.
• Coordinate marketing efforts including email, social media, and in-store promotions.
• Lead new projects such as online ordering, catering, events, and USDA-funded delivery.

Skills

Store management

Leadership

P&L

Merchandising

Staff development

Tech savvy

Tools

Clover

Shopify

Klaviyo

Job description

Company description

Nature's Storehouse has been Canton's natural foods store since 1972. We carry groceries, bulk foods, supplements and body care, local products, and beer and wine. This year we finished a major renovation at 19-21 Main Street and opened a new café with an espresso bar and a daily lunch menu. The café has become a regular gathering spot in town, and we want to do more with it.

Canton is a small college town in the North Country, home to St. Lawrence University and SUNY Canton, and close to the Adirondacks and the St. Lawrence River.

Job description

We are looking for a General Manager to run the store and café. We have a strong team, including experienced grocery and café managers, and the owners are stepping out of daily operations. The GM will lead the management team and be fully responsible for the business, meeting with the owners weekly to review results. This is a hands-on leadership role for someone who has managed both grocery and food service. The core of the job is making sure the store and café are open and staffed 7am to 7pm, seven days a week. The GM's focus will be developing our managers and team, raising the bar on retailing, and tightening inventory control. We are also growing, with online ordering, catering, live music and events, and local delivery and farm pickups. We were recently awarded a USDA grant to build a regional food logistics network, and the GM will lead that work.

Responsibilities

• Take full responsibility for daily operations of the store and café, so the owners no longer need to be involved day to day. That starts with keeping both open and fully staffed 7am to 7pm, every day: deploy existing staff, find coverage when someone calls out, and step in yourself when no one else can
• Lead and develop the grocery and café managers, and through them the full staff, including hiring, training, scheduling, coaching, and evaluation, and address performance problems promptly and fairly
• Manage sales, margins, labor, and food cost, and review results with the owners each week
• Oversee purchasing, pricing, vendor relationships, and merchandising
• Run inventory counts, control shrink, and keep inventory data accurate in our POS and inventory systems
• Work with the café manager on café operations, food safety, and quality
• Coordinate marketing, including email, social media, and in-store promotions
• Lead new projects, including online ordering, catering, events, and the USDA-funded delivery program
• Maintain licenses and compliance, including our beer and wine license

Qualifications

• At least 3 years managing an independent natural foods store, co-op, specialty grocery, or café with retail
• Management experience in both grocery and food service
• Experience leading other managers, with a track record of building and keeping a strong team and holding staff to clear standards
• Strong retail and merchandising skills
• Understanding of P&L, margins, labor, and food cost
• Comfortable with technology and willing to learn new systems. Experience with Clover, Shopify, or Klaviyo is a plus.
• Knowledge of and interest in natural foods and wellness products
• Willing to live in the Canton area and to cover shifts yourself when needed, including 7am openings, evenings, and weekends

Compensation

$64,000-70,000 per year depending on experience, plus an annual bonus of up to 10% of salary based on store profit. Benefits include health insurance and an employee discount. For the right candidate, a newly renovated two-bedroom apartment above the store may be available as part of the compensation package.

Compensation

this position is: salaried, $60,406 - $75,000