Restaurant Assistant General Manager - Princeton

Alfalfa - Princeton; Princeton (NJ); On-site; USD 75,000 - 80,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Healthcare coverage

Dental premiums

Paid time off

Bonus program

Paid sick leave

Job summary

Alfalfa is seeking an Assistant General Manager to be the General Manager’s right hand and second in charge. You will own kitchen operations, drive cost of goods, and support hospitality across the floor to ensure guest experiences meet brand standards.

The role requires 3+ years of high-volume restaurant leadership and ServSafe cert on or willingness to obtain. compensation ranges at $75,000–$80,000 annually with benefits, a 40–50 hour week, and weekend availability.

Qualifications

• Minimum 3 years of restaurant management in high-volume quick service or fast casual.
• Kitchen management experience strongly preferred.
• Deep knowledge of prep management, yield, portioning, and food safety.
• Bilingual English/Spanish preferred.
• Ability to read P&L and translate insights into operational action.
• ServSafe certification or willingness to obtain it.

Responsibilities

• Serve as second in charge and lead the restaurant in the GM’s absence.
• Own kitchen operations ensuring recipes, portioning, and presentation standards.
• Drive cost of goods through disciplined ordering, yield management, and waste reduction.
• Partner with the GM on prime cost and P&L; build schedules aligned to volume.
• Support FOH hospitality, engage guests, and coach team members.
• Maintain health inspection scores and enforce food safety procedures.
• Recruit, onboard, train, and develop team members in Kitchen and FOH.
• Lead the pre-shift daily sprouts and uphold brand standards.
• Ensure compliance with state and local labor laws.

Skills

Restaurant management

Kitchen management

Hospitality mindset

Staff training

Scheduling & labor

Cash handling

Bilingual English/Spanish

Education

ServSafe certification

Job description

About AlfalfaAlfalfa was born at a farmers market in Hoboken, NJ in 2018 with a simple idea: inspire joy through balance. The bi-coastal all day California inspired eatery brings forward a menu with an ingredient-driven approach to providing real food and delightful hospitality in the communities it serves. We’re ingredient-obsessed, people-driven, and community-rooted. We are growing fast and building teams who care deeply about the experience they create.The RoleThe Alfalfa Assistant General Manager is the General Manager’s right hand and second in charge of the restaurant. This role is built on balance, you lead the kitchen with the ownership of a Kitchen Manager, while supporting hospitality and the Front of House so the guest experience is consistent from the line to the guest. Like every Alfalfa manager, you are a restaurant operator. You own the shifts you run, the team you lead, and the results you deliver.As the Assistant General Manager you are accountable for kitchen operations, including food safety, food quality, recipe adherence, prep execution, yield, and cost of goods. You partner with the General Manager on labor, the P&L, team development, and the overall guest experience, and you run the restaurant in the GM’s absence, making sound decisions and solving problems in real time. The General Manager holds final accountability for the location’s success, your role is to help drive it every shift while building the skills to lead a restaurant of your own.Job Responsibilities:Serve as second in charge to the General Manager, lead the restaurant in the GM’s absence, making sound decisions and escalating to the GM and leadership when neededOwn kitchen operations ensure every item leaving the kitchen meets Alfalfa’s recipe, portioning, and presentation standards and that all in store and online orders are completed accurately and in line with Alfalfa’s prep time standardsEnsure prep is completed daily against proper par levels based on projected volume; monitor yield on all proteins, produce, and prepared items and address variance immediatelyDrive cost of goods through disciplined ordering, accurate receiving, yield management, proper portioning, and waste reduction; conduct inventories, place accurate vendor orders, and track and log daily wastePartner with the GM on prime cost and P&L performance; build schedules aligned to projected volume, manage labor during shifts, and enforce clock-in/out and break compliance per state and local lawSupport the Front of House and hospitality, be present on the floor, engage guests, resolve guest concerns, and coach FOH team members on Alfalfa’s hospitality standardsSupport guest feedback results, including Tattle, Google, and Yelp scores; review feedback with the GM and turn it into action in both FOH and KitchenMaintain passing Ecosure audit scores and an ‘A’ grade on local Health Inspections; enforce food safety procedures across all stations: handwashing, allergen handling, temperature monitoring, FIFO, labeling, and sanitation; ensure all logs are completed accurately every shiftRecruit, onboard, train, and develop team members in both Kitchen and FOH; drive training by utilizing company resources such as OpusCoach supervisors and team members in real time, conduct regular performance conversations and support formal reviews. Partner with the GM on disciplinary action and PIPsLead the pre-shift ‘daily sprouts’; build a culture of accountability, urgency, hospitality, and pride in craft fully aligned with brand standardsKeep open communication with the GM on shift results, team concerns, and operational issues; keep Kitchen and FOH working as one teamSchedule40-50 hour workweekMust be available Saturday and SundayJob Type: Full-Time / ExemptCompensation: $75,000 - $80,000Benefits:Alfalfa contributes 75% toward employee healthcare and dental premiumsCompetitive salary commensurate with experience10 Paid Time Off days per yearEligible for the bonus program after completion of full financial periodPaid Sick LeaveSupportive and collaborative work environment with a team of passionate professionals dedicated to inspiring joyJob RequirementsMinimum 3 years of restaurant management experience in a high volume quick service or fast casual environment, with kitchen management experience strongly preferredDeep knowledge of prep management, yield, portioning, recipe adherence, and food safety standardsStrong hospitality mindset with working knowledge of FOH service, cash handling, and resolving guest concernsProven ability to train, develop, and hold a team accountable across Kitchen and FOHStrong understanding of scheduling, labor management, and compliance with state and local labor lawsServSafe certified or willing to become certifiedAbility to read P&L reporting and translate insights into operational actionExperience conducting inventories, placing accurate vendor orders, and receiving to quality standardsSound judgment and problem-solving skills; able to lead the restaurant independently in the GM’s absenceBilingual (English/Spanish) strongly preferredMust be able to stand for the duration of your shift, lift, push, pull, and move product and supplies up to fifty (50) pounds. Work requires bending, twisting, squatting, and reachingCommitment to upholding The Alfalfa Way and maintaining a respectful, high performing team environmentFlexible availability including weekends and holidays