Restaurant Manager

Workstream; South Bend (IN); On-site; USD 42,000 - 64,000; Full time

Job summary

Donatos is seeking a Restaurant Manager to lead the team, develop staff, and drive restaurant performance. You will coach employees, ensure high standards of hospitality, and manage daily operations to support sales growth and profitability.

The role emphasizes training, teamwork, and adherence to food safety and local health regulations, with a focus on delivering outstanding guest experiences.

Qualifications

• Must have strong leadership and coaching abilities.
• Excellent customer service and communication skills.
• Proven experience in restaurant operations and cost controls.

Responsibilities

• Onboard and train new associates and ensure understanding of roles.
• Coach and direct staff to meet performance standards and optimize scheduling.
• Control cash and assets; comply with cash handling policies.
• Improve customer satisfaction through feedback programs and staff coaching.
• Build community relationships to drive sales growth and brand presence.
• Monitor food cost and inventory; oversee food safety and sanitation.

Skills

Leadership

Coaching

Customer service

Operations management

Education

High School diploma

ServSafe certification

Job description

The Restaurant Manager (RM) is responsible for Employee Development, Operations Excellence, Sales Growth, Profit

Growth, and our customer’s experience (Hospitality). The role of the RM is to develop people and build prosperity. The

RM is the leader in the restaurant, acting as a coach and providing a restaurant environment that is focused on integrity,

honesty, and pride. The Restaurant Manager provides resources, training, and development, and utilizes a systematic

and principle-centered management approach to maximize restaurant-operating results, to fulfill the Mission & Promise.

Minimum Requirements:

Restaurant Managers must have a flexible schedule that includes the ability to work variety of opening, mid and closing shifts, along with working weekends and holidays.

Education

High School diploma or equivalent.

ServSafe certification

Internal Candidates must complete required training and development activities

Previous Experience

External – 1 year in similar role preferred, successful completion of Donatos MIT program required

Internal – 6 months Donatos experience preferred, management experience required

Can execute all items on the RM readiness checklist

Physical Requirements

Must be able to perform the essential functions of this position safely while meeting productivity standards

Able to stand and/or walk entire shift

Able to lift up to 50 pounds occasionally

Occasional bending and twisting

Duties & Responsibilities:

• Ensures each new associate receives the proper on-boarding and training and understands their role in fulfilling the Mission & Promise.
• Models performance standards (primary responsibility is to direct and coach, secondary responsibility is to assist).
• Ensures staffing levels are optimal during all volume periods; acts in a timely and decisive manner to adjust staffing for business volume changes.
• Effectively controls cash and assets and ensures adherence to cash handling policies.
• Empowers and allows restaurant associates to make decisions and resolve customer concerns in a way that fully satisfies our customer.
• Anticipates the needs of the customers at all access points and removes existing or potential service barriers.
• Displays caring and empathy for customers and follows correct steps when resolving complaints.
• Executes plans to improve customer satisfaction through regular utilization & communication of customer feedback program (SMG website), customer callbacks, and refining results to create improvement plans.
• Engages the local community; builds strong relationships that result in partnerships within the community, win-win opportunities, and sales growth.
• Controls food cost components of waste, prep, weights, portioning, on hand amounts (food orders/build to/inventory management) and theft during shifts.
• Demonstrates, trains, and enforces operating norms, including but not limited to uniform policy, attendance, safety procedures, and cleanliness.
• Opens and/or closes the restaurant with proper administrative procedures and completes assigned paperwork.
• Ensures product quality meets Donatos standards and guest expectations.
• Properly executes, enforces, and manages food safety and sanitation requirements.
• Ensures Associates understand and follow the food safety & personal hygiene standards required by Donatos and the local Health Department.
• Seeks out and eliminates potential food safety violations and unsafe practices or conditions.
• Coaches and counsels the team to achieve restaurant and personal development goals.
• Assists all management in developing and ensures the Readiness Checklist process is utilized by all management team members.
• Communicates performance standards and expectations to all team members and provides ongoing feedback on progress toward objectives and results.
• Assumes accountability for P & L results.
• Delegates responsibility among team members for achieving financial results.
• Identifies areas of opportunity and implements action plans to achieve cost reductions.
• Monitors sales volumes and adjusts projections accurately.
• Conducts meetings such as product rollouts, manager meetings, monthly safety meetings, operating systems, etc.

Donatos is just as dedicated to our Associates as we are to our guests. After all, delivering the best food and service starts with attracting (and keeping) the very best team members.
Whether you’re looking for your first job or want to advance your career, you’ll love being part of a work environment that’s not just rewarding and fun, but supportive too. We’re committed to hiring associates who we feel will be a great fit with the Donatos family – and then empowering them to become leaders who bring out the full potential of everyone around them.