Taproom General Manager

Highland Brewing Company; Asheville (NC); On-site; USD 73,000 - 78,000; Full time

Job summary

Highland Brewing Company in Asheville seeks a Taproom General Manager to own guest experience, staff leadership, and financial results for the Taproom, Meadow bars, and Oscar’s Pizza project. The role combines front‑of‑house leadership with close partnership with the Head Chef to ensure a seamless operation across venues.

The ideal candidate will bring 5+ years of hospitality management, track record in high‑volume settings, and ability to lead 20+ staff including managers.

Qualifications

• 5+ years of hospitality management experience in a restaurant, brewery, taproom, or entertainment venue, including 2+ years as a General Manager or Assistant General Manager
• Experience operating both food and beverage, and working closely with a chef and kitchen team
• Demonstrated success in a high‑volume, guest‑facing environment
• Experience leading teams of 20+ employees, including managing other managers
• A track record of building strong team culture, retention, and engagement
• Experience with labor management, scheduling, inventory, and P&L or budget accountability
• Experience conducting performance coaching, corrective action, and employee development conversations
• ServSafe Food Protection Manager certification, or ability to obtain within 60 days of hire
• Proficiency with POS systems, scheduling software, and MS Office or Google Workspace
• Ability to work evenings, weekends, holidays, and special events
• Experience opening a new restaurant, kitchen, or concept
• Experience with pizza or fast-paced counter-service food operations

Responsibilities

• Be a visible leader on the floor, modeling warm, genuine hospitality and guest engagement
• Set, communicate, and uphold service standards across the Taproom, Meadow, and Oscar’s Pizza
• Serve as the ultimate escalation point for guest concerns and service recovery, and empower MODs and Ambassadors to resolve issues in the moment
• Track guest feedback and online reviews, share insights with the team, and act on trends
• Foster a welcoming, inclusive, and memorable environment that reflects Highland’s values and brand
• Partner with the Guest Experience Director to continuously elevate the experience across the brewery campus
• Lead, coach, and develop the Taproom management team: Assistant General Manager, Managers on Duty, and Beverage Lead
• Hold regular one‑on‑ones and management team meetings, and set clear goals and expectations for each leader
• Build a culture of trust, accountability, and recognition, where team members feel heard and know where they stand
• Lead hiring, onboarding, and training for Taproom leaders and Ambassadors
• Conduct performance reviews, coaching, and corrective action fairly and consistently
• Identify and grow future leaders from within the team
• Partner closely with the Head Chef and Guest Experience Director to launch and develop Oscar’s Pizza and run it alongside the Taproom as one integrated operation
• Align front‑of‑house and back‑of‑house on service flow, ticket times, ordering and pickup, menu changes, and peak‑volume planning
• Coordinate staffing, scheduling, and communication between Taproom and kitchen teams, especially for busy days and events
• Train Ambassadors on the Oscar’s menu, food and beer pairings, allergen procedures, and food service standards
• Review food sales, guest feedback, and kitchen performance with the Head Chef, and work together on improvements

Skills

Hospitality management

General Manager experience

People leadership

Guest service excellence

Budget accountability

Tools

POS systems

Scheduling software

MS Office/Google Workspace

Job description

If you are unable to complete this application due to a disability, contact this employer to ask for an accommodation or an alternative application process.

Hospitality Full Time Asheville, NC, US

Salary Range: $73,000.00 To $78,000.00 Annually

About Highland Brewing:

Highland is proudly independent, deeply rooted, and generating joy for our customers and our community. As the first brewery in Asheville since Prohibition, our beer and destination brewery are authentic tastes of the heart and soul of a place that continues to captivate people. Committed to quality, sustainability, and community, Highland champions a “Thirst for Good” across the Southern Appalachians.

REPORTS TO: Guest Experience Director

About the role:

The Taproom General Manager is a senior leader of Highland’s destination brewery campus. You will own the guest experience, team, and business results across our Taproom and Meadow bars, and will work closely with our Head Chef on Oscar’s Pizza, our new pizza kitchen opening inside the Taproom.

This is a hands-on leadership role. You will lead our Taproom management team, and through them, a large team of Ambassadors. You will work side by side with our Head Chef so that Oscar’s Pizza and the Taproom run as one seamless operation, with front of house and back of house aligned on standards, service flow, staffing, and the guest experience.

We are looking for a people-first leader who builds trust, sets clear expectations, and holds the team to them with consistency and care. The right person balances strategic thinking with real time on the floor, is energized by building something new, and knows that a great team culture is what creates great guest experiences.

What success looks like in the first year:

• Oscar’s Pizza develops into a strong, consistent rhythm, with the Taproom and kitchen working as one team.
• A cohesive, trusted Taproom management team with clear roles, regular communication, and a shared standard of hospitality.
• Engaged Ambassadors who feel supported, developed, and proud of where they work.
• Revenue, labor, cost-of-goods, and guest satisfaction goals met or exceeded.

ESSENTIAL JOB FUNCTIONS:

Guest Experience

• Be a visible leader on the floor, modeling warm, genuine hospitality and guest engagement.
• Set, communicate, and uphold service standards across the Taproom, Meadow, and Oscar’s Pizza.
• Serve as the ultimate escalation point for guest concerns and service recovery, and empower MODs and Ambassadors to resolve issues in the moment.
• Track guest feedback and online reviews, share insights with the team, and act on trends.
• Foster a welcoming, inclusive, and memorable environment that reflects Highland’s values and brand.
• Partner with the Guest Experience Director to continuously elevate the experience across the brewery campus.
• Lead, coach, and develop the Taproom management team: Assistant General Manager, Managers on Duty, and Beverage Lead.
• Hold regular one‑on‑ones and management team meetings, and set clear goals and expectations for each leader.
• Build a culture of trust, accountability, and recognition, where team members feel heard and know where they stand.
• Lead hiring, onboarding, and training for Taproom leaders and Ambassadors.
• Conduct performance reviews, coaching, and corrective action fairly and consistently.
• Identify and grow future leaders from within the team.
• Partner closely with the Head Chef and Guest Experience Director to launch and develop Oscar’s Pizza and run it alongside the Taproom as one integrated operation.
• Align front‑of‑house and back‑of‑house on service flow, ticket times, ordering and pickup, menu changes, and peak‑volume planning.
• Coordinate staffing, scheduling, and communication between Taproom and kitchen teams, especially for busy days and events.
• Train Ambassadors on the Oscar’s menu, food and beer pairings, allergen procedures, and food service standards.
• Review food sales, guest feedback, and kitchen performance with the Head Chef, and work together on improvements.

Operational Leadership

• In collaboration with the Assistant GM and Head Chef, oversee daily operations of the Taproom, Meadow, and front‑of‑house for Oscar’s Pizza.
• Work floor shifts as needed, including evenings, weekends, and events.
• Ensure operational readiness, cleanliness, safety, and service consistency across all guest‑facing spaces.
• Build and maintain clear systems, checklists, and procedures so the operation runs consistently regardless of who is on shift.
• Manage POS setup, menus, and pricing in coordination with the relevant teams.

Staffing & Labor Management

• Own staffing plans, schedules, and leadership coverage for the Taproom.
• Forecast staffing needs around seasonality, events, and the Oscar’s Pizza launch.
• Manage labor to budget while protecting the guest experience and team well‑being.
• Partner with the Beverage Lead on the Taproom beverage program, including draft and package offerings, cocktails, wine, non‑alcoholic options, and line and glassware quality.
• Own weekly, monthly, and quarterly inventory counts and maintain accurate records and reporting.
• Partner with Accounting to reconcile inventory and investigate variances.
• Identify opportunities to reduce waste, strengthen controls, and improve cost of goods.

Financial & Business Performance

• Own the Taproom’s performance against budget, including revenue, labor, cost of goods, and operating expenses.
• Contribute to the annual budget and forecasting process with the Guest Experience Director.
• Review key metrics regularly and use data to make decisions and set priorities.
• Identify opportunities to grow revenue through programming, menu, merchandise, and guest experience improvements.

Events & Cross-Department Collaboration

• Partner with the Property Operations Manager, Head Chef, and Event Manager to plan and execute Taproom programming, festivals, and special events.
• Collaborate with Marketing on promotions, releases, and guest communications.
• Support cohesive execution and clear communication across departments.

Compliance & Safety

• Ensure compliance with all alcohol service, food safety, health, and workplace safety regulations and policies.
• Maintain required certifications and ensure team training is current.
• Lead incident response and documentation, and partner with Facilities on safety and maintenance needs.

QUALIFICATIONS:

Required

• 5+ years of hospitality management experience in a restaurant, brewery, taproom, or entertainment venue, including 2+ years as a General Manager or Assistant General Manager
• Experience operating both food and beverage, and working closely with a chef and kitchen team
• Demonstrated success in a high‑volume, guest‑facing environment
• Experience leading teams of 20+ employees, including managing other managers
• A track record of building strong team culture, retention, and engagement
• Experience with labor management, scheduling, inventory, and P&L or budget accountability
• Experience conducting performance coaching, corrective action, and employee development conversations
• ServSafe Food Protection Manager certification, or ability to obtain within 60 days of hire
• Proficiency with POS systems, scheduling software, and MS Office or Google Workspace
• Ability to work evenings, weekends, holidays, and special events

Preferred

• Experience opening a new restaurant, kitchen, or concept
• Experience with pizza or fast‑paced counter‑service food operations

WORKING CONDITIONS:

As this position works in a bar, restaurant, and kitchen environment, the physical demands of this role include, but are not limited to:

• Standing and walking for long periods of time.
• Bending, twisting, reaching overhead, lifting up to 30 lbs frequently and up to 50 lbs occasionally.
• Working with cleaning chemicals.
• Working near commercial kitchen equipment, including high‑heat pizza ovens.
• Working indoors and outdoors in varying weather conditions.

At‑Will Employment: Employment with Highland Brewing Co. may be terminated by either Highland or the employee at any time with or without cause or notice.

Highland Brewing Company is an equal opportunity employer and welcomes applicants of all backgrounds.