Assistant Manager - Front of House

Upland Brewing at Clay Terrace in Carmel, IN is looking for an assistant manager to join our strong team. Our ideal candidate is attentive, ambitious, and engaged.

As a Front of House Manager, you are primarily responsible and accountable for physical, technical, and overall execution of all daily Front of House Operations with a focus on staff management. The role is an extension of the General Manager and will work in consultation with the General Manager, other Front of House Managers and Executive Chef to further deliver on our mission of exceptional customer service of fresh, locally sourced foods and Upland’s award-winning beers. 

Key goals: Execute our goal to give top-notch, beer-knowledgeable service by holding staff accountable to expectations and education; maintain a close knit, professional, and engaged staff; maximize efficiency & profitability of our FOH operations by assisting the GM to refine, create, implement and adhere to systems and procedures for optimal operations, and to recruit, train, and motivate staff. 

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

The essential functions include, but are not limited to the following:

Front-of-House Staff Management

●      Accomplish Company Human Resource Objectives:  partake in interviews and training new employees; lead by example and provide managerial oversight to reduce staff stress; manage staff expectations and attitudes; provide restaurant GM with job reviews; enforce policies and procedures and diligently discipline employees; aid in the evolution of training checklists and weekly/monthly duties.

●      Staff Training & Education:  assist GM to develop and maintain comprehensive staff training on beer, menu, wine/liquor, and customer service expectations; complete employee skill and knowledge reviews before training completion or position advancement; constructively coach staff with subpar performance.

●      Focus on Accountability:  communicate job expectations; enforce policies and procedures; report any violations to GM; log all verbal corrections; foster teamwork; monitor staff daily and weekly duties; hold yourself and team accountable to developed and implemented systems, to defined roles and duties, and to maintaining a positive attitude.

●      Control Costs:  monitor beer waste; monitor staff beer, wine, and food consumption; proper charging for all beer and food by staff; monitor proper use of discounts and comps.

●      Improve Staff Communication:  effectively communicate company vision to all staff members, effectively handle internal conflict with negotiation skills; understand how to communicate with a variety of different people; communicate effectively all site specials, promotions, policy changes, and company events, local happenings, and beer releases; aid in the evolution and upkeep of all printed staff materials like exchange/sub-lists, beer bibles, etc.

●      Reduce Employee Turnover:  assist GM with the development of an employee retention program; ensure FOH staff make adequate tips by honing staffing levels; develop a reward/recognition program for staff that meet or exceed expectations; properly train and then retrain staff when needed; provide explicit and fair feedback for managerial or staffing decisions; organize staff outings.

Floor Management

●      Exhibit and enforce customer-service standards; organize, delegate and lead shifts to ensure the best customer service experience; evaluate productivity; be chief host personality on the floor (chat with customers, befriend regulars); resolve customer problems; provide support to staff; maintain customer friendly ambiance by controlling lighting, background music, and thermostat; understand how community events affect business level and be informed of current events; decide when to cut based on restaurant business.

●      Identify procedural improvements and communicate to GM for implementation.

Facilities Maintenance 

●      Coordinate with GM on seasonal cleanings; address all facility maintenance including patio, beer line cleaning; communicate maintenance issues with the GM; understand high priority issues and complete maintenance tasks in a timely manner.

●      Communicate inventory needs including glassware, dinnerware, and utensil quality and replacement

Administrative Operations

●      Assist with administrative tasks including, but not limited to, inventory, ordering, scheduling, organizing and passing out tip-outs, staff scheduling assistance, attending and contributing to manager meetings, returning emails and phone calls, and random project completion. Attend and contribute to monthly shift manager meetings.

Additional Responsibilities

●      Have a thorough understanding of the brewing process, our everyday beers, our seasonal and experimental styles of beers and sours.  Assist with planning and execution of ongoing beer education. 

●      Have a thorough understanding of our menu and philosophy of food.

●      Develop a working knowledge of POS system and draught system.

●      Maintain safe, secure, and healthy environment by establishing, following, and enforcing sanitation standards and procedures; obtain ServSafe Certification.

Minimum Qualifications (Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities)

●      3+ years customer service experience 

●      1 year in a management role at a high-volume restaurant  

●      A passion for craft beer and enthusiasm for creating an exceptional customer experience

●      A strong work ethic aligned with and supportive of a high-growth organization

●      A personal framework that is ethical, credible, and optimistic

●      Self-motivated with the ability to prioritize and multi-task in a changing work environment to work effectively and efficiently.

●      Works well under pressure, both alone and with a team, while maintaining a positive attitude in high-stress situations

●      Thinks critically and has strong problem-solving skills, along with the confidence and ability, to make sound business decisions in times of uncertainty

●      Able to effectively communicate, both verbally and written, to staff members with diverse personalities