General Manager

Papa Johns General Manager for Eastern KY area Hazard, Paintsville, Pikeville 

Position: General Manager
Department: Restaurant Operations
Reports To: District Manager / Director of Operations
Direct Reports: Assistant Managers, Shift Leaders, Delivery Drivers, and In-Store Team Members

1. Position Summary

The General Manager is responsible for the overall leadership, daily operations, financial performance, and profitability of their Papa Johns restaurant. The General Manager is expected to take full ownership of restaurant results, build a strong management team, maintain operational excellence, and deliver an exceptional customer experience.

The General Manager must consistently execute company standards, meet established performance goals, control operating expenses, and develop a reliable team capable of operating successfully across all shifts.

The General Manager is accountable for results, not just completing tasks. This includes identifying performance gaps, developing corrective action plans, following through on commitments, and communicating challenges before they negatively affect the business.

2. Sales Growth and Business Development

• Meet or exceed established sales and transaction goals.
• Monitor daily, weekly, and monthly sales performance.
• Identify opportunities to increase carryout, delivery, catering, and promotional sales.
• Execute all national, regional, and local marketing initiatives accurately.
• Ensure team members understand current promotions, pricing, and upselling expectations.
• Monitor order accuracy, customer feedback, service times, and repeat business.
• Develop action plans when sales trends fall below expectations.
• Take an active role in building sales rather than relying solely on existing customer traffic.

3. Labor Management and Scheduling

• Manage labor costs within established company targets without sacrificing service, food quality, or safety.
• Build accurate schedules based on sales forecasts, historical trends, peak periods, and staffing availability.
• Schedule the appropriate number of team members for anticipated business volume.
• Monitor labor throughout each shift and make adjustments when necessary.
• Control overtime, unnecessary labor hours, and unproductive staffing.
• Ensure all shifts are properly staffed with trained and capable employees.
• Maintain a reliable management schedule and provide appropriate leadership coverage.
• Train managers to make sound labor decisions and understand the financial impact of their schedules.
• Address excessive callouts, attendance issues, and scheduling concerns promptly.

4. Food Cost, Inventory, and Profitability

• Achieve established food cost and profitability goals.
• Maintain accurate inventory counts and place orders according to business needs.
• Enforce portion control, proper food preparation, and product handling standards.
• Monitor waste, remakes, expired product, and excessive food usage.
• Investigate unfavorable food cost variances and implement corrective action.
• Ensure proper product rotation and inventory organization.
• Control controllable expenses, including supplies, utilities, repairs, and other operating costs.
• Understand the relationship between sales, food cost, labor, and restaurant profitability.
• Review financial and operational reports regularly and take ownership of unfavorable results.

5. Staffing, Recruiting, and Retention

• Maintain staffing levels necessary to operate the restaurant effectively.
• Recruit and hire qualified team members in a timely manner.
• Build a dependable team that can meet customer demand during peak and non-peak periods.
• Complete onboarding and training according to company standards.
• Address attendance, performance, conduct, and policy violations consistently.
• Recognize strong performance and create opportunities for employee growth.
• Reduce unnecessary turnover by setting clear expectations and maintaining a professional work environment.
• Develop staffing plans to address vacancies before they negatively affect operations.
• Ensure new employees are trained and capable before working independently.

6. Management Development and Leadership

• Train and develop Assistant Managers and Shift Leaders to perform their responsibilities independently.
• Establish clear expectations for every member of the management team.
• Conduct regular coaching conversations and performance reviews.
• Hold managers accountable for shift execution, labor management, food safety, cleanliness, and customer service.
• Delegate responsibilities while verifying that assigned tasks are completed correctly.
• Identify high-potential employees for future leadership positions.
• Ensure the restaurant can operate effectively when the General Manager is not present.
• Lead by example through professionalism, reliability, communication, and consistent execution.
• Address performance concerns promptly rather than allowing problems to continue.

7. Operational Execution and Customer Experience

• Ensure opening, shift-change, and closing procedures are completed correctly.
• Maintain product quality, recipe compliance, order accuracy, and appropriate service times.
• Ensure delivery and carryout orders are prepared and dispatched efficiently.
• Verify that team members follow established procedures for dough preparation, food preparation, makeline execution, and product handling.
• Monitor customer complaints and resolve concerns promptly and professionally.
• Ensure phones, online orders, and in-store customers receive appropriate attention.
• Maintain adequate supplies and functioning equipment.
• Conduct routine operational walkthroughs throughout the day.
• Correct deficiencies immediately and verify that standards remain consistent across all shifts.

8. Food Safety, Cleanliness, and Inspections

• Maintain full compliance with company food safety, sanitation, and cleanliness standards.
• Ensure proper food temperatures, storage, date marking, rotation, and handling.
• Maintain clean floors, restrooms, dining and customer areas, makelines, ovens, walk-ins, and food preparation areas.
• Ensure equipment is cleaned and maintained according to company procedures.
• Complete required checklists, logs, and inspections accurately and on time.
• Conduct regular self-inspections to identify and correct deficiencies before formal evaluations.
• Prepare the entire team for corporate inspections and operational assessments.
• Immediately address critical food safety concerns and escalate issues when required.
• Maintain inspection readiness every day rather than cleaning or preparing only when an inspection is expected.

Accountability standard: The General Manager is responsible for ensuring the restaurant meets company standards on every shift, regardless of which manager is working.

9. Cash Handling, Security, and Administration

• Follow established procedures for cash handling, deposits, refunds, discounts, and voids.
• Maintain accurate records and required documentation.
• Protect company assets, equipment, inventory, and confidential information.
• Investigate cash discrepancies and report suspected theft or policy violations through the appropriate channels.
• Ensure timekeeping and payroll records are accurate.
• Complete required administrative tasks by established deadlines.
• Maintain compliance with company policies, employment laws, and applicable regulations.

10. Communication and Accountability

• Communicate regularly with the District Manager or Director of Operations regarding performance, staffing, equipment, and operational concerns.
• Review business results and identify opportunities for improvement.
• Submit accurate reports and required documentation on time.
• Develop written action plans for areas below expectations.
• Follow through on commitments and provide updates on corrective actions.
• Take responsibility for controllable results and avoid allowing recurring issues to go unresolved.
• Communicate expectations clearly to the entire management team.
• Escalate significant food safety, security, equipment, staffing, or customer concerns promptly.

11. Performance Standards and Key Performance Indicators

The General Manager’s performance will be evaluated using established company targets and the following operational measures:

• Sales: Achievement of assigned sales and growth targets.
• Labor: Performance against established labor cost and productivity targets.
• Food cost: Performance against food cost targets, inventory accuracy, and waste expectations.
• Profitability: Achievement of assigned restaurant financial goals.
• Staffing: Recruiting effectiveness, retention, attendance, and management coverage.
• Customer service: Order accuracy, service execution, customer feedback, and complaint resolution.
• Inspections: Compliance with company standards and completion of corrective actions.
• Cleanliness and food safety: Consistent compliance with sanitation and food handling requirements.
• Training and development: Completion of required training and development of capable managers.
• Administrative execution: Accurate reporting, cash controls, and completion of required tasks.

Performance expectations will be based on company-established goals, applicable benchmarks, and the restaurant’s operating circumstances.

12. Corrective Action and Continuous Improvement

When performance falls below expectations, the General Manager is responsible for:

1. Identifying the underlying cause of the performance gap.
2. Developing a specific, measurable action plan.
3. Communicating responsibilities and deadlines to the appropriate team members.
4. Monitoring progress and verifying execution.
5. Reporting results and adjusting the plan when necessary.
6. Sustaining improvements after the immediate issue has been corrected.

Repeated performance gaps without meaningful corrective action may result in additional coaching or disciplinary action consistent with company policy.

13. Physical and Scheduling Requirements

• Ability to perform essential restaurant duties, including standing, walking, lifting within applicable guidelines, and working in a fast-paced kitchen environment.
• Ability to work flexible schedules, including evenings, weekends, and holidays, as business needs require.
• Ability to respond appropriately to operational issues and maintain effective restaurant leadership.
• Ability to perform the essential functions of the position with or without reasonable accommodation.

14. Overall Expectations

The General Manager is expected to run the restaurant as if they are responsible for its success every day. This means maintaining high standards, managing expenses, developing people, driving sales, and taking immediate action when results or execution fall below expectations.

Success in this position requires consistent leadership, sound business judgment, strong communication, and a commitment to accountability.

The standard is simple: Build a strong team, protect the business, serve the customer, and deliver results.

How to apply: Click on the Apply Now button to apply through Zapid.