General Manager

We’re looking for a General Manager to run a cafe & provisions store in Wilmington, VT. 

We’re targeting to open the business this fall and want to find a partner who is excited to have a say in the build out and operations of the business–financing is already covered. The concept is a fast-casual drive-thru serving coffee, breakfast sandwiches and light fare, and eventually layering in a retail component with local provisions and curated home goods. We aspire to be the consistent (open 7 days/week, year round), convenient (drive thru), fast (order ahead, pick up), and quality (limited house-made menu) option in town. 

The General Manager position is a high-visibility leadership role (you are the face of this business!) with full ownership of day-to-day operations across the business. You will be responsible for both execution and continuous improvement across front-of-house, back-of-house, and retail functions. This is a hands-on role. You will lead by example in every area from building relationships with local suppliers and staffing the register, to reconciling inventory and building team culture. You will have input on strategy, direct P&L responsibility and ownership in the business.

Our shared goals are to build a business that runs profitably, delights locals and tourists alike, and can scale to new revenue streams.

CORE RESPONSIBILITIES

Cafe Strategy & Food Service

• Provide input on opening menu, and how menu should adapt/evolve over time to maximize profits and meet local needs.
• Execute, or oversee, food preparation on defined schedule.
• Manage inventory down to the component ingredients.

Staffing & Team Development

• Build and manage the team—from sourcing and interviewing to onboarding and performance management.
• Develop training materials and lead training across FOH and BOH roles.
• Own weekly scheduling to ensure full shift coverage and budget adherence.
• Establish and enforce a professional, high-output team culture grounded in service, speed, and cleanliness.

Inventory & Supplier Management

• Establish weekly and monthly inventory planning processes across café, grocery, and retail items.
• Maintain vendor relationships, negotiate pricing, and manage order cycles.
• Manage inventory and track discounting, waste, spoilage, and shrink to ensure COGS targets are hit.

Operations

• Define, document, and implement systems for:
  • Opening and closing procedures
  • Food safety and sanitation
  • Customer service standards
  • Drive-thru and online order fulfillment
  • Inventory receiving, stocking, and labeling
• Train the team to execute the above consistently; regularly audit and refine these processes.

Financial & Strategic Ownership

• Manage daily cash reconciliation, deposits, and tip disbursement. (we’re debating a cash-less model and would welcome feedback on this decision!)
• Own the store P&L: monitor revenue, labor, and COGS in real-time; take corrective action proactively.
• Collaborate with owners on menu pricing, promotions, and product mix to optimize profitability.
• Set and track key metrics (daily sales, average ticket, labor %, COGS %).

Facilities & Compliance

• Maintain a clean, functional, and welcoming environment.
• Ensure compliance with all local health and safety regulations.
• Handle equipment maintenance and repair coordination.

ABOUT YOU

• Located in or willing to relocate to Southern VT and have your own vehicle.
• Have 3+ years of food service management - preference for a high-volume cafe or fast-casual.
• Passionate for food service/hospitality & entrepreneurial chops.
• Able and willing to cover both front & back of house responsibilities.
• Bring an ownership mentality since we'll be making you one.
• Are comfortable with basic modern business technology (Toast, spreadsheets, etc)
• Nice to have: a basic understanding of cafe/retail finances & previous P&L responsibility

COMPENSATION & BENEFITS

This is a full time position. Compensation is negotiable but the general shape will be:

- Salary: $55-75k (based on experience) + benefits

- Quarterly bonus based on profitability

- Relocation and first three months rent paid

- 2 weeks paid vacation in year one

- Potential to earn significant (+/- 10%) ownership of the business over time

ABOUT THE OWNERS

We are a husband/wife team who split our time between Boston and VT. We both work in tech, but each spent many years working in restaurants, ice cream stores, and cafes. We are passionate about the food industry and it has been our dream to open a local business. We are committed to providing stable jobs to the town (no layoffs during the off season) and want to build a long-term team who is excited to grow this business with us (expanded retail offerings? e-commerce presence? second location?). 

NEXT STEPS

Please respond with a resume and short cover letter. Don't worry about formality, but we'd like to hear in a paragraph or two what makes you the best candidate for this position and what an "ownership mentality" means to you.