At Potbelly, the General Manager is not just running a store. They are building a business, leading a team, and creating an experience customers come back for.

This is a high-impact leadership role for someone who thrives in a fast-paced environment and knows how to balance people, performance, and profitability. You will set the tone, drive the culture, and take full ownership of the shop’s success.

We are looking for a leader who brings energy, accountability, and a strong business mindset. Someone who can develop teams, grow sales, control costs, and deliver consistent execution every day.

If you take pride in building strong teams, driving results, and being hands-on in operations, this role is for you.

This is your shop. Run it like an owner.

Job Title: General Manager

Department/Function: Operations

Location: Field, in shop

Reports to: District Manager

Job Level: 2

Job Band: Manager

Full-Time/Exempt

Travel Requirements: Rarely

GENERAL DESCRIPTION

The GM is the leader of the Company shop! They should bring their positive energy each day to build and inspire our teams and to make the Company a fun place for our customers, too. They should have the ability to see the “Big Picture” of running the business. Be able to coach and develop people, to execute outstanding product quality and exceptional customer service, and to build sales and control costs for each shift. They should also be able to multi-task and follow Company standard operating policies and procedures with essential areas of focus including (but are not limited to):

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS

People

• Select and hire great employees who represent Company Values.
• Train and develop all employees to the next level.
• Assess staff abilities. Create and implement effective development plans.
• Create and enforce a plan to reduce turnover.
• Delegate tasks to team and provide follow-up. Hold team accountable.
• Build relationships among team members. Provide effective and open communication on goals during team meetings. Recognize positive contributions.
• Provide timely and thorough performance appraisals based on defined goals and objectives for the shop.
• Educate team on and enforce all appropriate personnel policies, labor laws, and security and safety procedures.
• Administer all in-shop employee benefits and payroll procedures.

Customers

• Delight customers with Great Food and Good Vibes
• Effectively handle customer complaints/issues.
• Measure customer satisfaction and execute plan to improve both satisfaction and loyalty.
• Maintain a clean and inviting shop. Ensure cleanliness, maintenance and security standards are met.
• Ensure product quality, safety and sanitation standards are met.
• Provide fast, friendly and accurate service.
• Continuously improve customer feedback program scores.

Sales

• Increase comp sales and deliver budgeted sales each period.
• Create marketing plan. Lead local shop marketing to increase sales. GM ideally lives in the neighborhood and is involved in the community, the school and local business, social and not-for-profit activities.
• Create shop plan to continuously improve the business.

Profits

• Control cost of goods, variances and inventories within the shop.
• Staff and schedule appropriately to control labor costs.
• Ensure proper cash handling and deposit procedures are followed.
• Ensure appropriate inventory and ordering systems are in place.
• Must have financial literacy; Ability to understand and learn from financial reports.
• Ability to increase flow-through.

ESSENTIAL PHYSICAL FUNCTIONS

• Must have the ability/stamina to work a minimum of 45 hours per week.
• Ability to stand/walk for 9-10 hours per day.
• Must be able to exert well-paced and frequent mobility for periods of up to five hours.
• Ability to lift up to 10 pounds frequently and up to 50 pounds occasionally.
• Will frequently reach, feel, bend, stoop, carry, finely manipulate and key in data.
• Must be able to work in both warm and cool environments, indoors (95%) and outdoors (5%).
• Must be able to tolerate higher levels of noise from music, customer and employee traffic.
• Must be able to tolerate potential allergens: peanut products, egg, dairy, gluten, soy, seafood and shellfish.

EXPERIENCE, EDUCATION AND BEHAVIORS

• Must represent The Potbelly Way
• Adopts the Company Values as their personal values.
• Has excellent communication skills, including active listening and the ability to ask great questions.
• Has a sustained record of leading teams to success.
• Possess an extremely strong work ethic.
• Is educated and an active learner.
• Takes initiative to solve problems and to get things done correctly and on time.
• Has the ability to grow other leaders.
• Exhibits humility and self-confidence.
• Knows how and successfully grows sales/business profitably.
• Minimum of at least 2 years experience as a General Manager in restaurant or retail environment with P&L. responsibility. Restaurant Industry, preferred.
• High School degree; Bachelor's degree, preferred.
• Strong business acumen. Ability to see “Big Picture.”
• Ability to manage a fast-paced, high-volume, clean, customer-focused restaurant.
• Must have Open availability.
• As a requirement of the position, all Shift Leaders and Managers must be trained and pass a Food Safety Certification course. In Illinois certification is required through the Illinois Department of Public Health, while in all other states certification is required through the National Restaurant Association (ServSafe), National Registry of Food Safety Professionals or the National Environmental Health Association (Prometric). Should the Shift Leader or Manager fail to pass the certification requirements after two attempts, he or she will be not be qualified to continue to perform in a Shift Leader or Management capacity.
• Must have a vehicle to drive, a valid driver's license with a driving record in good standing
• Must have proof of insurance with limits for property damage that are at least $25,000, and bodily injury that are at least $30,000 per person and $60,000 per accident.
• Ability to comprehend and communicate in English via verbal and written communication, such that employee can perform his or her job responsibilities.
• Must spend 80-90% of time on the shop floor in the Front of the House.
• Must have financial literacy. Ability to understand financial reports.
• Exceptional customer service skills.
• Strong time-management skills. Ability to multi-task, to prioritize and to organize.
• Strong interpersonal skills. Ability to select, develop, inspire and manage strong teams.
• Strong communication skills, both written and verbal.
• Ability to delegate, follow-up and hold team accountable.
• Ability to create and execute effective plans to build the business.
• Must have the ability to set budgets and maintain food and beverage cost.
• Ability to follow expectations and guidelines set by Company.
• Microsoft Office skills.

You are applying to work with a franchisee of Potbelly Corporate. If hired, the franchisee will be your only employer. Franchisees are independent business owners who set own terms of employment, including wage and benefit programs, which can vary between franchisees.