We are elated to partner with renowned Chef Kwame Onwuachi for the highly anticipated opening of Dōgon. He is returning to the nation's capital to bring a bold and imaginative restaurant concept to Salamander Washington DC.

POSITION OBJECTIVE

The Restaurant General Manager will lead a unionized team and manager all aspects of the front of house operations to deliver high level of guest satisfaction and outstanding experiences to all guests. Overall responsibilities include handling guest satisfaction, controlling the budget, recruiting, and training staff on restaurant and service standards, menu knowledge, and overall flow between kitchen and front of house.

ESSENTIAL JOB FUNCTIONS

• Participate in long-term strategic planning and contribute to the overall success of the restaurant.
• Partner closely with the Chef de Cuisine to offer best in market and a World-class guest and dining experience ensuring the concept vision and 5th Floor Hospitality’s standards are executed consistently.
• Be the liaison between Salamander DC and 5th Floor Hospitality communicating effectively with both entities, delivering on the concept vision, service and financial expectations from both entities.
• Have strong sales and marketing acumen, being able to establish and maintain a high profile within the market and industry.
• Ability to create new connections and foster relationships in the local community to build a loyal, regular clientele.
• Monitor and analyze financial performance, including sales figures, cost control measures, and budget management, to maximize profitability and minimize waste.
• Assist in developing and implementing marketing strategies and promotional activities to attract new customers and retain existing clientele.
• Participate in and contribute to creative strategies to help grow the current business including programming and incentives to drive traffic.
• Passionate, able to educate self and team on concept’s history, culture and cuisine. Research industry trends and innovative techniques.
• Be the expert of the restaurant standards. Develop, coach and consistently execute the restaurant’s service standards.
• Ensure consistent execution and improvement of steps of service by using tools such as quarterly departmental staff meetings, shopper reports and guest feedback.
• Impact service by leading the floor during peak times, press events, and festival periods.
• Responsible for the hiring, termination, coaching, recruiting, and developing of all service professionals.
• Address and resolve customer complaints, ensuring a high level of satisfaction.
• Navigate and adhere to union regulations and collective bargaining agreements. Handle negotiations and disputes with union representatives.
• Monitor set up and maintenance of dining room area to ensure that it is up to standard.
• Monitor and ensure availability of staffing levels, supplies such as China/glass/silver, and equipment such as tables and chairs are up to standard for both guest and service professional’s safety.
• Scheduling, supervision and control of supervisors, servers, culinary concierges, bartenders, food runners, and server assistants on a weekly basis to business and budget demands
• Ensures a “positive atmosphere” in all outlets including making contact with 100% of guests, Service Professionals throughout each shift.
• Ensures coverage and monitors timekeeping and absenteeism and making the necessary adjustments in the best interest of the company or at the direction of Director of Restaurants
• Attend and lead all pre-meal meetings and conduct ongoing training to ensure that service professionals continue to improve their performance, knowledge of product offerings throughout the hotel and other departments.
• Must be familiar with commonly demonstrate a high standard of all products and systems while being fair to each service professional.
• Meets and greets customers in the outlets and oversees the open table guest profile system.
• Maintains clean and organized storage areas, service stations, and dining room.
• Assist in the completion of reports on production and necessary requisitions for staffing. During any time off ensure coverage is acceptable with the Director of Food and Beverage.
• Approve/Deny all service professionals requested PTO and days off.
• Oversee and to manage all aspects of the training programs within the outlets at all times for all service professionals and new hires.
• Handle disgruntled customers by offering suggestions and solutions to ensure guest satisfaction as the ultimate priority.
• Handle all service professional issues related to days off, cell phones, tardiness, attitude, body language, uniform standards, and health and safety for all.
• Control of Food and Beverage areas: checks all areas for maintenance requirements and to see through the completion of repairs through follow-up with the Director Engineering and Hotel Manager.
• Ensure correct billing to all accounts and for all payments taken.
• Ensures that the outlet maintains the integrity of a responsible vendor of alcohol and ensures all operations are compliant with relevant laws, and health and safety standards.
• Constantly monitor inventory items to ensure proper tracking and accountability for those items. Oversee the month-end inventory as it relates to the outlet.
• Ability to multitask and handle high demands of stress and workloads at any given time.
• Recommend and to oversee the roll out of any new standards set for by hotel or Director of Food and Beverage
• Assign server sections, side duties, closing duties for each shift.
• Foster a healthy and working relationship with the BOH while maintaining a high standard for quality of food and presentation.
• Attend Operational Meetings and weekly Food and Beverage Meetings led by the Managing Director, Hotel Manager or Director of Food & Beverage. During these meeting it will be expected that you are able to deliver the financials, labor controls, and to speak openly about the operation in a presentation format. Guest survey information, staffing needs and issues, capex needs, and development status updates for all front of house service professionals.

EDUCATION/EXPERIENCE

• Must be 18 years of age or older.
• High school diploma or general education degree (GED) required
• Proven experience in Michelin-starred restaurant is strongly preferred.
• Two to three years’ related experience and/or training; or equivalent combination of education and experience preferably in high volume and/or formal fine dining establishment
• Strong knowledge in fine dining service standards, wine and beverage programs, and culinary trends
• Prior experience in managing a unionized workforce is preferred.

REQUIREMENTS

• The physical demands described are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job.
• While performing the duties this job, the employee is regularly required to stand; walk’ use hands to finger, handle or feel; reach with hands and arms; stoop, kneel, crouch; talk and hear.
• Must be able to read and write to facilitate the communication process.
• Requires good communication skills, both verbal and written.
• May be required to apply common sense understanding to carry out instructions furnished in written, oral, or diagram form; to deal with problems involving several concrete variables in standardized situations.
• Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

WORK ENVIRONMENT

• Must be able to work effectively in a stressful environment, communicate with others, effectively deal with customers, and accept constructive criticism from supervisors.
• Must be able to change activity frequently and cope with interruptions.
• The ability to balance office work and on-site management, with the need to navigate the restaurant and hotel premises regularly.
• Work on special projects and contribute ideas to the growth of the department.
• Walking and standing are required for the majority of the workday and possibly for 8 hours or more. Length of time of these tasks may vary from day to day and task to task.
• Must be able to exert well-paced ability in limited space and to reach other departments of the hotel on a timely basis.
• Must be able to exert well-paced ability to maneuver between functions occurring simultaneously.
• May be required to lift trays of food or food items weighting up to 25 lbs. occasionally.
• Must be able to push and pull carts and equipment weighing up to 50 lbs. occasionally.
• Requires grasping, writing, standing, sitting, walking, repetitive motions, bending, climbing, listening and hearing ability and visual acuity.
• Must be able to read, write and converse in English.
• Must be able to lead groups of people in variety of activities.
• Must be able to work alone with no supervision.

We are an Equal Opportunity Employer and a Drug Free Workplace. Criminal Background Checks, Reference Checks and Social Security Card Verifications are performed on all new hires.