General Manager Cocktail Bar and Retail Sales

About Weldon Mills:
Weldon Mills Distillery is an award-winning small-batch Distillery located along the Roanoke River in Weldon, NC. Our portfolio range covers Bourbon, Whiskey, Vodka, Gin and North Carolina’s first Tequila brands in partnership with a renowned Mexican Distillery. Our products are now distributed via most ABC boards throughout the state as we continue to grow towards a national presence.

Our Downtown Durham location established in early 2023 combines a speakeasy cocktail lounge, tasting room, light food and bottle retail sales into one. We are looking for a general manager to oversee all day-to-day operations. This manager will be supported by and report to the owners.
About the Role:
Leading a small hospitality team with a focus on profitability through beverage, you are on the front lines of our consumer beverage experience, meeting and exceeding all guest expectations while monitoring and driving the sales performance of Weldon Mills’ Durham location. As an ambassador, you represent the style and image of Weldon Mills, focusing on the delivery of personalized service at every touch point. You are the primary bridge between ownership and the staff and will lead the charge in FOH/BOH communications. As a business leader, you are directly responsible for the meeting of Weldon Mills’ financial goals as set by ownership. While this is a management position, applicant understands they are part of a small team and should understand all facets of the business and be willing and able to assist anywhere needed in operations. Weekend and evening availability is a must with the expectation of a 45 hr work week.
Essential Duties and Responsibilities:
Sales and Hospitality Management:

• Be a model of our unique culture and best practices. Drive the financial performance of Weldon Mills, meeting or beating all goals.
• Monitor the sales performance of the team and coach them toward ever-increasing performance.
• Ensure quality and consistency of all food/beverage and their execution.
• Develop, monitor, adjust and maintain all beverage programs staying within expected COGS.
• Oversee all bar/food materials (menus, glassware, service items, etc) and ensure they meet standards.
• Conduct daily pre-shift meetings to share relevant information and promote a cohesive team culture.
• Oversee daily opening and closing responsibilities or receive reports from openers/closers
• Share daily, weekly, and monthly goals for the team.
• Maintain ongoing communication with the team about updates, changes, and new programs
• Roll out and training of new programs and initiatives
• Performs other related duties as assigned

Administrative and Operations

• Maintain accurate and regular reporting with performance reports sent to ownership, assembling other reports as requested.
• Monitor and maintain areas of beverage overlap in the kitchen, ensuring all county health code is followed
• Frequently track and log guest traffic and spend collaborating with ownership to adjust plan to meet goals
• Develop new strategies to drive profitability in collaboration with ownership.
• Communicate frequently with ownership for updates, collaboration on new initiatives and financial progress
• Strategically create and manage the employee schedule to best meet financial goals.
• Ensure proper POS and cash handling policies are followed
• Ensure all safety and security measures are upheld
• Ensure all ABC regulations are followed, records are kept and timely filings made
• Ensure all food handling laws and regulations are followed
• Manage and maintain current certifications for all hospitality staff
• Return email and phone inquiries
• Work side by side with the Event Manager (also reports to ownership) to execute events and programming in the distillery area and assist with ground-floor events where needed

Administrative and Operations Cont.

• Keep accurate record of all transactions and POS operations
• Accurate recording and reporting of inventory
• Order or oversee ordering of all supplies to include bar, kitchen, office and janitorial.
• Ensure ample quantities of all service items and collateral, notifying ownership of any perceived deficiencies before critical need
• Maintain employee files to HR standards
• Ensure compliance with all federal and local labor laws
• Ensure all duties are completed daily by all staff members to ensure smooth, consistent operations
• Perform accurate and timely payroll to include staff commissions and incentives
• Performance Management – educate and coach team (spirits education, service, sales techniques, performance expectations, team building, professionalism, etc)
• Perform performance reviews with ownership
• Responsible for all FOH budgets and goals for Weldon Mills Durham location.

Outreach

• Develop and maintain relationships with local lodging, restaurants, bars, transportation companies and other partners to build traffic.
• Attend hospitality parties at other venues as appropriate and with approval from ownership
• Act as an ambassador and evangelist for Weldon Mills while interacting in the community

Supervisory Responsibilities: Direct Reports: All FOH employees
Job Requirements:
Education/Experience:

College degree preferred with 4 years in a restaurant/bar management or retail management. Exceptional cocktail skills are a plus.
Skills:
Excellent written and verbal communication, polished presentation skills, comfortable speaking in front of large and small audiences. Attention to detail with meticulous follow through. Dedicated to providing exceptional customer service. Independently motivated to recognize and resolve issues as they arise. Exhibit significant motivation and ability to learn, contribute and explore new ways of exceeding expectations. Ability to stay focused and productive while multitasking in an active environment. Possess an aptitude and demonstrated understanding of customer needs and the positive resolution of any issues.
Physical:
Ability and desire to work with a dynamic and changing schedule which may include evenings, weekends and holidays as needed.
Other:
Intermediate to general proficiency with MS Word, Excel, and Outlook. Must be at least 21 years of age and possess a valid driver’s license.
Other Desired Job Qualifications:
Spoken fluency in a language in addition to English is an added plus. Deep understanding of Toast POS.

The above information is representative of the work performed in this position, however it is not all-inclusive. The omission of a specific duty or responsibility does not exclude it from the position if the work is similar or related to the essential duties and responsibilities.

Job Type: Full-time

Pay: $65,000.00 - $85,000.00 per year

Benefits:

• Health insurance

People with a criminal record are encouraged to apply

Application Question(s):

• Do you have management experience in F&B?

Shift availability:

• Night Shift (Preferred)
• Day Shift (Preferred)

Work Location: In person

Salary : $65,000 - $85,000