Restaurant General Manager Job Description

A restaurant general manager job description should explain who owns the restaurant's results, which decisions the GM can make and how the role is measured. Adapt the template to your full-service concept, volume, team and reporting structure rather than relying on the title alone.

What a restaurant general manager does

The GM translates ownership's priorities into an operating plan and leads the managers who deliver it. The role brings together financial performance, team development, guest experience and coordination across the whole operation rather than a single department.

Who the GM reports to

An independent restaurant may have its GM report to the owner. A restaurant group may use a regional operations leader or director of operations. State who approves budgets, hiring and spending and which decisions belong to the GM.

Core duties

• Own the restaurant's P&L and operating budget
• Control labor and food cost with kitchen and service leaders
• Hire, train and develop managers and the team
• Maintain guest experience and handle escalated service concerns
• Coordinate food safety, workplace safety and regulatory compliance
• Build schedules that match sales patterns and service needs

Skills and experience to look for

Look for full-service operating experience at comparable volume, budget ownership and evidence of developing managers. Ask candidates to explain their food and labor cost decisions, service recovery and team retention. Specify any beverage, events or multi-unit experience the actual job requires.

KPIs to put in the job description

• Sales against the approved plan
• Food cost, labor cost and prime cost
• Operating profit and budget variance
• Guest feedback and service recovery
• Manager and team retention
• Training completion and compliance results

Use measures the GM can influence and explain how they are calculated. Set targets from the operation's approved plan rather than treating a template as a universal benchmark.

Restaurant GM vs. assistant GM vs. kitchen manager

The GM owns the whole unit's results. An assistant GM supports daily service and shift leadership and may own specific cost or training responsibilities. A kitchen manager focuses on back-of-house execution, food safety, ordering and kitchen labor. Titles vary, so define the division of responsibility.

Job description template

Position: Restaurant General Manager
Reports to: [Owner or regional operations leader]
Location: [Operation and market]
Scope: [Concept, volume, team and operating authority]

Purpose
Lead the operation's managers, financial performance and guest experience in line with ownership expectations.

Responsibilities
Own the restaurant's P&L and operating budget
Control labor and food cost with kitchen and service leaders
Hire, train and develop managers and the team
Maintain guest experience and handle escalated service concerns
Coordinate food safety, workplace safety and regulatory compliance
Build schedules that match sales patterns and service needs

Experience
Comparable operating scope, budget ownership, manager development and clear reporting. Specify any property, concept or brand experience the operation requires.

Measures of success
[Approved revenue, cost, profit, guest-experience and retention measures]

Compensation
[Approved base range, bonus, benefits and relocation terms]

Application
[Contact, required materials and confidential application process]

Restaurant general manager salary

Payscale's July 2026 restaurant GM data reports average base pay of $59,574, a $43,000–$80,000 base range and annual bonuses of $1,000–$12,000. Compare your concept, volume and market before setting an offer; our restaurant general manager salary guide explains the source and figures.

How to hire a restaurant general manager

Agree on the role scope, reporting line and compensation before interviewing. Use operating results and examples to assess candidates, not just their previous title. Read how to hire a restaurant manager, or speak with our restaurant general manager recruiters about a direct-hire search.