BAR MANAGER

General/Bar Manager

Location:

200 S. Wacker Drive – Downtown Chicago

Schedule:

Monday–Friday | Operating Hours 11:00 AM – 8:00 PM | No Weekends or Late Nights

Salary: $70,000 Annually + Quarterly Bonus Potential

Bonus Potential: 5% of their salary broken into 4 quarters. The following measurables will be reviewed at the end of every quarter to determine payment. (25% for each category).

• Sales vs budget
• COGS vs. budget (1% or lower)
• Labor vs. budget (1% or lower)
• Staff retention – Turnover rate below 25%.

As a Food for Thought General Manager, you are the driving force behind the overall success of the food and beverage operations. You are an experienced, energetic, and hospitality-driven General Bar Manager to oversee all food and beverage operations for our downtown café/bar concept featuring curated cocktails, wine, beer, and elevated light bar fare. This role is ideal for a hands-on leader who thrives in a polished, fast-paced hospitality environment while maintaining exceptional guest service, operational excellence, and team development.

As the General Bar Manager, you will lead both Front of House and Back of House operations, oversee beverage programming, manage daily café/bar service, and partner closely with culinary leadership to execute food and beverage initiatives. You will also drive sales through creative beverage specials, seasonal offerings, and guest engagement while ensuring profitability, staff retention, and exceptional client satisfaction.

You will partner closely with the Regional Manager and the culinary staff to ensure 100% execution and compliance of all new food and beverage menu initiatives and promotional rollouts from the Chef's Committee geared to your specific location, while actively monitoring financial performance including expenses, sales growth, and profit margins. You will also be expected to initiate beverage specials based on your bar experience.

In collaboration with the Divisional Catering Manager, you will ensure seamless daily catering operations and flawless event execution, maintaining complete client and guest satisfaction.

You will stay ahead of industry trends, bringing fresh ideas and creative inspiration to the location by leveraging social media, beverage innovation, and industry resources to keep the concept relevant and competitive.

As a hands-on leader, you will oversee both Front of House and Back of House teams, fostering a culture centered on accountability, engagement, and service excellence. You will prioritize employee retention by developing clear career paths, structured training programs, and defined growth timelines for your team.

• Oversee all daily café and bar operations during hours of service
• Lead, coach, schedule, and develop bartenders, servers, and support staff
• Foster a culture focused on accountability, hospitality, engagement, and teamwork
• Develop employee career paths, training schedules, and growth timelines
• Ensure high standards for guest service, beverage quality, food presentation, and cleanliness
• Measure customer satisfaction and resolve concerns promptly and professionally

• Create and implement beverage specials and seasonal cocktail features
• Collaborate with culinary leadership to execute all menu rollouts and promotional initiatives
• Maintain consistency and quality of light food offerings and bar fare
• Stay current on hospitality, beverage, and food trends through social media and industry resources

• Manage inventory, ordering, vendor relationships, and cost controls
• Monitor Food, Labor, and Direct Costs against budgets and forecasts
• Maintain all SOPs, HACCP standards, and regulatory compliance
• Ensure compliance with all health department, liquor, and food safety regulations

• Partner with Catering and Conference Center teams to ensure flawless event execution
• Act as liaison with clients to ensure expectations and service standards are consistently met
• Coordinate happy hours, corporate gatherings, and downtown hospitality events

Our concept focuses on elevated small plates and…