Assistant Manager at Meritage Hospitality Group in Interlochen, MI

Overview

As a Restaurant Assistant Manager (AM), your responsibility is to support in contributing to a service culture designed to “Delight Every Customer and drive sales. Provide training support for daily operations, to guarantee every shift is set up to deliver the best customer service through effective modeling and coaching, exceeding customer expectations. Be an expert at executing great huddles in our restaurants, which is the Wendy’s way of regularly communicating with our restaurant teams on what’s most important to our customers and how we can exceed their expectations. The AM supports continual improvement of Quality, Service and Cleanliness through training employees and while ensuring food safety and procedures are executed according to Company policies and health/sanitation regulation. The AM supports the achievement of restaurant objectives - sales, earnings and other key operational metrics. Partners with other Restaurant Management to identify specific opportunities for optimizing efficiencies and maximizing scheduling and the sales and profitability of the restaurant.

Essential Responsibilities:

• Train, monitors and reinforce food safety procedures to store management, team trainers and crew employees. Ensure all food safety procedures are executed according to Company policies and health/sanitation regulations. Coaches and retrains managers as required and takes corrective actions as appropriate and with support from the General or District Manager.
• Work with Restaurant Management team to train, develop and communicate with crew members and Team Trainers through team huddles, manager meetings, etc. Supervise crew members and Team Trainers in a way that maximizes retention.
• Create a service culture designed to “Delight Every Customer”. Lead, model and coach exemplary customer service behaviors. Train all employees to focus on exceeding customer expectations through execution of friendliness, courtesy, product quality, cleanliness and service standards.
• Lead and drive the selling culture through customer service (OSAT), sales incentives and initiatives and average ticket growth. Analyze results, coach consistent selling behaviors and create action plans to support sales growth and consistency in service.
• Maximize store sales goals versus annual operating plan, including participation in marketing programs. Evaluate store performance in order to develop and implement an appropriate plan to resolve unfavorable trends and enhance sales. Manage assigned store requirements for new product rollouts/procedures. Ensures protection of Wendy’s brand and assets through store compliance with Company operating policies and procedures.
• Project, Create, Execute effective labor scheduling for the restaurant. Monitor labor variances daily and adjust accordingly. Maintain proper coverage via crew member schedules to ensure the restaurant attains/exceeds all customer service standards. Responsible for meeting labor guidance on a weekly basis.
• Partner with other restaurant managers to set the Daily Operations Plan (DOP) to ensure the team is positioned appropriately to “Delight Every Customer,” and is focused on areas designed to improve the customer experience in the restaurant. Teach, train and develop managers in appropriate DOP execution.
• Analyze and problem solve customer feedback (e.g. Voice of the Customer (VOC) Indexes - OSAT and ZOD) to coach crew members and Restaurant Management team on opportunities, as well as recommend and initiate corrective action, under the guidance and approval of the General Manager, to address issues, as needed. Follow up and ensure resolution of relevant VOC issues.
• Drive and execute the marketing calendar including local restaurant marketing to ensure that every customer views your Wendy’s as their favorite restaurant in the area, so they will come back again and again.
• Ensure huddles are conducted consistently on all day parts and the topics are delivered in a manner that focuses on exceeding the customer’s expectations. Teach/train and develop managers to conduct effective huddles.
• Supervise, train, mentor, develop and communicate with crew members and Restaurant Management team through team huddles, “Talk to Me” (TTM), manager meetings, etc. Supervise crew members and subordinate managers in a manner that maximizes retention. Support and lead Cultural Onboarding and ongoing restaurant communications within the restaurant as needed.
• In conjunction with other restaurant managers, reinforce and follow up on policies and procedures to ensure a safe, efficient and professional environment for customers and other employees.
• Ensure the continual improvement of Quality, Service and Cleanliness standards on all day parts, including monitoring food product quality. Appropriately utilizes the Customer Experience Playbook and puts emphasis on “Delight Every Customer”. Help diagnose service issues and directs subordinate managers and crew in executing Playbook plays to resolve.

Decision Making Authority:

Approve: Analyze customer feedback to ensure daily ops plan and huddles are aligned with this feedback. Communicate feedback to the team and make corrections and adjustments throughout shift to deliver higher quality customer service.

Approve: Investigate and resolve customer complaints within the restaurant

Approve: Manage and approve schedule changes to support the business needs

Approve: Monitor service quality and make adjustment to positioning guidelines as necessary

Approve: Approve actions within guidelines to resolve guest complaints

Recommend: Recommends corrective action related to customer service issues or poor performance of crew or subordinate managers

Additional Duties and AM Education and Experience Qualifications:

• High School Diploma or GED (Preferred)
• Must be at least 18 years of age
• Three years of restaurant management experience (Preferred)
• 1 year of full-time equivalent supervisory experience required
• 1 year or more of full-time equivalent restaurant, retail, customer service focused, or equivalent experience required
• Must maintain ServSafe certification
• Knowledge of federal, state and local employment laws
• Ability to quickly become knowledgeable about and able to train others in Wendy’s systems (i.e., WeLearn, HMS) and on employee development programs
• Ability to multi-task in a fast-paced environment
• Ability to maintain composure and give sound advice and direction.
• Ability to work in a team environment
• Ability to demonstrate a strong customer orientation focus.
• Ability to demonstrate accuracy and attention to detail
• Ability to demonstrate professionalism, composure, and discretion when expediting or resolving all customer related concerns and issues
• Ability to work a flexible 50 working hours work week
• Ability to be available to report to work promptly and regularly, and to work all day parts and days of the week.
• Must have reliable transportation and the ability to drive long distances as needed in order to work in multiple locations and have the ability to travel to other restaurants, Area office, etc., as business needs dictate.
• Other duties as assigned

Working Environment:

Must be able to accomplish all Essential Responsibilities. Ability to work, concentrate and perform duties accurately in a fast-paced environment that may involve noise and hot/cold temperatures or other elements. Must be able to stand for prolonged periods of time. Position requires the use of a headset. Frequent lifting and carrying (up to 25-50 pounds, as necessary), reaching, pushing, pulling, bending, kneeling and stooping is involved.

Skills:

Customer Service (Required)

Customer Service Satisfaction

Time Management

Food Service Operations

Food Services

Leadership

Organization

Point of Sale (POS) Systems

Restaurant Operations

Supervisory Management

Team Building

Written Communication

Oral Communications