Key Responsibilities and Required Skills for Restaurant Assistant General Manager

🎯 Role Definition

The Assistant General Manager (AGM) supports the General Manager by overseeing daily front-of-house and back-of-house operations, enforcing quality and safety standards, optimizing operational efficiencies, and leading a high-performing team to deliver exceptional guest experiences. This role requires a hands-on leader with strong operational acumen, proven experience managing labor and inventory, and the ability to drive sales, profitability, and continuous improvement across all restaurant functions.

📈 Career Progression

Typical Career Path

Entry Point From:

Shift Supervisor / Shift Lead with progressive responsibility and scheduling experience
Assistant Manager / Floor Manager with experience in guest service and team development
Lead Server, Head Bartender, or Kitchen Supervisor who has proven leadership aptitude

Advancement To:

Restaurant General Manager (GM)
Multi-Unit Manager / Area Manager
Director of Operations or Regional Operations Director

Lateral Moves:

Training & Development Manager (Operations Training Lead)
Catering or Events Manager
Procurement / Purchasing Coordinator for Food & Beverage

Core Responsibilities

Primary Functions

Lead daily restaurant operations, ensuring consistent delivery of brand standards, service excellence, product quality, and a safe, clean environment for guests and employees.
Manage labor scheduling and deployment to balance service levels with labor cost targets; forecast staffing needs and adjust in real time during peak and slow periods.
Support P&L ownership by monitoring sales performance, controlling food, beverage, and labor costs, and implementing strategies to improve profitability and optimize margins.
Oversee inventory control and ordering processes, conduct regular cycle counts, reconcile variances, manage vendor relationships, and ensure accurate receiving and storage procedures.
Coach, develop, and mentor front-line managers and hourly staff through structured feedback, one-on-one coaching, performance reviews, and career pathing to increase retention and productivity.
Drive daily pre-shift and post-shift operational checklists, quality audits, and compliance inspections to ensure consistency in food safety, sanitation, and regulatory requirements (e.g., ServSafe, local health codes).
Handle guest recovery and high-level complaint resolution with empathy and speed, turning negative experiences into loyalty while capturing learnings to prevent recurrence.
Execute and optimize local marketing initiatives, upsell campaigns, and promotional programs in partnership with corporate marketing to grow traffic and average check.
Train staff on POS systems (e.g., Toast, Square, Micros), menu knowledge, suggestive selling, cash handling, and opening/closing procedures to maintain operational integrity.
Implement and enforce cash control procedures, bank deposits, nightly cash reconciliation, and shrink prevention best practices to minimize loss.
Analyze sales reports, labor reports, and KPI dashboards daily; prepare manager summaries and take corrective action to meet top-line and operational targets.
Support GM in recruiting, interviewing, and onboarding new team members, ensuring fast ramp-up and cultural alignment with brand values and service standards.
Coordinate food preparation and back-of-house workflows during service to maintain consistent product quality while maximizing throughput and minimizing waste.
Lead and participate in regular staff meetings and communication briefings to align team objectives, safety bulletins, and service priorities.
Ensure adherence to alcohol service policies, training and monitoring for responsible beverage service, and compliance with local liquor regulations.
Drive operational projects and improvements, including remodeling, new equipment onboarding, technology rollouts, and cost-savings initiatives to support growth and efficiency.
Manage vendor relationships and service contracts (linen, waste management, POS support) while negotiating rates and monitoring service-level agreements.
Maintain a visible leadership presence on the dining floor and in the kitchen during peak hours to mentor staff and ensure speedy, guest-focused operations.
Enforce scheduling practices and timekeeping accuracy, review timesheets, approve payroll, and identify overtime drivers and corrective actions.
Partner with the GM on budget preparation and monthly financial reviews; propose action plans to improve underperforming areas and celebrate successes when targets are met.
Administer health, safety and emergency protocols, conduct incident investigations, and maintain documentation to protect guests and team members.
Support multi-unit operations when needed — stepping into adjacent units for coverage, multi-unit training, or cross-unit project execution.
Monitor stock levels of A/P and back-of-house supplies, initiate timely procurement to avoid stockouts, and manage par levels aligned with demand forecasting.
Cultivate a culture of continuous improvement by collecting staff feedback, leading root-cause analyses for service failures, and implementing process improvements with measurable outcomes.

Secondary Functions

Participate in local community outreach initiatives and represent the restaurant at neighborhood events to strengthen brand presence and drive local traffic.
Assist the General Manager and corporate teams with ad-hoc reporting requests, promotional performance summaries, and operational assessments.
Support cross-functional teams in pilot programs for new menu items, technology integrations, or service models; provide field feedback and ROI estimations.
Contribute to training materials, standard operating procedures (SOPs), and checklists that document best practices and operational standards for multi-unit consistency.
Coordinate internal scheduling for training sessions, third-party food safety certification renewals, and supervisory development workshops.
Maintain digital presence basics by ensuring local listings, hours, and service options (delivery, catering) are accurate on major platforms and responsive to guest reviews when delegated.
Facilitate onboarding of temporary or seasonal staff to ensure coverage during holidays, special events, and peak periods without degrading service standards.

Required Skills & Competencies

Hard Skills (Technical)

P&L management and financial literacy: ability to read income statements, control margins, and forecast sales versus costs.
Labor cost optimization, scheduling software proficiency, and workforce planning to meet service demand while controlling expenses.
Inventory management, vendor ordering, receiving processes, and loss prevention techniques.
Strong knowledge of POS systems and back-office reporting (Toast, Micros, Aloha, Square) and ability to troubleshoot common transaction and reporting issues.
Food safety and sanitation certification knowledge (ServSafe, HACCP) and experience executing health department requirements and corrective action plans.
Cash handling, nightly reconciliation, deposit procedures, and internal controls to prevent fraud and shrink.
Operational analytics: experience using daily sales reports, labor reports, and KPI dashboards to drive decisions (average check, covers, table turn, food cost %).
Scheduling and timekeeping systems (HotSchedules, Sling, Deputy) and payroll review processes.
Vendor contract negotiation, basic procurement, and supply chain coordination for perishable and non-perishable items.
Microsoft Excel and Google Sheets competence: ability to build simple forecasts, cost models, and pivot reporting for managerial review.
Basic marketing execution skills: local promotion setup, partnership coordination, and measurement of campaign lift.
Health & safety incident reporting and risk management, including emergency preparedness and OSHA basics.

Soft Skills

Strong leadership and people development capabilities: coaching, mentoring, and building motivated teams.
Exceptional guest-facing communication and conflict-resolution skills; calm under pressure with a guest-first mindset.
Problem solving and critical thinking: diagnosing operational bottlenecks and implementing timely corrective actions.
Time management and prioritization across competing operational demands.
Emotional intelligence and cultural sensitivity to build inclusive teams and manage diverse personalities.
Adaptability and resilience in fast-paced, high-volume environments.
Attention to detail and consistency in executing SOPs and quality checks.
Collaboration and cross-functional communication with corporate partners, vendors, and peers.
Coaching-oriented performance management, including delivering constructive feedback and disciplined follow-up.
Initiative and ownership mindset: proactively identifying improvement areas and driving solutions.

Education & Experience

Educational Background

Minimum Education:

High school diploma or GED; required.

Preferred Education:

Associate or Bachelor’s degree in Hospitality Management, Business Administration, Culinary Arts, or a related field preferred but not required.

Relevant Fields of Study:

Hospitality Management
Business Administration
Culinary Arts
Food & Beverage Management

Experience Requirements

Typical Experience Range:

2–5 years of progressive restaurant management experience with demonstrated responsibility for scheduling, inventory, and basic P&L oversight.

Preferred:

3–7 years in a multi-unit or high-volume full-service or fast-casual restaurant environment, including experience supervising managers, controlling costs, and executing growth initiatives.
Prior experience with brand-standard SOPs, team development programs, and technology platforms common to the restaurant industry.