Assistant General Manager

Assistant General Manager

Yunnan By Potomac
Location: Arlington, VA (with future opportunities across multiple locations)
Reports To: General Manager / OwnershipAbout Yunnan By Potomac

Yunnan By Potomac is more than a restaurant—we are building a hospitality company centered around extraordinary food, exceptional service, and thoughtful operations.

Our mission is to serve as ambassadors for the cultures and people of Southwest China by introducing guests to contemporary Yunnan cuisine through exceptional hospitality and memorable dining experiences. Our menu celebrates Yunnan's iconic mixian rice noodles alongside innovative small plates, dumplings, bao, barbecue, handcrafted cocktails, and chef-driven seasonal offerings.

We are entering an exciting phase of growth. As we expand into multiple Class A locations throughout the Washington DC region, we are looking for leaders who are excited about building systems—not simply running shifts.

This is an opportunity to join a company early enough to shape its future.

Position Summary

The Assistant General Manager is the operational backbone of the restaurant.

While responsible for delivering exceptional daily execution, this role is fundamentally about creating repeatable systems that allow the business to scale.

The AGM partners closely with ownership and the General Manager to develop operational excellence, build leadership teams, improve profitability, strengthen accountability, and prepare the company for successful multi-unit growth.

This is an ideal role for someone who enjoys building processes, coaching people, solving operational problems, and continuously improving how restaurants operate.

This is not simply a floor manager position.

We are looking for someone who wants to help build an organization.

What Success Looks Like

The successful AGM will:

• Operate one of the highest-performing restaurants in the region
• Create consistency across every guest experience
• Build leaders instead of solving every problem personally
• Develop SOPs that can be duplicated in future restaurants
• Improve systems before they become problems
• Create accountability through coaching rather than micromanagement
• Think like an owner while acting as a servant leader

Core ResponsibilitiesOperations Leadership

Lead all daily restaurant operations while maintaining exceptional standards in:

• Service execution
• Food quality
• Beverage quality
• Hospitality
• Cleanliness
• Organization
• Safety
• Guest satisfaction

Maintain a visible presence on the dining room floor during service while coaching managers and employees in real time.

Ensure every shift reflects Yunnan By Potomac's hospitality standards.

Systems Development

One of the most important responsibilities of this position.

Develop, improve and maintain operational systems including:

• Opening procedures
• Closing procedures
• Shift change procedures
• Side work systems
• Inventory systems
• Ordering systems
• Prep communication
• Labor scheduling
• Cash handling
• Maintenance tracking
• Equipment care
• Service recovery procedures
• Manager checklists
• Training materials
• Performance scorecards

Continuously ask:

"How do we build this once so every future restaurant can execute it?"

Leadership Development

Recruit, train and mentor supervisors and hourly team members.

Develop future leaders through:

• Weekly coaching
• Performance feedback
• Accountability conversations
• Career development
• Cross-training
• Leadership delegation

Build a culture where every employee understands:

• Expectations
• Standards
• Accountability
• Hospitality
• Teamwork
• Continuous improvement

Guest Experience

Protect the guest experience above everything else.

Responsibilities include:

• Handling guest concerns professionally
• Recovering service failures
• Building relationships with regular guests
• Monitoring online reviews
• Coaching hospitality standards
• Creating memorable experiences

The AGM sets the tone for hospitality throughout the restaurant.

Financial Performance

Own restaurant profitability by managing:

Labor

• Scheduling
• Productivity
• Overtime control
• Labor forecasting
• Staffing levels

Cost of Goods

• Waste reduction
• Inventory accuracy
• Portion control
• Vendor management
• Ordering efficiency

Revenue

• Upselling
• Beverage sales
• Guest retention
• Operational efficiency
• Table management

Review weekly financial performance and identify opportunities for improvement.

Inventory & Purchasing

Oversee:

• Weekly inventory
• Product receiving
• Invoice accuracy
• Vendor relationships
• Storage organization
• Product rotation
• Loss prevention

Maintain accurate inventory systems that scale with future locations.

Training & Culture

Create a restaurant where excellence is expected.

Lead:

• New hire onboarding
• Training certification
• Ongoing education
• Menu knowledge
• Beverage knowledge
• Service standards
• Hospitality workshops

Help preserve company culture as the business grows.

Continuous Improvement

Always be looking for better ways to operate.

Examples include:

• Reducing ticket times
• Improving communication
• Simplifying workflows
• Increasing employee retention
• Improving scheduling
• Better forecasting
• More efficient prep systems
• Stronger training programs

The AGM should constantly identify opportunities before ownership has to.

Leadership Expectations

The ideal candidate:

• Leads by example
• Holds high standards
• Remains calm under pressure
• Makes thoughtful decisions quickly
• Coaches instead of criticizes
• Builds trust
• Communicates clearly
• Embraces accountability
• Loves solving operational problems
• Is humble enough to keep learning

Qualifications

Required:

• 3–5+ years of progressive restaurant management experience
• Experience managing high-volume, full-service restaurants
• Strong financial and business acumen
• Experience scheduling labor and managing costs
• Inventory management experience
• Strong leadership and coaching skills
• Excellent organizational abilities
• Ability to multitask in a fast-paced environment
• Professional communication skills
• Availability for evenings, weekends, and holidays

Preferred:

• Multi-unit or growth-stage restaurant experience
• Experience creating SOPs and operational systems
• Fine dining or upscale casual experience
• Wine, beer, or cocktail knowledge
• Experience with Toast POS and restaurant technology
• Experience opening new restaurants
• Mandarin or another Chinese language is a plus, but not required

Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)

Success in this role will be measured through:

Guest Experience

• Guest satisfaction scores
• Online review ratings
• Guest recovery effectiveness
• Repeat guest engagement

Financial

• Labor cost %
• Prime cost
• Food cost variance
• Beverage cost variance
• Sales growth

Operations

• Health inspection readiness
• Inventory accuracy
• SOP compliance
• Ticket times
• Shift execution consistency

People

• Employee retention
• Internal promotions
• Training completion
• Team engagement
• Leadership development

Growth Opportunity

This role is designed for someone who wants to grow with the company.

As Yunnan By Potomac expands into multiple Class A locations, successful leaders will have opportunities to advance into roles such as:

• General Manager
• Opening General Manager
• Multi-Unit Manager
• Director of Operations
• Director of Training
• Regional Operations Leader

We are not simply hiring for today's restaurant—we are building tomorrow's leadership team.

Why Join Yunnan By Potomac?

You'll have the opportunity to help shape a distinctive restaurant brand dedicated to introducing guests to the rich culinary traditions of Southwest China through contemporary Yunnan cuisine and exceptional hospitality. The company is focused on disciplined growth into premier locations while maintaining the quality, culture, and guest experience that define the brand.

If you're energized by creating systems, developing people, and building an organization that can grow successfully across multiple locations, we'd love to meet you.