Food & Beverage, Restaurant, Retail

Head Coach

New York, NYOnsiteFull TimeManager / Head$80,000–$100,000 /yrPosted 1 month agoVisa sponsorship available

Is this role right for you?

Upload your resume and get a skill-by-skill breakdown — see exactly where you match, where you're close, and what to highlight. Not a mystery percentage.

Get a tailored resume highlighting what this role needs.

Required skills

food service management
developing
training
motivating
planning financials
forecasting financials
labor forecasting
inventory forecasting
mentor teams
collaboratively

Nice to have

high-volume restaurants
local products
organic products
sustainable products
digital tools
team communication

Role summary

Sweetgreen is seeking a Head Coach (General Manager) to lead their restaurant team. This role involves inspiring the team, driving operational excellence, and ensuring exceptional guest experiences through data-driven insights. Responsibilities include people and team leadership, maintaining food safety and operational standards, delivering excellent customer experiences, managing financials, and utilizing technology. The ideal candidate has 3+ years in food service with at least 2 years in management, experience in hiring and developing teams, strong financial acumen, and a commitment to operational excellence and hospitality. Experience in fast-casual or retail operations is a plus.

A Healthier Future Starts With You

As a Head Coach (General Manager), you're the leader, strategist, and mentor of your store. You'll inspire your team, drive operational excellence, and deliver exceptional guest experiences using data-driven insights to build healthier communities through real food.

What You’ll Do

Lead your team by balancing people, operations, and business performance. Build an inclusive culture while coaching talent, using technology to optimize operations and drive profitability. Maintain high standards of food quality, safety, and cleanliness while adapting to a dynamic environment.

Essential Functions

People + Team Leadership: Lead the full employee lifecycle while fostering a culture of trust, transparency, and inclusion. Ensure compliance, deliver timely feedback, and develop a strong, diverse talent pipeline.

Food Safety + Operations: Maintain high standards for food safety, cleanliness, and equipment maintenance, resolving facility, supply, and food quality issues while prioritizing team safety.

Customer Experience: Deliver clean, hospitable, and brand-aligned experiences, acting on guest metrics and making data-informed business decisions.

Financial + Business Acumen: Drive sales and profit by analyzing reports, managing costs, executing strategic plans, and creating effective schedules aligned with business goals.

Systems, Process + Technology: Operate and support all systems, troubleshoot issues, and prioritize daily operations to ensure smooth business and guest experiences.

Execute Head Coach Career Path Duties: Perform all essential functions outlined in the Assistant Coach role, including those from the Shift Leader, Kitchen Lead, and Team Member roles.

What Makes You Stand Out

Experience in high-volume, fast-paced restaurants.

Hands-on experience with local, organic, and sustainable products

ServSafe Manager or Regional Manager Food Safety Certification

Tech-savvy and comfortable using digital tools for operations, reporting, and team communication

Strong financial acumen: managing budgets, labor, and P&L effectively

Proven experience hiring, coaching, and developing high-performing teams

Exceptional adaptability and problem-solving in fast-paced, dynamic environments

Data-driven mindset with curiosity to identify and implement operational improvements

Commitment to operational excellence, hospitality, and team engagement

Experience in fast-casual or retail operations is a plus

Minimum Requirements

Meet all physical requirements of all roles within the career path of the Head Coach including Assistant Coach role, Shift Leader, Kitchen Lead, and Team Member.

3+ years in food service, with at least 2 years in hands-on management

Experience hiring, developing, training, and motivating team members

Skilled in planning, managing, and forecasting financials, labor, and inventory

Hands-on experience managing and optimizing processes in a fast-paced environment

Proven ability to lead and mentor teams collaboratively

What Perks You’ll Get

Competitive base salary + 20% bonus potential

Medical, dental, + vision plans

Paid vacation + wellness time

401(k) program

Paid family leave

Complimentary greens and Sweetgreen swag

Opportunities to impact your team, community, and business

A collaborative team that lives our core values

Clear career path for personal and professional development

Who We Are

Sweetgreen is a national restaurant brand dedicated to building healthier communities by connecting people to real food. Since 2007, Sweetgreen has reimagined fast food to be fresh, flavorful, and rooted in relationships with farmers and communities. As we grow, we are committed to developing our people in our restaurants and at our support center, so that everyone can be part of the movement. When you join Sweetgreen, you not only invest in your own future but help create spaces where food, people, and purpose come together.

Salary range for this role:Starting salary range based on experience$80,000—$100,000 USD

Ready to apply?

You'll be redirected to sweetgreen's application page.