Training General Manager – New Store Openings (Bagel Chef)

PopUp Bagels — Studio City, CA

Home training store: 12184 Ventura Boulevard, Studio City, CA 91604 Reports to: District Manager Position type: Full-time, on-site, salaried Compensation range: $90,000–$110,000 per year, inclusive of performance-based bonus opportunity Travel: Regular travel to Brentwood and future Southern California locations, with increased travel before, during, and after new-store openings

The compensation range represents potential total annual cash compensation, including base salary and performance-based bonus. Bonus compensation is based on achievement of defined operational, financial, team-development, General Manager training, and new-store-opening objectives.

Build the Next Generation of PopUp General Managers

At PopUp Bagels, our General Managers are called Bagel Chefs. We are looking for an accomplished restaurant operator and exceptional trainer to lead our Studio City shop while building the pipeline of General Managers who will open and lead future PopUp locations.

The central mandate of this position is to:

Make Studio City a high-performing General Manager training store.
Train, evaluate, and help certify General Managers for future locations.
Lead the training component of new-store openings.
Develop repeatable training systems that allow PopUp to grow without sacrificing its culture, product, hospitality, or operating standards.
Build a Studio City leadership bench capable of maintaining strong shop performance while the Training General Manager supports an opening.

During normal operating periods, this leader will be based primarily in Studio City and will own the shop’s performance. During new-store opening cycles, the position will shift significant attention to preparing the incoming General Manager and leadership team, executing opening training, and stabilizing the new operation.

The District Manager will retain direct oversight of each store’s General Manager. This position will serve as the market’s lead operator, trainer, assessor, and new-store-opening resource, with the opportunity to progress into broader multi-unit leadership as PopUp grows.

About PopUp Bagels

PopUp Bagels is not just a bagel company, we’re a cultural movement. Our shops are small, our energy is contagious, and our standards are high. From our signature neon and iconic bullhorns to Grip, Rip and Dip®, we have reimagined not only how a bagel is made, but how it is enjoyed.

We keep things simple, but we do them really, really well.

What You’ll OwnTrain and Certify Future General Managers

Own the in-store training experience for newly hired and internally promoted General Managers.
Build structured training plans covering every stage of General Manager development, from initial onboarding through placement and post-opening stabilization.
Train future Bagel Chefs in:
PopUp recipes, production methods, station execution, and product-quality standards.
Guest experience, hospitality, speed of service, and brand standards.
Scheduling, labor deployment, payroll controls, and staffing strategy.
Inventory, ordering, food cost, waste, cash controls, and store-level profitability.
Recruiting, interviewing, onboarding, performance management, and employee relations.
Food safety, sanitation, workplace safety, and required documentation.
POS, scheduling, digital-ordering, delivery, and other operating systems.
Leadership communication, delegation, accountability, conflict resolution, and team development.
Establish measurable learning objectives and readiness standards for each stage of training.
Conduct station certifications, knowledge checks, operating assessments, leadership observations, and practice-management shifts.
Provide clear written and verbal feedback following each stage of training.
Create individual development plans for trainees who are not yet ready for placement.
Maintain accurate records of completed training, certifications, development needs, and placement recommendations.
Provide the District Manager and executive leadership with objective assessments of each General Manager candidate’s readiness.
Ensure General Managers are certified based on demonstrated ability—not simply time spent in training.

Lead Training for New-Store Openings

Serve as the operational training leader for future PopUp openings in Southern California.
Partner with the District Manager, HR, and operations leadership to establish the opening training plan, calendar, staffing needs, and leadership responsibilities.
Begin preparing the incoming General Manager well before the store opens.
Help the incoming General Manager recruit, select, onboard, and organize the opening team.
Identify and prepare qualified hourly trainers, shift leaders, and managers to support each opening.
Lead train-the-trainer sessions so every opening trainer teaches the same recipes, behaviors, and operating standards.
Coordinate station training, leadership training, systems training, food-safety instruction, practice shifts, mock services, and opening-readiness evaluations.
Verify that the new General Manager can independently lead scheduling, deployment, ordering, inventory, cash controls, shift execution, employee relations, and daily financial management.
Identify readiness gaps early and develop corrective training before opening day.
Maintain training schedules, attendance records, certifications, readiness checklists, and opening progress reports.
Lead hands-on coaching during opening week while allowing the new General Manager to establish ownership and authority.
Provide structured follow-up and coaching during the new General Manager’s first 30, 60, and 90 days.
Complete a formal handoff to the District Manager identifying the manager’s strengths, development needs, operating risks, and recommended follow-up actions.
Capture lessons from each opening and improve the training process before the next location launches.

Own Studio City’s Business Performance

Maintain full accountability for Studio City’s day-to-day operations and four-wall P&L.
Drive sales, profitability, labor efficiency, food cost, waste reduction, and controllable expenses.
Review daily and weekly performance information and implement corrective action plans.
Build staffing plans and schedules that support business demand, training needs, service standards, and labor targets.
Maintain disciplined inventory, ordering, receiving, cash-handling, payroll, maintenance, and administrative practices.
Ensure consistent execution of recipes, portions, product quality, speed, cleanliness, and hospitality.
Oversee POS, scheduling, digital-ordering, delivery, and other shop systems.
Remain visible during peak periods while maintaining appropriate focus on leadership, coaching, and business management.

Build the Studio City Leadership Bench

Recruit, interview, select, onboard, coach, evaluate, and retain high-performing team members and managers.
Lead and develop the Bagel Sous, shift leaders, certified trainers, and hourly team.
Create a culture of accountability, urgency, respect, hospitality, and continuous improvement.
Conduct regular one-on-one meetings, performance reviews, development planning, and coaching conversations.
Address performance and employee-relations matters promptly in partnership with the District Manager and HR.
Develop leaders who can run excellent shifts without constant escalation.
Maintain a ready-now succession plan for key shop leadership positions.

Protect the Guest Experience and PopUp Standards

Serve as the face of hospitality for Studio City and build relationships with guests and the surrounding community.
Resolve guest concerns professionally and convert feedback into operating improvements.
Maintain readiness for health inspections, food-safety reviews, and internal operational audits.
Ensure compliance with applicable food-safety, wage-and-hour, workplace conduct, and company requirements.
Maintain accurate operational, training, safety, and employee-relations documentation.
Lead product launches, promotions, and operational initiatives with consistency and strong follow-through.

How Success Will Be Measured

Success in this position will be measured first by the strength of the General Managers and stores developed through the training program, including:

General Manager trainees completing defined training and certification requirements.
Trainees demonstrating independent leadership and operational readiness before placement.
New General Managers meeting agreed 30-, 60-, and 90-day performance milestones.
New stores opening with trained teams, clear leadership, complete certifications, and strong operating routines.
New stores achieving stable staffing, food quality, hospitality, food-safety, labor, and food-cost performance.
Quality and completeness of training plans, assessments, readiness reports, and District Manager handoffs.
Number of Studio City leaders developed into certified trainers or promotion-ready managers.
Ability of Studio City to maintain standards while the Training General Manager supports an opening.
Studio City sales, profitability, labor, food cost, waste, and controllable expenses against approved targets.
Product quality, order accuracy, speed, cleanliness, food safety, guest feedback, and team retention.

Required Qualifications

Five or more years of progressive restaurant leadership experience.
At least two years as a General Manager with full store and P&L accountability.
Demonstrated success training, evaluating, and developing restaurant managers.
Experience supporting at least one new restaurant opening, major operational launch, or comparable team buildout.
Proven ability to turn operating standards into practical, repeatable training.
Experience managing sales, labor, food cost, inventory, waste, staffing, and controllable expenses.
Experience leading both front-of-house and back-of-house operations.
Strong facilitation, coaching, written communication, organization, and follow-through.
Ability to deliver direct feedback and make objective manager-readiness recommendations.
Ability to work early mornings, weekends, holidays, and peak periods based on business needs.
Ability to travel reliably between Southern California locations and provide extended support during opening periods.
Active ServSafe Manager or equivalent food-protection certification, or the ability to obtain it within 30 days of hire.

Preferred Qualifications

Experience operating a certified restaurant training location.
Experience training or certifying General Managers for new-store placement.
Experience leading opening-training teams, train-the-trainer programs, mock services, or post-opening stabilization.
Experience supporting multiple restaurants or coaching managers across several locations.
Experience in a high-volume fast-casual, QSR, bakery-café, or scratch-kitchen environment.
Experience developing training plans, operating playbooks, readiness evaluations, or certification programs.

Bagel or bakery experience is helpful but not required. We are more interested in operational excellence, teaching ability, business judgment, product pride, and a demonstrated record of building successful restaurant leaders.

The following essential functions may be performed with or without reasonable accommodation:

Stand and walk for extended periods.
Frequently lift and carry up to 25 pounds.
Occasionally lift and carry up to 50 pounds.
Bend, reach, twist, and perform repetitive motions.
Work in a kitchen environment with exposure to heat, cold, noise, and cleaning agents.

What We Offer

Potential total annual cash compensation of $90,000–$110,000, inclusive of performance-based bonus opportunity.
Performance-based bonus tied to defined operational, financial, team-development, General Manager training, and new-store-opening objectives.
Direct responsibility for developing PopUp’s future General Managers.
A central role in launching new Southern California stores.
The opportunity to help build PopUp’s manager-training and opening systems.
A path into broader multi-unit leadership based on sustained results and organizational growth.

The stated compensation range includes potential performance-based bonus compensation. Bonus eligibility and payout are governed by the applicable bonus plan, depend on achievement of established performance objectives, and are not guaranteed.

PopUp Bagels is an equal opportunity employer. We consider qualified applicants without regard to any characteristic protected by applicable law and provide reasonable accommodations throughout the application, interview, and employment process.

Qualified applicants with criminal histories will be considered for employment in a manner consistent with the Los Angeles Fair Chance Initiative for Hiring Ordinance and the California Fair Chance Act.

Pay: $90,000.00 - $110,000.00 per year

Benefits:

Employee discount
Paid time off
Paid training

Application Question(s):

Have you held full responsibility for a restaurant’s sales, labor cost, food cost, inventory, waste, staffing, and store-level profitability?
Have you personally trained, evaluated, or developed a restaurant manager for independent General Manager or store-leader responsibility?
Are you willing and able to travel regularly between Studio City, Brentwood, and future Southern California locations, including extended support during store openings?
Are you available to work early mornings, weekends, holidays, and extended schedules during new-store openings when required?

Experience:

restaurant general management: 2 years (Preferred)
restaurant management: 5 years (Preferred)

Work Location: In person