General Manager – Executive Restaurant Leadership Role in Knoxville, TN with Profit Share
Parlor Doughnuts Knoxville, TN / Farragut, TN
Parlor Doughnuts Knoxville is seeking a General Manager to lead high-volume restaurant operations in the Knoxville, TN market.
This is not a traditional restaurant manager role, and we are not looking for someone who simply wants to supervise shifts. We are recruiting a high-performance hospitality leader who wants ownership, accountability, and long-term growth.
If you are currently a General Manager, Operations Manager, Director of Operations, or high-level QSR or hospitality leader and are ready for a role with greater responsibility and upside, this opportunity is built for you.
About the Role
The General Manager will have full operational oversight and strong financial accountability for our Knoxville, TNrestaurant operations, with the opportunity to grow into multi-unit leadership as we continue expanding in the Knoxville market.
We are actively planning additional locations in the region and are looking for a long-term operator who wants to help build something meaningful, scalable, and financially strong.
This leader must be hands-on, disciplined, accountable, performance-driven, and highly capable of leading from the floor.
We are looking for someone who can:
- Drive operational excellence across all areas of the business
- Lead and manage all restaurant operations, including food preparation, service execution, and staff supervision
- Build, coach, and retain strong teams
- Protect food safety, product quality, and brand standards
- Execute systems consistently and with urgency
- Manage labor, scheduling, and cost controls
- Lead from the front during peak hours
- Hold team members and managers accountable
- Deliver an exceptional guest experience while maintaining speed, quality, and hospitality
This is a leadership-from-the-floor role. You will not be sitting in an office all day. You will be expected to step in wherever needed to set the standard by example — whether that means frying doughnuts, working barista shifts, running the kitchen line, helping with prep, washing dishes, supporting the register, or assisting with cleaning and organization.
Not all the time, but enough to lead with credibility. As the General Manager, you set the tone.
Operational Scope
This role includes responsibility for:
- Full restaurant operations oversight
- P&L accountability
- EBITDA-focused decision making
- Profitability improvement
- Labor management and scheduling strategy
- Shift scheduling, floor coverage, and team deployment
- Food cost, waste, inventory control, and stock management
- Ordering processes and vendor coordination
- Kitchen management and food handling oversight
- Food safety, sanitation, and quality assurance
- Catering growth and community sales initiatives
- Revenue-driving strategies and local store marketing
- Guest satisfaction and service recovery
- Hiring, interviewing, onboarding, and training
- Leadership development and succession planning
- Staff coaching, performance management, and team accountability
- Health department readiness and operational compliance
- ServSafe, food safety, and HACCP-minded standards
- Cash handling, balancing drawers, POS oversight, and financial accuracy
- Daily, weekly, and monthly reporting on store performance
Training & Team Development
A key part of this role is building a high-performing team. The General Manager will be expected to implement and oversee training programs focused on:
- Food service management
- Customer service excellence
- POS system operation
- Food safety and sanitation standards
- Shift execution and accountability
- Team leadership and professional development
You will also be responsible for monitoring performance, giving real-time coaching, and creating a culture of discipline, urgency, hospitality, and teamwork.
Compensation Structure
We offer a competitive salary based on experience along with a very aggressive bonus and profit share structure tied directly to store profitability and performance.
This is a high-upside compensation model for leaders who know how to drive real results.
If you can increase revenue, improve operations, control labor, reduce waste, develop strong teams, and grow profitability, you will be rewarded accordingly.
Qualifications
- Minimum 3+ years of restaurant management or hospitality leadership experience required
- 5+ years preferred for stronger candidates
- Proven management experience in the food industry, ideally in quick service, fast casual, café, bakery, coffee, hotel food & beverage, or casual dining environments
- Experience with catering, banquet, or high-volume guest service operations is a plus
- Strong understanding of P&L statements, labor management, budgeting, and cost controls
- Experience with inventory control, ordering, waste reduction, and food production processes
- Strong background in staff supervision, training, development, and operational execution
- Knowledge of food preparation techniques, cooking methods, kitchen systems, and food handling best practices
- Experience with restaurant POS systems is preferred; familiarity with Aloha POS, Micros POS, Toast, or similar systems is a plus
- Familiarity with barista, café, or coffee shop operations is highly valued
- Excellent customer service skills with the ability to handle guest concerns professionally and efficiently
- Proven ability to lead teams, build culture, and maintain accountability
- Open and flexible availability, including weekends
- Reliable personal vehicle required
- Willingness to work 45–55 hours per week as business demands
- Ability to perform in a high-paced, high-pressure environment
- Comfortable being both strategic and hands-on in day-to-day operations
Ideal Backgrounds
We strongly encourage candidates with backgrounds such as:
- Restaurant General Manager
- Chick-fil-A Director
- QSR Operations Leader
- Hilton or Marriott Food & Beverage Leader
- Hospitality Operations Manager
- Multi-Unit Supervisor
- Executive Kitchen or Café Leader
- High-Volume Bakery or Coffee Shop Manager
- Assistant General Manager ready to step into a larger role
Growth Vision
We are expanding in Knoxville, TN, and we need a leader who can help take us there.
This role has a clear path toward future advancement, including:
- Multi-Unit Manager
- Area Director
- Market Leader
- Director of Operations
We are building a leadership bench for continued expansion and want someone who is excited to grow with us long term.
Why This Role Stands Out
This is a rare opportunity in the Knoxville, TN restaurant and hospitality job market for a disciplined, high-performing operator who wants executive-level responsibility with profit participation.
This role is ideal for someone searching for:
- General Manager jobs in Knoxville, TN
- Restaurant General Manager jobs
- Hospitality leadership jobs
- Executive restaurant leadership roles
- QSR General Manager jobs
- General Manager jobs with bonus
- General Manager jobs with profit share
- Multi-unit growth opportunities in hospitality
We are committed to paying strong team members fairly for the value they bring while fostering an inclusive, high-accountability environment where passion for hospitality, leadership, and operational excellence can thrive.
Apply Today
If you are a serious hospitality professional who leads from the front, understands the numbers, builds strong teams, and wants the chance to grow into a larger leadership role, we want to hear from you.
Parlor Doughnuts is building the next generation of hospitality leadership in Knoxville, TN.
Serious, high-performance candidates only.
Pay: $45,000.00 - $55,000.00 per year
Benefits:
- Flexible schedule
- Paid time off
- Paid training
Experience:
- Management: 3 years (Required)
- Customer Service: 5 years (Required)
- Profit & loss: 1 year (Required)
- Labor Management: 3 years (Required)
Language:
License/Certification:
- Drivers License (Required)
- ServSafe Certification (Required)
Shift availability:
- Day Shift (Required)
- Night Shift (Required)
Ability to Commute:
- Farragut, TN 37934 (Required)
Work Location: In person
