General Manager

About Us

At Caribou Coffee we create day‑making experiences that spark a chain reaction of GOOD! Our team brings this to life by focusing on what’s really important here – TEAM, GUEST, BUSINESS! It’s that simple. If you’re ready to work somewhere you can be yourself while making an impact on your community, creating life‑long relationships, and serving the best coffee around, join our herd! Be part of the ‘Bou Crew.

Position Overview

As a General Manager, you are responsible for the financial performance of the store. You will continuously encourage strong team engagement and a healthy culture by ensuring that clear roles and responsibilities are understood. You will do this by setting appropriate expectations, holding team members accountable, and, as a team, delivering a great overall guest experience.

Core Responsibilities

TEAM

• Ensure the store is fully staffed for upcoming shifts, keeping all store schedules up to date and written in a timely and effective manner; deliberate regarding staffing decisions, including bench planning and development.
• Develop creative team member engagement strategies and foster a culture of continuous internal growth and development.
• Build and maintain a high‑performing team through goal and standard setting, accountability, inspiration, and consistency using Caribou tools and resources.
• Execute and complete all role‑based training programs, promotional window training, and other onboarding and training initiatives.
• Provide ongoing coaching, feedback, and recognition to support team development and enhance performance.
• Model and uphold company policies, practices, and standards, ensuring a safe and supportive environment for team members and guests.
• Use assigned Caribou systems and tools appropriately and on time.

GUEST (& Quality)

• Lead by example to inspire and empower the team to deliver outstanding guest experiences by fostering a culture of excellence, continuous improvement, and fun.
• Facilitate the timely resolution of employee/customer relations, supply chain management, and asset management issues.
• Drive strategies to consistently improve guest satisfaction, speed of service, and loyalty through actionable insights and results‑driven initiatives.

BUSINESS

• Take ownership and lead with passion and vision to drive store performance, inspiring the team to drive sales, profitability, and operational excellence.
• Commit to excellence for regular and adaptable scheduling; follow Caribou GM scheduling standards for inventory management, admin, promotions, holidays, and other essential times.
• Manage supply chain processes and asset management to ensure timely replenishment, accurate stock levels, and efficient resource allocation.
• Utilize financial planning knowledge to manage budgets for the store and company.
• Analyze the operating statement and other financial inputs to identify trends, make appropriate adjustments, and focus on top‑line sales while managing expenses.
• Create energy, enthusiasm, and focus on meeting and exceeding sales goals.
• Support operational excellence by driving in‑store sales initiatives that enhance overall business performance.
• Manage inventory and waste to ensure operational efficiency and minimize loss.
• Maintain rigorous standards in food safety, sanitation, and health protocols.

Skills and Qualifications

• Bring Caribou’s Core Values to life in all that you do: Support One Another, Make Fun Happen, Be Yourself, Take Ownership, Serve with Love.
• Build trust through transparent communication and consistent follow‑through.
• Display resilience and composure, maintaining focus and perspective in dynamic environments.
• Act as a change leader, embracing growth and fostering adaptability in the team.
• Support GM peers through partnership and collaboration.
• Provide and receive feedback with positive intent, demonstrating empathy, professionalism, and a commitment to growth while handling challenging situations and confidential information with care.
• Take ownership of difficult conversations by seeking to understand team members and providing timely resolutions.

Qualifications

Required:

• A minimum of 1‑2 years of restaurant, retail, or guest service management experience or a combination of experience and education.
• Must be 18 years of age or older.
• Have reliable transportation.
• Ability to work full‑time (47 hours per week). The GM role often includes early mornings, evenings, weekends, and holidays.
• Willingness to learn new systems and tools as they are introduced.

Preferred:

• ServSafe certification or ability to obtain a certificate within 90 days of employment.
• Experience with sales building, P&L statements, recruitment, and training.
• Keen aptitude for store systems including Toast, CrunchTime, GoSpotCheck, EcoSure, TeamworX, Medallia, Workday, Beekeeper, etc.
• Valid driver’s license.
• High school diploma or GED equivalent.

Physical Requirements

The physical requirements for this position are bending, reaching, lifting up to 50 pounds, and being able to stand for 4 to 8 hours, or the ability to accomplish the physical requirements with or without reasonable accommodation.

Location

3354 Rice Street, Little Canada, Minnesota 55126

Compensation Range

$20.82 - $39.77 per hour
Starting pay is subject to local and state minimum wage regulations.
Ranges reflect what employer reasonably and in good faith expects to pay for this position.

Additional Information

The duties of this position may change from time to time. Caribou reserves the right to add or delete duties and responsibilities at the discretion of the company or its managers. This job description is intended to describe the general level of work being performed. It is not intended to be all‑inclusive.

Equal Opportunity Statement

Caribou Coffee Operating Company, Inc. and its affiliates are proud to be Equal Opportunity Employers to all applicants for employment and prohibit discrimination and harassment of any type based on any characteristic protected by federal, state, or local laws. We are committed to equal employment opportunity regardless of race, color, ancestry, religion, creed, sex (including gender, pregnancy, sexual orientation, and gender identity), national origin, age, citizenship, marital status, disability, Veteran status, or any other characteristic protected under applicable federal, state, or local law. If you have a disability or special need that requires accommodation, please let us know.

Brand

Caribou Coffee