Ice House @ LSDG General Manager

Job Description: General Manager, The Ice House @ Lone Star Dry Goods

Company: Lone Star Dry Goods (LSDG)

Location: The Ice House @ LSDG — 173 Walnut St, Abilene, TX 79601

Reports To: Owners

Schedule: Must be available nights, weekends, and holidays, including Shiner Saturdays and all ticketed live music events

About The Ice House @ LSDG

The Ice House is the bar and live music venue attached to the flagship Lone Star Dry Goods store in downtown Abilene. It's the social heart of the LSDG brand — a place for cold Shiner, good conversation, and live Texas music that brings the community together and drives foot traffic into the retail store. The General Manager (GM) is the person responsible for making sure that experience runs flawlessly, night after night.

Position Summary

The General Manager owns the day-to-day operation of The Ice House. This is a hands-on leadership role covering staff scheduling and management, food & beverage purchasing and inventory, cost and margin control, guest experience, and the booking and coordination of the live music calendar. The GM is the final word on the floor — responsible for making sure every shift is fully staffed, every keg and case is accounted for, every dollar is tracked, and every guest leaves wanting to come back.

Key Responsibilities

Employee Scheduling & Team Management

• Build and publish weekly staff schedules for bartenders, servers, barbacks, door/security staff, and sound techs, balancing labor costs against projected sales and event calendar demand.
• Recruit, interview, hire, onboard, and train new front-of-house and bar staff.
• Set and enforce performance standards; conduct regular check-ins, coaching, and formal reviews.
• Manage day-to-day HR tasks: approving time-off requests, resolving schedule conflicts, handling call-offs and shift coverage, and administering disciplinary action or termination when necessary.
• Lead pre-shift meetings to align staff on nightly specials, reservations, VIPs, and show details.
• Foster a low-turnover, high-morale team culture through clear expectations, fair scheduling, and recognition of top performers.
• Ensure all staff certifications (TABC/alcohol service, food handler permits, etc.) are current and on file.
• Directly supervise the kitchen team (cooks, prep, dish) alongside the front-of-house staff, including scheduling kitchen shifts around event volume and prep needs.
• Set clear expectations for kitchen staff on ticket times, food quality, portioning, and plating consistency; hold line cooks accountable to recipe specs.
• Train and cross-train kitchen staff on proper food handling, storage, and sanitation procedures, and ensure all kitchen employees hold current food handler certifications.

Kitchen Management, Food Quality & Cleanliness

• Own kitchen operations end-to-end, including staffing, prep schedules, and line management during service to keep ticket times and food quality consistent during both slow nights and packed show nights.
• Set and enforce food quality standards: taste, presentation, portion size, and consistency across every shift and every cook.
• Conduct regular line checks and spot-taste menu items to catch quality issues before they reach the guest.
• Enforce a strict cleaning schedule for the kitchen, bar, and front-of-house areas — daily opening/closing checklists plus deep-cleaning routines (fryers, cooler, ice machine, drains, hood vents, restrooms, patio).
• Maintain compliance with all local health department codes; own the venue's health inspection score and promptly correct any violations.
• Manage pest control, waste disposal, and grease trap servicing vendor relationships.
• Ensure proper food safety practices are followed at all times: safe holding temperatures, labeling/dating, FIFO rotation, and allergen awareness.
• Maintain kitchen equipment (fryers, grills, coolers, dish machine) through regular inspection and prompt repair scheduling to avoid service disruptions.
• Hold staff accountable to personal hygiene and uniform/appearance standards consistent with a clean, professional kitchen and bar.

Food & Beverage Ordering and Inventory

• Own all purchasing relationships with beer, liquor, wine, and food vendors/distributors, including negotiating pricing and delivery terms.
• Place and receive regular orders to maintain optimal stock levels — never running out of core products (starting with Shiner) while avoiding overstock and spoilage.
• Conduct scheduled physical inventory counts (weekly at minimum, nightly bottle/keg counts as needed) and reconcile against POS depletion reports.
• Maintain accurate par levels for all beer, liquor, mixers, garnish, and food items tied to the menu.
• Monitor product quality, rotation (FIFO), and storage conditions (cooler/keg room temps, dry storage, walk-in organization).
• Identify and resolve shrinkage, over-pouring, or theft through regular variance analysis between purchases, counts, and sales.

Cost Controls

• Manage weekly and monthly P&L for the venue: track pour cost, food cost, and labor cost percentages against budgeted targets.
• Set and enforce standard recipes and pour/portion specs to control cost of goods sold and ensure consistency.
• Review and approve all vendor invoices; audit pricing against contracted rates.
• Analyze sales mix and menu profitability; recommend pricing or menu changes to protect margins.
• Control labor cost through disciplined scheduling, minimizing overtime, and cross-training staff for flexible coverage.
• Prepare and present regular financial and operational reports to ownership, including variance explanations and corrective action plans.
• Manage the venue's operating budget for supplies, maintenance, marketing, and entertainment spend.

Exceptional Customer Service & Atmosphere

• Set the tone for a welcoming, high-energy, community-first guest experience that reflects the LSDG brand — genuine Texas hospitality, not corporate polish.
• Be visibly present on the floor during peak shifts and events; personally greet regulars and VIPs.
• Establish and train staff on customer service standards: response times, drink knowledge, conflict resolution, and how to handle over-service situations responsibly.
• Own guest feedback — respond to online reviews (Google, Yelp, social media), resolve complaints in real time, and use feedback to continuously improve.
• Maintain a clean, safe, and well-maintained venue (restrooms, patio, sound system, lighting, signage) that guests want to return to.
• Coordinate with the LSDG retail team so the bar and store experience feel like one seamless brand, encouraging cross-traffic between shopping and drinking hours.

Live Music Booking & Event Management

• Own the live music calendar end-to-end: identify, contact, negotiate with, and book touring and local singer-songwriters and bands consistent with the Texas music / Americana identity of the venue (in the spirit of artists like Bob Schneider).
• Negotiate artist fees, guarantees, and riders within budget; execute performance agreements/contracts.
• Coordinate load-in/load-out, sound checks, hospitality, and day-of logistics with artists, agents, and managers.
• Manage the sound tech and any contracted production staff to ensure quality audio for every show.
• Promote shows in partnership with LSDG's marketing team/social channels — flyers, event pages, email/SMS blasts, and cross-promotion with the retail store.
• Build and maintain relationships with local musicians, booking agents, and the broader Texas music scene to keep a strong pipeline of future talent.

Additional Responsibilities

• Ensure full compliance with TABC regulations, local health and safety codes, fire codes, and noise ordinances.
• Maintain and troubleshoot POS system (Toast); ensure accurate nightly close-outs, cash handling, and deposits.
• Coordinate facility maintenance and repairs with vendors/contractors as needed.
• Act as the primary point of contact for ownership on all Ice House operational matters.
• Perform other duties as assigned by ownership.

Qualifications

Required:

• 3+ years of experience managing a bar, restaurant, or live music venue, including direct P&L responsibility.
• Proven experience with staff scheduling, hiring, and team leadership.
• Working knowledge of beverage/food inventory management and cost control principles (pour cost, food cost, labor percentage).
• Experience overseeing a kitchen, including food safety/sanitation standards and health code compliance.
• TABC certification (or ability to obtain immediately upon hire); food manager certification (e.g., ServSafe) preferred.
• Strong negotiation skills for vendor and artist contracts.
• Comfortable working nights, weekends, and holidays as the core schedule.

Preferred:

• Familiarity with POS and inventory management software.
• Experience in a retail-adjacent or brand-driven hospitality concept.

Physical Requirements

• Ability to stand/walk for extended shifts (6-10+ hours).
• Ability to lift kegs, cases, and supplies up to 50 lbs.
• Ability to work in a loud, high-energy environment for extended periods.
• Competitive pay, commensurate with experience.
• Health insurance.
• Paid time off.
• Performance-based bonus tied to margin targets and event revenue (to be defined by ownership).
• Employee discount at LSDG retail stores.