Assistant Restaurant and Concessions Manager

FM KIRBY CARRIAGE HOUSE RESTAURANT

at PAPER MILL PLAYHOUSE

Job Title: Assistant Restaurant & Concessions Manager

Status: Full-Time | Exempt | Benefits Eligible

Location: On-Site – Paper Mill Playhouse (Millburn, NJ)

Reports to: Restaurant and Concessions Manager

About the Carriage House Restaurant

Paper Mill Playhouse is currently undergoing an $8.5 million, campus-wide renovation that includes significant upgrades to the Carriage House Restaurant - scheduled to reopen as a multi-concept, full-service dining and event venue – as well as multiple theater concessions stands. The Carriage House Restaurant will feature four distinct areas: a main dining room and bar (seating 70), a smaller dining room/coffee bar (seating 28), a cocktail lounge (seating 32), and a flexible event space for up to 100 guests. The restaurant will serve both theatergoers and standalone diners, with expanded opportunities for special events, private functions, catering, and creative programming in collaboration with other departments.

Position Overview

The Assistant Restaurant and Concessions Manager plays a vital role in the daily operations of Paper Mill’s diverse food and beverage outlets. This position blends the high-touch service expectations of fine dining with the fast-paced urgency of theater concessions. We are seeking a hands-on leader who is passionate about hospitality, highly organized, and committed to maintaining exceptional standards of cleanliness, efficiency, and guest experience.

Key Responsibilities

Operational Leadership & Efficiency

• Daily Oversight: Assist in managing the daily operations of the Carriage House Restaurant and Concessions, ensuring a smooth transition between pre-show dining and intermission rushes.
• Floor Setup & Breakdown: Oversee pre-shift floor setup and breakdown, guiding a team of up to 20 staff members. Manage seating across four dining rooms using the reservation system, including table configurations for VIP guests, donors, pre-fixe dining, and a la carte service.
• Catering Events: Create and execute detailed, event-specific Banquet Event Orders (BEOs) to support smooth catering operations and service execution.
• Standards of Excellence: Train and lead the team to uphold company policies and fine-dining standards, ensuring food and beverages are prepared safely, efficiently, and according to specifications.
• Inventory Control: Oversee stocking, ordering, and purchasing of ingredients and supplies. Monitor inventory levels to maximize freshness while minimizing spoilage and waste.
• Technical Proficiency: Utilize POS and reservation systems to manage floor flow, reporting, and financial tracking.

Staff Supervision and Development

• Personnel Authority: Assist in hiring, training, and supervising a results-oriented Restaurant and Concessions staff, providing input on performance, development and discipline that is given significant consideration by the Restaurant and Concessions Manager.
• Coaching: Foster a positive, collaborative work environment through effective motivation, communication, and constructive feedback.
• Scheduling: Assist in creating weekly schedules across all PMP F&B outlets. Manage staff scheduling and labor costs in alignment with budgetary guidelines.
• Management Coverage: Act as the Restaurant and Concessions Manager when the F&B Director and/or Restaurant and Concessions Manager are not on-site, assuming full responsibility for front-of-house operations, concessions oversight, staff supervision, decision-making, and guest relations.
• Independent Judgment: Exercise independent judgement to address staffing, service, and guest-experience issues during assigned shifts and management coverage periods.

Customer Experience

• Guest Interaction: Greet and engage with patrons, explain menu offerings, and ensure an exceptional dining and concessions experience.
• Conflict Resolution: Address customer inquiries and complaints with professional urgency and a solution-oriented mindset across both the restaurant and concessions bars.

Financial & Regulatory Management

• Budgetary Support: Assist in monitoring food and beverage expenses, including adherence to standardized drink recipes and proper bartender pours across all PMP bars.
• Compliance: Ensure all operations meet New Jersey health, safety, and sanitation standards. Maintain accurate financial records and assist with compliance related to sales tax and tipped-worker regulations.
• Facility Oversight: Regularly inspect kitchen, bar, and concessions equipment, recommending repairs or replacements as needed.

Qualifications and Experience

• Experience: Minimum of 2+ years of supervisory experience in a high-volume, fine-dining environment. Demonstrated proficiency in both bartending and table service is required.
• Certifications: Valid Food Handler’s Certification required.
• Operational Skills: Strong numerical aptitude with demonstrated experience using Microsoft Office Suite, with a particular emphasis on Excel spreadsheets.
• Mindset: Demonstrated sense of urgency, meticulous attention to detail, and the ability to remain calm and effective under pressure during peak performance periods.
• Leadership: Proven ability to lead, develop, and coach a diverse team while maintaining a calm, professional demeanor under pressure.
• Logistics: Prior experience with reservations platforms (e.g., Resy, OpenTable) and POS systems (e.g., Toast, Square for Restaurants) required.
• Commitment: Commitment to equity, diversity, and inclusion, with the ability to interact effectively with people of different cultures and socio-economic experiences, free from prejudice and aggressions.

Physical & Schedule Requirements

• Availability: Must have open availability, including days, nights, weekends, and holidays, with the ability to be on-call during all performances. This role requires a commitment of 50+ hours per week.
• Ability to stand/walk for long periods, reach, bend, stoop, push, pull and carry up to 50 pounds.

Compensation

The salary for this position is $50,000-$55,000, commensurate with experience. Paper Mill Playhouse offers a comprehensive benefits package that includes health, dental, vision, life, and disability insurance; paid time off; a 403(b)-retirement plan with a 3% employer match; a flexible health spending account; and access to various performances.

Apply

Paper Mill Playhouse is committed to hiring high caliber individuals of diverse backgrounds. We strive to provide our staff with a nurturing and inclusive environment, equal for all employees and optimal for their success. Paper Mill celebrates diversity and believes it enriches our work environment and the work on our stage.

To apply, please submit a resume and cover letter describing how your experience makes you the right candidate for this position to [email protected] with subject line : Assistant Restaurant & Concessions Manager

No phone calls, please.

About Paper Mill Playhouse

Founded in 1934 and recipient of the 2016 Regional Theatre Tony Award , Paper Mill Playhouse is an internationally recognized leader in American musical theater and a cornerstone of arts education and access across New Jersey. Each year, Paper Mill produces groundbreaking new works and acclaimed revivals to over 200,000 audience members, while its award-winning education programs reach more than 40,000 students, educators, and families through in-school partnerships, and access initiatives that nurture creativity, build confidence, and cultivate the next generation of theater lovers. The campus also includes the F.M. Kirby Carriage House restaurant and other facilities that support vibrant programming and community engagement across a range of performance and hospitality experiences.

Our Mission

Paper Mill Playhouse entertains, inspires, and enriches lives. As the nation’s premier musical theater, we foster a creative environment to advance the art form, educate students, develop future theater lovers, nurture inclusion, and provide access for all.

Paper Mill Playhouse is an Equal Opportunity Employer where the spirit of inclusion feeds into everything we do. We are committed to providing an environment of mutual respect where equal employment opportunities are available to all applicants and teammates. We strive to create opportunities, access, resources, and rewards that are available to and benefit everyone. Paper Mill Playhouse is committed to equal employment opportunity regardless of race, color, ethnicity, ancestry, religion, creed, sex, national origin, sexual orientation, age, citizenship status, marital status, disability, gender equity, gender expression, and veteran status.