Ground Market Location Manager

Job Summary 

The Ground Market Location Manager oversees the day-to-day front-of-house operations for Ground Market in Carlton, ensuring exceptional hospitality across our integrated retail market, café, and restaurant. This hands-on leadership role is responsible for creating a seamless guest experience while leading daily operations, developing team members, managing merchandising and inventory, and maintaining high standards of service, presentation, and operational excellence. 

Ground Market offers guests a unique hospitality experience that brings together a thoughtfully curated farm market, coffee and café offerings, and a casual restaurant featuring wood-fired pizza, ice cream, seasonal menu items, and products sourced from our regenerative farm and local partners. The Location Manager partners closely with culinary leadership, farm teams, and company leadership to ensure these interconnected experiences operate seamlessly while reflecting The Ground's commitment to quality food, regenerative agriculture, and meaningful hospitality. 

In the immediate term, this role reports to Anna Caporael, Director of Hospitality and Connection. As the Carlton business continues to evolve, the reporting structure may change. 

What We're Looking For 

• A collaborative, service-minded leader who enjoys being on the floor coaching team members and engaging with guests. 
• Someone who thrives in a dynamic environment that blends restaurant service, café operations, and retail. 
• A leader who takes pride in hospitality, organization, merchandising, and operational excellence. 
• A flexible, solutions-oriented thinker who can balance multiple priorities while maintaining an exceptional guest experience. 
• Alignment with our mission, values, and commitment to quality food, regenerative agriculture, and meaningful hospitality. 

Key Responsibilities 

Front-of-House Operations & Guest Experience 

• Lead daily front-of-house operations across all areas of Ground Market, including the restaurant, café, and retail market. 
• Ensure exceptional hospitality and consistent service standards throughout every guest interaction. 
• Serve as the primary floor leader during service, providing hands-on leadership, coaching, and operational support. 
• Maintain clean, welcoming, organized, and fully stocked guest-facing spaces at all times. 
• Monitor guest satisfaction, address concerns promptly, and continuously seek opportunities to elevate the guest experience. 
• Coordinate the flow of operations between the restaurant, café, and retail spaces to ensure a seamless guest experience. 

Retail Market & Café Operations 

• Oversee the daily operation and presentation of the retail market, including farm-fresh produce, locally raised meats, pantry goods, beverages, grab-and-go offerings, and seasonal merchandise. 
• Lead café operations, ensuring exceptional coffee service, pastry presentation, light food offerings, and guest service. 
• Develop and maintain attractive merchandising displays that showcase seasonal products and support sales. 
• Ensure proper product rotation, pricing, labeling, freshness, and visual presentation. 
• Coordinate receiving, stocking, and inventory organization. 
• Partner with culinary and farm teams to maintain product availability, freshness, and quality. 

Restaurant Front-of-House Leadership 

• Oversee front-of-house operations for the restaurant, ensuring efficient service and a consistently welcoming guest experience. 
• Partner with culinary leadership to ensure smooth communication between the kitchen and front-of-house teams. 
• Monitor service flow, dining room presentation, and staffing needs throughout service. 
• Ensure front-of-house standards, cleanliness, food safety practices, and operating procedures are consistently followed. 

Inventory, Merchandising & Operational Management 

• Oversee inventory management for retail merchandise, café products, beverages, and front-of-house supplies. 
• Monitor inventory levels and coordinate purchasing needs with leadership. 
• Conduct regular inventory counts and maintain accurate inventory records. 
• Maintain organized storage, backstock, and receiving areas. 
• Minimize waste through proper inventory controls and product rotation. 
• Identify opportunities to improve operational efficiency, merchandising, and guest flow. 

Team Leadership, Training & Development 

• Recruit, onboard, train, coach, and develop front-of-house team members. 
• Create clear expectations for hospitality, product knowledge, service standards, and operational execution. 
• Provide regular coaching, feedback, and performance management. 
• Foster a collaborative, accountable, and guest-focused team culture. 
• Lead daily communication, shift meetings, and ongoing staff development. 
• Ensure compliance with company policies, food safety standards, and operational procedures. 

Scheduling & Labor Management 

• Develop and manage schedules for the Ground Market front-of-house team. 
• Ensure appropriate staffing levels for café operations, restaurant service, retail hours, and seasonal business needs. 
• Monitor labor costs and staffing efficiencies while maintaining excellent guest service. 
• Coordinate schedule changes and staffing coverage as needed. 

Operational Excellence 

• Oversee opening and closing procedures across all guest-facing operations. 
• Maintain high standards of cleanliness, organization, safety, and facility presentation. 
• Coordinate maintenance requests and facility needs for guest-facing areas. 
• Support promotions, community events, catering support, and seasonal initiatives. 
• Continuously evaluate processes and recommend improvements that enhance efficiency, profitability, and the guest experience. 

Qualifications 

• 3+ years of leadership experience in hospitality, restaurant, café, retail, or food service operations. 
• Proven experience leading customer-facing teams in a fast-paced environment. 
• Strong organizational, time management, and problem-solving skills. 
• Experience with inventory management, merchandising, ordering, and cost controls. 
• Passion for exceptional hospitality and team development. 
• Strong verbal and written communication skills. 
• Ability to prioritize multiple responsibilities while maintaining attention to detail. 
• Ability to work evenings, weekends, and holidays as business needs require. 
• Ability to stand for extended periods and lift up to 40 pounds. 

Preferred Experience 

• Experience managing restaurant, café, or specialty food retail operations. 
• Familiarity with local food systems, agriculture, or farm-to-table concepts. 
• Experience using Toast, Square, or similar point-of-sale systems. 
• Experience managing labor, inventory, and operational budgets. 

Benefits 

Benefits include health, dental, vision, life insurance, and 401(k) for qualifying employees (25+ hours/week). 

Employee Perks: 20% discount at Ground entities, including Source Farms, Grounded Table, and Grounded Body. 

About The Ground 

The Ground is a hospitality business based in the beautiful Willamette Valley that exists to realize human potential in harmony with the planet. We are an evolving collection of experiences rooted in conscious, loving hospitality, bringing together regenerative agriculture, exceptional food, accommodations, wellness experiences, community gathering spaces, and meaningful connection. 

The Ground is an equal opportunity employer. We celebrate diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees. If you're interested in this role, but your experience doesn't align perfectly with every qualification, we still encourage you to apply. You may be the right candidate for this or another opportunity at The Ground.