Business Manager | Boka Catering, The Wellsley, and Events

James Beard Award–winning Boka Restaurant Group — the team behind some of Chicago’s most acclaimed restaurants — is currently seeking an experienced Business Manager.

Benefits & Perks: Health, Dental, and Voluntary Benefits Package (available after 90 days), employer-sponsored mental health and resource program, paid sick leave, 401(k) program, career mentorship and growth potential, and dining incentives across our 20+ establishments!

About Boka Restaurant Group: Boka Restaurant Group is a James Beard Award-winning group, anchored by partnerships with some of American’s greatest chefs. With a firm belief that genuine hospitality makes the world a more human place, we strive beyond convention to believe in and support each other, care for our communities, and work together to build the world we want to live in. View our restaurants here:

Responsibilities include:

• Responsible for ensuring managers have access to SOPs, operationally relevant information, forms, and onsite training and troubleshooting with all managers via commonly used tools
• Attend relevant meetings, as assigned by senior management, assisting with follow through on action items determined during these meetings.
• Provide relevant content to manager meeting agendas.
• Maintain regular connections/meetings with BD and DO, focused on business needs and action items.
• Attend weekly manager meetings and relay any pertinent notes to Business Director.

Staffing and Operations 

• Audit scheduling using Nowsta and scorecards to ensure it is in line with budgeting goals and ensures that all FOH and BOH hourly schedules are updated in Nowsta – alert the Director of Operations and Business Director with any pressing concerns with schedules.
• Collaborate with Business Director and Directors of Operations and cross-functional teams to develop, refine, and maintain operational systems and location-specific SOPs. 
• Assistance in ordering supplies and managing Amazon account reconciliation.
• Assist Business Director and Director of Operations with systems and processes for all onsite administrative operations, including site-specific reporting and communication protocols, ensuring accurate, timely distribution of financial, operational, and performance reporting to property ownership/stakeholders in accordance with management agreements and location-specific requirements. 
• Support team and assist with onsite implementation with special projects, cross-company initiatives, tasks, and duties, as required for restaurant operations and assigned by senior management.
• For new openings, work closely with the Director of Operations and Business Director on the Critical Path to Open and collaborate with all teams to deliver on opening day.
• Management of Petty Cash requests and reimbursements.

Culture & Team Development – Training & Morale 

• Participate in bi-weekly accounting meetings and other relevant admin/HR-related meetings as assigned by the Business Director.
• Oversee manager onboarding and offboarding processes, including systems access and training coordination. 
• For salary employees, assist with coordinating training schedules and ensure restaurant teams access current training materials.
• Regular auditing and maintenance of Events SOPs.
• Review and assist with hourly training plans developed by General Managers, Chef De Cuisine, and their teams. 
• Oversee audits of assigned training based on job code. 
• Partner with HR on training needs assessment and content development. 
• Oversee communication and circulation of employee engagement and culture initiatives. 
• Actively foster a professional, inclusive, and growth-oriented work environment that supports morale, engagement, and a strong sense of belonging. 

Compliance

• Audit personnel file management to ensure compliance with HR procedures and labor laws; Assist HR Operations Specialist and Administrative Staff with certification upkeep and audit personnel file management by following HR procedures for onboarding including ensuring all I9’s, tax documents, Alcohol, Food Handlers, Allergen Certifications, Sexual Harassment Training + Human Trafficking certificates, and other state or locally required documents are completed. 
• Assist with collecting and coordinating required documentation for General Liability claims.  
• Ensure that all labor laws, HR guidance, and compliance requirements are consistently followed and maintain reporting as requested by operations or HR leadership. 
• Responsible for the organization and posting of restaurant licenses, permits, certificates of insurance, and required labor law posters.

Payroll

• Oversee payroll submission process and audit payroll for accuracy prior to posting.
• Review final payroll check registers and ensure compliance with break and labor-tracking requirements.
• Ensure robust systems are in place for daily labor audits.
• Serve as the escalation point for payroll issues, including tip discrepancies.

Driving Revenue – Marketing / Events + Sales

• Ensure that details for Events utilizing 3 rd party platforms (OpenTable, Eventbrite, etc.) are communicated to the marketing team. Assist with launching events on 3 rd party platforms as well as tracking reservations/tickets and communicating progress to upper management.
• Assist with POS setup, if necessary, for special events and liaise with the accounting team for strategy on reporting of sales and communicating to onsite management in how revenue should be captured in POS during events.
• Audit systems and assist with reconciling the accounting of events in Caterease regarding comps.

Financial Performance – Financial Management

• Analyze restaurant scorecards and reporting and assist senior leadership in operational issues.
• Oversee and track venue relationships - including tracking and timely payment of commission due and confirming receipt of commissions owed.
• Assist with reporting for P+L reviews and presentations, as requested by Director of Operations and Business Director.
• Ensure compliance with purchasing initiatives.
• Audit systems for monthly food and beverage inventories.
• Audit utilization of performance tracking tools and relay/escalate concerns to Business Director and Director of Operations
• Collaborate with Business Director, Director of Operations and General Managers in annual budget planning.
• Oversee and track the reconciliation of outstanding payments from clients and ensure timely financial closure of past events.
• Oversee and track intercompany transfers for special events – including compensation for food provided by restaurants and collaboration by restaurants onsite during events
• Track sales/commission submissions by Events Team and ensure that they match sales captured by the restaurant in their point-of-sale system.
• Compile Events commissions and submit to Director of Sales for review prior to posting.
• Ensure compliance with purchasing initiatives.

Financial Policies & Procedures

• Oversee EOM reporting requirements and lifecycle of an invoice, including: 
  • Ensuring invoices are submitted and coded/approved timely by the operations team. 
  • Review of Trial Balance (mid-month and EOM) along with DO, GM, and CDC. 
  • Assist with inventory scrub and theoretical cost reporting. 
  • Proper submission of Aloha reports, inventories, transfer sheets, and P+L executive summaries. 
  • Ensure that all General Ledger or Cost re-classes are properly and timely communicated with the accounting team. 
  • Ensure timely AMEX reconciliations for assigned Director cards.
• Assist Business Director with Accounts Receivable invoicing for special events, if applicable.
• Facilitate and audit cash handling and control procedures to ensure accuracy and compliance.

Physical requirements:

• Lift and move up to 10 pounds, frequently lift and/or move up to 25 pounds, and occasionally lift and/or move up to 50 pounds
• Safely and effectively use all necessary tools and equipment
• Stand and walk for an entire shift, including moving safely through all areas of the restaurant, which may include stairs, uneven, and slick surfaces