Assistant General Manager, Little Caesars Arena

Detroit, MI, USA|

Job Overview

Compensation

Salary

Range $111,900.00 - $151,000.00

Work Schedule

Day Shifts

Benefits

Medical insurance

Dental Insurance

Vision Insurance

401(k) with Company Match

Annual performance bonus

paid vacation days

Paid parental bonding leave

Tuition Reimbursement

Friends-and-family discounts

Job Description

Delaware North is a renowned global hospitality and food service company with over a century of experience delivering exceptional dining and guest experiences across iconic venues worldwide. Established as a family-owned business, Delaware North prides itself on its commitment to quality, innovation, and community engagement. The company operates in diverse sectors such as sports arenas, national parks, casinos, restaurants, and hotels, offering employees unique career opportunities and a vibrant work environment that fosters personal and professional growth. At Little Caesars Arena in Detroit, Michigan, Delaware North serves as the exclusive food, beverage, and retail provider, supporting major sports teams like the NHL's Detroit Red Wings and the NBA's Detroit Pistons, as well as a variety of concerts, family shows, and special events. The arena is a premier 20,000-seat venue that opened in 2017 and has quickly become a central hub for sports and entertainment in Detroit, where Delaware North's innovative food and beverage operations play a vital role in enhancing the guest experience through exceptional service and diverse offerings.

The Assistant General Manager position at Delaware North Sportservice involves a senior operational leadership role responsible for supporting the General Manager in overseeing the day-to-day operations of food and beverage departments at Little Caesars Arena. This role is critical in driving financial performance, labor efficiency, guest satisfaction, compliance, and client service across a dynamic sports and entertainment environment. The Assistant General Manager will lead assigned departments, including concessions and related support functions, partnering closely with various departments such as premium services, culinary, retail, finance, human resources, information technology, and venue leadership teams to ensure consistent and high-quality operational execution for all events hosted at the arena.

An ideal candidate for this role is a steady, hands-on leader adept at managing high-volume event execution, developing managers and hourly leaders, improving labor and inventory discipline, and building strong relationships with internal teams, clients, vendors, union partners, and nonprofit organizations. This position requires balancing the immediacy of daily operational needs with strategic planning, process improvements, team development, and financial accountability. The role comes with a competitive salary range of $111,900 to $151,000 annually, plus an annual bonus or an uncapped sales incentive plan based on both company and individual performance. Delaware North also provides a comprehensive benefits package designed to support employees' personal and professional growth, including medical, dental, vision insurance, 401(k) with company match, paid time off, tuition reimbursement, and employee discounts.

As the Assistant General Manager, the successful candidate will play a pivotal role in maintaining Delaware North's reputation for operational excellence and superior guest service at Little Caesars Arena. This position is perfectly suited for professionals passionate about hospitality and experienced in managing high-volume food and beverage operations within sports, entertainment, or hospitality settings. The role offers an exciting opportunity to influence and enhance game-day and event-day experiences while working within a collaborative and supportive company culture that values innovation, quality, and employee engagement. Join Delaware North and be part of a global legacy dedicated to delivering great times in great places, where you can grow your career and make a meaningful impact.

Job Requirements

Minimum of 5 years of food and beverage leadership experience in a high-volume arena, stadium, ballpark, convention center, hospitality, or sports and entertainment environment
Prior experience leading concessions, commissary, premium services, restaurants, catering, or multi-department food and beverage operations
Bachelor’s degree in hospitality, business management, food and beverage management, or a related discipline
Strong understanding of event-based operations, labor planning, staffing deployment, inventory control, cash handling, cost of goods, payroll procedures, and profit and loss management
Demonstrated ability to lead through managers, build accountability, coach performance, develop talent, and maintain morale in a fast-paced, high-pressure environment
Experience working in a union environment, including familiarity with collective bargaining agreements, work rules, and labor relations
Strong communication skills with the ability to clearly align internal teams, clients, vendors, and cross-functional partners before, during, and after events
Ability to manage competing priorities, make sound decisions under pressure, respond quickly to operational needs, and maintain professionalism during high-volume events
Strong technical skills, including experience with POS systems, inventory systems, labor reporting tools, Microsoft Office, and event-based reporting platforms
Commitment to guest service, associate engagement, operational excellence, compliance, safety, and continuous improvement

Job Qualifications

Minimum of 5 years of food and beverage leadership experience in a high-volume arena, stadium, ballpark, convention center, hospitality, or sports and entertainment environment
Prior experience leading concessions, commissary, premium services, restaurants, catering, or multi-department food and beverage operations is strongly preferred
Bachelor’s degree in hospitality, business management, food and beverage management, or a related discipline is preferred
Equivalent operational leadership experience may be considered
Strong understanding of event-based operations, labor planning, staffing deployment, inventory control, cash handling, cost of goods, payroll procedures, and profit and loss management
Demonstrated ability to lead through managers, build accountability, coach performance, develop talent, and maintain morale in a fast-paced, high-pressure environment
Experience working in a union environment, including familiarity with collective bargaining agreements, work rules, and labor relations, is preferred
Strong communication skills with the ability to clearly align internal teams, clients, vendors, and cross-functional partners before, during, and after events
Ability to manage competing priorities, make sound decisions under pressure, respond quickly to operational needs, and maintain professionalism during high-volume events
Strong technical skills, including experience with POS systems, inventory systems, labor reporting tools, Microsoft Office, and event-based reporting platforms
Commitment to guest service, associate engagement, operational excellence, compliance, safety, and continuous improvement

Job Duties

Support the General Manager in setting short- and long-term goals for assigned departments, including people development, operational execution, labor management, guest experience, compliance, financial performance, and client service
Serve as the senior operational leader for assigned food and beverage departments, with primary oversight of concessions and related support operations, while ensuring alignment with overall arena priorities
Lead season planning and event preparation processes for assigned areas, ensuring staffing plans, deployment models, product readiness, equipment needs, and operational standards are in place before each event
Partner with department heads across concessions, commissary, culinary, premium services, retail, finance, HR, IT, and administration to create consistent execution across the full venue
Manage department-level financial performance, including revenue, cost of goods, labor productivity, operating expenses, inventory controls, cash handling, payroll procedures, and monthly projections
Review financial reports, event recaps, sales trends, labor reports, inventory results, and guest feedback to identify opportunities, develop action plans, and improve performance
Drive labor planning discipline by evaluating staffing models, management schedules, event requirements, productivity expectations, and workload balance across assigned departments
Lead, coach, and develop salaried managers, supervisors, and hourly associates to build operational capability, accountability, consistency, and bench strength
Support recruiting, onboarding, training, performance management, and succession planning for assigned departments in partnership with Human Resources and department leaders
Conduct regular meetings and pre-event communication to ensure managers and associates understand event expectations, client needs, service standards, staffing plans, and operational priorities
Partner with culinary leadership and procurement resources on menu planning, product availability, cost control, equipment needs, and operational execution for concessions and assigned revenue streams
Build and maintain strong relationships with clients, venue partners, vendors, subcontractors, not-for-profit groups, union partners, guests, and Delaware North team members
Ensure timely and detailed communication with internal and external stakeholders so client expectations, event requirements, service needs, and operational changes are understood and executed
Maintain compliance with Delaware North policies, client requirements, collective bargaining agreements, responsible alcohol service guidelines, food safety standards, sanitation expectations, workplace safety requirements, and applicable state and federal regulations
Identify and lead continuous improvement opportunities related to event execution, labor efficiency, inventory control, equipment readiness, guest service, associate engagement, and operational processes
Support capital planning, equipment replacement, facility improvement, and operational project work as assigned by the General Manager
Serve as the designated senior leader when the General Manager is absent from the unit, ensuring operational continuity and appropriate escalation of issues
Complete special projects and strategic initiatives as assigned by the General Manager or regional leadership