Gigi, an aromantic bi, doesn't know what she wants most - a husband, a lover, or her own restaurant. She has just lost her prestigious chef position and kicked out her latest fling, who threatens revenge. With her meagre savings, all three possibili...
The difference between being salaried and being on wages. They get paid for the extra hours; she's praised for being dedicated.
So, what's a proper salary? I sat at the computer and Googled restaurant general manager pay vancouver. The results showed mostly fast-food restaurants; then on payscale.com, I found a chart showing a range from $42,000 to $73,000. Another site, salaryexpert.com, showed a range of $75,000 to $135,000. Hmmm! What to believe? Different restaurant categories – one site shows simple places, the other the better-class ones.
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Then inspiration struck, and I surfed to the Bacchus Club site, remembering they show their salary ranges. That's better. GM from $75,000 to $125,000, the same as exec chefs. Then the regional managers above that, up to $175,000.
But they have many more branches in their regions than we do, so what would...
My thoughts were interrupted by a knock and Dunc's voice, "How was your meeting with Cynthia?"
"Excellent. We're in very strong hands, Dunc. She's having a website built for us, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and so on."
"A great idea, but you'll need content for those."
"She'll create it to begin, then hand it over to us. Arnie had maintained the sites before."
"That's too much for you to handle on top of everything else."
"This is why I'm hiring a GM." I pointed at the computer screen. "I was just researching what I should offer as a starting salary. With our six branches, the position appears to be above what Bacchus Club calls a General Manager, closer to their Regional Store Manager."
"Store?"
"I dug to find that with chains, it's often used instead of branch. They have twenty-two stores – or branches in BC and eight back east."
Dunc looked over my shoulder as I clicked on LOCATIONS, and as I scrolled, he said, "Five in Alberta and one in Saskatchewan, so they likely group those six into a region. Same with the seven in central Vancouver. The suburbs here would be another region, and the BC outliers a fourth one, so six to eight per region, similar to Hot Potato."
"So, would an appropriate salary for our GM be comparable to Bacchus Club's Regional Store Manager?"
"Likely. What is it?"
I clicked to the previous page. "From $125,000 to $175,000."
Dunc nodded. "The same as I had found they pay their regional chefs."
"Oh, so that's where you got the figure."
"It is. I can help you write a job offer to post – if you wish."
"Aww, that's sweet. Dunc. But I had mentioned to Cynthia that I needed to hire one, and she brought me her vetted list of those looking. I was surprised to see Marcy on it – wasn't even aware she was looking for a change. Been on it for a long time – Cynthia called it fishing. High standards and tough to place."
"A lot of that in most sectors. People on the top rung looking for external advancement."
"Aha, makes sense now. I was thinking of asking her first, but I fear that would appear as favouritism."
"Why?"
"Because Cynthia said she's the perfect candidate for here."
"That doesn't make sense."
"No, no." I giggled. "Cynthia's recommendation is my reason for thinking of asking her first. My fear is that our long-term friendship would be seen as favouritism."
"You don't have time to call for resumés, Gigi. To sort through them, to do interviews. Besides, you know her, and Cynthia recommended her. Call and ask if she's interested."
"Yeah. And if she's not?"
"With your enthusiasm and your way with words, how could she not be?"
I chuckled. "I love your confidence in me."
"You've earned it. Call her."
I took my phone from the computer case, switched it on, and when it had cycled, I touched her icon on the contacts page.
After three rings, she answered, "Hi, G. Very busy."
Recognising that means to be brief and to the point, I said, "Bought Hot Potato. Want you as GM."
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Points to consider in this chapter:
What are your thoughts on Cynthia's methods and style?
What do you think of Gigi's invitation to Marcy?
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