Restaurant General Manager

SkyBridge Luxury has been retained to identify an exceptional General Manager for a celebrated, Michelin-recognized contemporary Italian restaurant in New York City. Serving as the New York flagship of an acclaimed chef-driven hospitality company, the restaurant combines sophisticated Italian cuisine, polished service, an impressive beverage program, and the energy of a high-profile New York dining room. This is an opportunity for a serious restaurant operator—someone who understands that exceptional hospitality requires equal parts warmth, precision, discipline, and presence. The heartbeat of this role is the dining room. The General Manager will be highly visible throughout service, setting the pace for the restaurant, engaging with guests, developing the team, and ensuring every element of the experience is delivered with confidence and consistency. This is not an office-based leadership position. It requires a leader who notices the details, anticipates challenges, and takes genuine ownership of the restaurant’s performance. The Restaurant Contemporary Italian cuisine Approximately 160 seats across the dining room, bar, and seasonal patio Average volume of approximately 100 lunch covers and 160 dinner covers Lunch service Monday through Friday Dinner service Monday through Saturday Closed Sundays Structured fine-dining service model featuring captains, service support, runners, bartenders, barbacks, hosts, and lead hosts Four-person front-of-house leadership team encompassing restaurant operations, beverage, floor leadership, and event sales The Leadership Opportunity The General Manager will assume complete ownership of front-of-house operations while partnering closely with culinary leadership and the company’s senior operations team. This individual will be responsible for protecting the integrity of the guest experience while strengthening the systems, culture, and commercial performance behind it. The successful candidate will bring the sophistication required for a Michelin-recognized restaurant together with the practical discipline of an accomplished operator. They will know the regulars, welcome first-time guests, read the dining room instinctively, support the team during pressure points, and create an environment where elevated service feels natural rather than rehearsed. Key Responsibilities Lead the Guest Experience Maintain a commanding and gracious presence throughout lunch and dinner service. Build meaningful relationships with regular guests, VIPs, hotel partners, concierges, and the broader New York dining community. Ensure every guest interaction reflects the restaurant’s standards of warmth, sophistication, recognition, and personalization. Anticipate service challenges and lead thoughtful, immediate guest recovery when needed. Protect the pacing, atmosphere, and overall energy of the dining room. Develop a High-Performing Team Lead, coach, and hold accountable the restaurant’s front-of-house management and service teams. Establish clear expectations for preparation, communication, product knowledge, service technique, and professional conduct. Create a culture in which high standards and genuine hospitality reinforce one another. Recruit, onboard, train, and retain polished hospitality professionals. Develop emerging leaders and create meaningful pathways for advancement. Lead pre-shift meetings that are focused, informative, and relevant to the service ahead. Drive Operational Excellence Maintain disciplined standards across reservations, seating, service execution, opening and closing procedures, scheduling, and daily communication. Ensure the restaurant is fully prepared for every service, including staffing, table plans, VIP recognition, special events, and operational priorities. Strengthen systems that improve consistency without compromising the personal nature of the guest experience. Partner closely with the Executive Chef to ensure seamless alignment between the dining room and kitchen. Maintain compliance with all applicable health, safety, labor, and alcoholic beverage regulations. Own Financial Performance Take active ownership of the restaurant’s financial results, including revenue, labor, operating expenses, beverage performance, and profitability. Build schedules and deployment plans that support both service standards and responsible labor management. Review operating results, identify performance opportunities, and implement solutions with urgency. Support budgeting, forecasting, purchasing controls, inventory management, and cost containment. Work collaboratively with beverage and event-sales leadership to maximize revenue while protecting the integrity of the restaurant. Champion Wine and Beverage Partner with the Beverage Director to maintain an elevated, commercially successful wine and beverage program. Ensure managers and service professionals possess the knowledge and confidence to guide guests thoughtfully. Support responsible inventory controls, beverage profitability, and consistent execution at the bar and throughout the dining room. Bring sufficient wine and beverage fluency to coach the team, engage discerning guests, and support the restaurant’s positioning. The Ideal Candidate We are seeking a polished, emotionally intelligent, and highly accountable hospitality leader who brings: Successful General Manager experience within a Michelin-recognized, luxury, chef-driven, or high-end independent restaurant. Meaningful experience operating within the pace, expectations, and competitive landscape of New York City dining. A deep understanding of refined service, guest recognition, dining-room choreography, and service recovery. Strong financial acumen with experience managing labor, operating expenses, revenue, budgets, and profitability. Credibility in wine and beverage, including the ability to support an elevated program and engage knowledgeable guests. Demonstrated success recruiting, developing, inspiring, and retaining high-performing restaurant teams. The ability to balance exacting standards with warmth, humility, and composure. Excellent communication skills and the confidence to collaborate with prominent culinary and hospitality leadership. A hands-on operating style and a natural desire to be present wherever the restaurant needs leadership. A genuine connection to Italian hospitality and an appreciation for the cultural and emotional role food plays in bringing people together. What Success Looks Like The right General Manager will create a restaurant that feels composed even when it is exceptionally busy. Guests will feel recognized. The team will understand what excellence looks like and feel supported in delivering it. Culinary and service leadership will operate as one. Financial performance will be managed with discipline. Standards will remain uncompromised, yet the experience will never feel rigid or impersonal. Above all, the General Manager will lead with presence—earning the confidence of the team, the loyalty of the guests, and the trust of ownership and culinary leadership. #J-18808-Ljbffr