General Manager

Job Description

Location: New York City, NY, Elevated to Fine-Dining Backgrounds

Position Type: Full-Time

Reports To: Chairman

Salary: 150K-180K + 4 weeks PTO + Benefits + 25% Bonus Potential

Location: New York City, NY

MUST ENJOY MEXICAN CUISINE AND BE PASSIONATE ABOUT MEXICAN CULTURE

Position Overview

We are seeking an experienced, highly strategic, and hands-on General Manager to lead the operations of a large-scale, high-volume, fine-dining Mexican restaurant in New York City.

This position requires a strong hospitality leader with extensive experience managing complex restaurant operations, large teams, significant sales volume, and multiple service periods. The General Manager will be responsible for the overall performance of the restaurant, including operations, financial results, guest experience, team development, food and beverage execution, compliance, and the preservation of the restaurant's culinary identity.

The ideal candidate combines operational discipline with genuine hospitality, understands the importance of Mexican culinary culture and product integrity, and can translate a chef-driven concept into a consistently excellent guest experience at scale.

Key Responsibilities

1. Overall Restaurant Leadership

• Assume full operational responsibility for the restaurant's day-to-day performance.
• Lead a large front-of-house and back-of-house organization with multiple management levels.
• Establish clear expectations, accountability, and performance standards across all departments.
• Partner closely with ownership, executive leadership, culinary leadership, and operations teams.
• Ensure that the restaurant consistently delivers the intended culinary, hospitality, and brand experience.
• Act as the primary leader and cultural ambassador of the restaurant.

2. High-Volume Operations

• Oversee all aspects of a high-volume restaurant operation, including multiple daily service periods, peak-volume shifts, private events, and special functions.
• Ensure smooth coordination between front of house, kitchen, bar, beverage, host, reservations, events, and support teams.
• Develop and maintain systems that allow the restaurant to operate efficiently while maintaining quality and hospitality.
• Monitor service flow, table turns, ticket times, reservations, guest volume, and staffing levels.
• Lead daily pre-shift and management meetings.
• Maintain rigorous opening, closing, side-work, and operational procedures.

3. Mexican Culinary Concept & Brand Integrity

• Protect and reinforce the restaurant's Mexican culinary identity and hospitality philosophy.
• Work closely with the Executive Chef and culinary leadership to ensure consistency in food quality, presentation, recipes, ingredients, and execution.
• Ensure that the service team understands the story, regional influences, ingredients, techniques, and cultural context behind the menu.
• Develop a knowledgeable hospitality team capable of confidently communicating the restaurant's culinary point of view to guests.
• Support menu launches, seasonal changes, culinary events, tastings, and special programming.
• Ensure that the guest experience reflects the authenticity, quality, and intention of the concept.

4. Financial Management & Profitability

• Take ownership of the restaurant's financial performance.
• Analyze daily, weekly, monthly, and annual P&L performance.
• Manage labor, food, beverage, supplies, and controllable operating expenses.
• Develop and execute strategies to maximize revenue while protecting the guest experience.
• Monitor sales mix, average check, beverage performance, labor productivity, and departmental profitability.
• Partner with ownership and finance teams on budgets, forecasts, financial reporting, and business plans.
• Identify financial opportunities and operational inefficiencies and implement corrective action.

5. Leadership & Talent Development

• Recruit, train, coach, and retain a high-performing management and hourly team.
• Build a strong leadership structure capable of supporting a large-scale operation.
• Develop Assistant General Managers, FOH managers, bar leadership, hosts, and other key leaders.
• Establish measurable performance expectations and conduct regular performance reviews.
• Create career-development opportunities and succession plans for high-potential employees.
• Promote a culture of accountability, professionalism, respect, and hospitality.
• Maintain strong communication between management, culinary, and hourly teams.

6. Guest Experience

• Personally maintain a visible leadership presence on the floor during service.
• Ensure exceptional and consistent hospitality throughout every guest interaction.
• Build relationships with regular guests, VIPs, industry professionals, and community partners.
• Resolve guest concerns quickly, professionally, and thoughtfully.
• Monitor guest feedback, reviews, and service trends.
• Use guest feedback to continuously improve the operation.

7. Beverage & Bar Operations

• Oversee the performance of the bar and beverage program in partnership with beverage leadership.
• Ensure proper execution of cocktails, spirits, agave-based beverages, wine, beer, and non-alcoholic offerings.
• Monitor beverage costs, inventory, waste, and sales performance.
• Ensure responsible alcohol-service practices and compliance with applicable regulations.
• Support beverage education and training for the service team.

8. Inventory, Purchasing & Cost Control

• Oversee purchasing, receiving, storage, inventory, and product rotation.
• Maintain strong relationships with vendors and suppliers.
• Monitor product quality and consistency.
• Implement systems to reduce waste, spoilage, theft, and unnecessary costs.
• Work closely with culinary leadership to maintain food-cost targets.
• Ensure proper inventory controls for food, beverage, smallwares, and operating supplies.

9. Compliance, Safety & Risk Management

• Ensure compliance with all applicable NYC and New York State health, safety, labor, employment, and alcohol regulations.
• Maintain high standards for food safety, sanitation, workplace safety, and responsible alcohol service.
• Ensure all required licenses, certifications, inspections, and operational procedures are maintained.
• Partner with ownership and HR to address employee relations and compliance matters appropriately.

10. Events & Business Development

• Oversee private dining, large parties, buyouts, catering, and special events as applicable.
• Collaborate with events and marketing teams to maximize business opportunities.
• Ensure events maintain the restaurant's culinary and hospitality standards.
• Support partnerships, collaborations, cultural programming, and brand initiatives.

Qualifications:

• 5+ years of progressive restaurant management experience , with significant experience as a General Manager or senior operations leader.
• Experience managing a high-volume, full-service, upscale or premium restaurant .
• Proven experience leading large teams and multiple management departments.
• Strong financial acumen and demonstrated experience managing restaurant P&L, labor, food cost, and beverage cost.
• Experience working closely with Executive Chefs and culinary leadership.
• Experience in New York City restaurant operations strongly preferred.
• Strong knowledge of NYC and New York State restaurant compliance requirements.
• Exceptional leadership, communication, organization, and problem-solving skills.
• Ability to remain calm, decisive, and highly organized in a fast-paced environment.
• Strong business development and guest-relations skills.
• Bilingual English/Spanish is a plus but not required

Leadership Profile

The successful candidate will be:

• Strategic – able to think beyond daily service and build sustainable systems.
• Hands-on – visible and engaged with both guests and employees.
• Financially disciplined – understands how operational decisions affect profitability.
• Hospitality-driven – genuinely committed to creating memorable guest experiences.
• Culturally aware – understands and respects the culinary and cultural identity of Mexican cuisine.
• Team-oriented – develops leaders rather than simply managing employees.
• Operationally rigorous – creates consistency without losing warmth or hospitality.
• Adaptable – capable of managing the pace and complexity of a major NYC restaurant.