General Manager

General Manager / Operational Leader

Quiriego Restaurant — Scottsdale, Arizona

Full-Time | Senior Restaurant Leadership

About Quiriego

Quiriego is an upscale Mexican restaurant in Scottsdale built around elevated hospitality, refined Mexican cuisine, craft cocktails, a full-service bar, coffee, bakery offerings, and a distinctive guest experience.

We are looking for a General Manager who can serve as the true day-to-day operational leader of the restaurant. This is not simply a shift-management position. We want someone who can run the business, develop the team, protect standards, manage financial performance, and build systems that create consistency.

The Role

The General Manager is responsible for the overall operation and performance of Quiriego. You will work directly with ownership and culinary leadership to create a disciplined, hospitality-driven operation where employees are well trained, managers are accountable, guests receive exceptional service, and financial performance is actively managed.

The ideal candidate is equally comfortable leading the dining room during a busy service, coaching employees, reviewing labor reports, analyzing a P&L, resolving guest concerns, meeting with vendors, improving operating systems, and discussing performance with ownership.

Key ResponsibilitiesRestaurant Operations

• Lead all front-of-house operations and coordinate closely with back-of-house leadership.
• Maintain a strong leadership presence during service.
• Ensure opening, closing, side work, sanitation, and operating procedures are consistently followed.
• Maintain high standards for cleanliness, organization, presentation, and readiness.
• Identify operational problems early and implement solutions.
• Build systems that allow the restaurant to operate consistently regardless of which manager is working.

Leadership & Culture

• Recruit, hire, train, coach, develop, and retain high-performing employees.
• Develop supervisors and managers into stronger leaders.
• Establish clear expectations and hold employees accountable professionally.
• Conduct performance conversations and evaluations.
• Lead effective pre-shift meetings.
• Address performance issues quickly and consistently.
• Recognize strong employees and create development opportunities.
• Build a culture of professionalism, hospitality, teamwork, accountability, and respect.

Guest Experience

• Remain highly visible and engaged with guests.
• Monitor service standards throughout each shift.
• Build relationships with regular guests.
• Resolve guest concerns professionally and decisively.
• Coach employees on hospitality, menu knowledge, service technique, and attention to detail.
• Review guest feedback and identify recurring opportunities for improvement.
• Maintain the service level expected from an upscale Scottsdale restaurant.

Financial Performance

The GM must understand the business behind the restaurant and actively manage:

• Sales
• Labor percentage and scheduling efficiency
• Overtime
• Food and beverage costs
• Inventory and purchasing
• Waste
• Discounts and comps
• Cash controls
• Operating expenses
• Vendor relationships
• Restaurant profitability

The GM will review restaurant performance with ownership and identify opportunities to improve revenue, control expenses, and strengthen profitability without compromising the guest experience. Candidates must be comfortable reading and discussing restaurant financial reports and P&L statements.

Labor & Scheduling

• Forecast staffing needs based on projected business.
• Build schedules that support operational and financial targets.
• Control labor while maintaining proper service levels.
• Monitor overtime and peak-period staffing.
• Make proactive hiring decisions.
• Prevent unnecessary over-staffing or under-staffing.
• Hold managers accountable for labor performance.

Training & Development

• Oversee new-hire training and position certification.
• Support menu, beverage, and service education.
• Develop managers and supervisors.
• Conduct ongoing coaching and performance evaluations.
• Lead pre-shift education.
• Encourage cross-training where appropriate.

Inventory & Controls

Help oversee food, liquor, beer, wine, supplies, small-wares, purchasing, receiving, vendor deliveries, waste tracking, comps, discounts, cash handling, and loss-prevention systems.

Bar & Alcohol Operations

• Oversee bartender performance and beverage operations.
• Monitor liquor inventory, beverage sales, and pour cost.
• Support responsible alcohol service and staff training.
• Maintain compliance with applicable Arizona liquor requirements.

Technology & Reporting

Experience with Toast POS is highly preferred. The GM should be comfortable reviewing daily sales, labor, product mix, discounts, voids, employee performance, tip reporting, scheduling, inventory information, and operational KPIs.

The GM will communicate restaurant performance, challenges, and recommended actions directly to ownership.

QualificationsPreferred Experience

• 5+ years of progressive restaurant management experience.
• 2+ years as a General Manager, Assistant General Manager, Director of Operations, or comparable senior restaurant leader preferred.
• Experience in upscale, chef-driven, fine dining, polished casual, or high-volume full-service restaurants strongly preferred.
• Experience managing significant restaurant sales volume.
• Demonstrated responsibility for labor and operating costs.
• Experience reviewing restaurant P&Ls and financial reports.
• Strong understanding of food and beverage cost controls.
• Experience managing a full-service bar.
• Experience recruiting, training, and developing restaurant teams.
• Strong scheduling and labor-management skills.
• Experience implementing SOPs and operating systems.
• Toast POS experience highly preferred.
• Knowledge of Arizona restaurant and liquor operations preferred.
• Bilingual English/Spanish is a plus.

Leadership Qualities We Value

The right person for this role:

• Takes ownership and leads from the floor.
• Notices problems before being asked to address them.
• Understands numbers as well as hospitality.
• Makes thoughtful decisions under pressure.
• Communicates clearly and directly.
• Holds people accountable respectfully.
• Develops employees rather than simply replacing them.
• Maintains high standards even when ownership is not present.
• Is organized, disciplined, and systems-oriented.
• Can receive feedback without becoming defensive.
• Is willing to improve existing processes when a better solution exists.
• Does not tolerate toxic behavior or chronic underperformance.
• Treats employees professionally.
• Wants to build something, not simply maintain it.

What Success Looks Like

Success means employees understand their responsibilities, managers lead consistently, staffing is appropriate, labor is controlled, inventory is accurate, service standards are followed, the restaurant is clean and organized, guest issues are handled quickly, communication between FOH and BOH is strong, financial reports are reviewed and acted upon, operational problems are identified early, and employees continue developing.

Ultimately, ownership should not need to personally manage every detail because the General Manager has built a dependable operation.

Working Relationship With Ownership

Quiriego is an owner-operated concept. The General Manager will work closely with ownership as the restaurant continues establishing its systems, culture, and identity.

We value managers who communicate openly about performance, staffing, labor, guest experience, financial results, operational challenges, employee performance, vendor issues, maintenance needs, and opportunities for improvement.

We want a leader who brings solutions, recommendations, and ideas — not simply problems. As trust and performance are demonstrated, the goal is for the General Manager to have significant responsibility and autonomy over day-to-day operations.

Schedule

This is a senior hospitality leadership position and requires schedule flexibility, including evenings, weekends, holidays, high-volume services, and special events.

We do not believe in unnecessary hours. Strong systems and a capable management team should allow leadership to operate effectively without creating an unsustainable work environment. However, the General Manager must be present when the business requires leadership.

Compensation

Competitive salary based on experience and qualifications.

Additional compensation and benefits may be discussed during the interview process.

Benefits

• Employee discount
• Paid time off
• Paid training

Why Quiriego?

This role is an opportunity to help shape a restaurant rather than simply inherit an established corporate system. The selected candidate will have the opportunity to build a management culture, develop operating systems, establish service standards, develop the team, work directly with ownership, and influence how Quiriego operates as the brand grows.

We are looking for someone who takes pride in building exceptional restaurants and wants their impact to be visible in the operation.

How to Apply

Please submit your resume along with a brief introduction answering:

1. What type of restaurant operations have you managed?
2. Approximately how many employees were you responsible for?
3. What financial metrics were you directly responsible for managing?
4. Describe a situation where you inherited an underperforming restaurant or team and what you changed.
5. How would your former employees describe your leadership style?
6. What separates a good restaurant General Manager from an exceptional one?

Quiriego Restaurant is an Equal Opportunity Employer.

Experience:

Management: 5 years (Required)

Language:

Spanish (Preferred)

Work Location:

In person