Front of House Manager

At Calabash, hospitality is more than service. It's storytelling, culture, and creating moments that connect people through the foodways of the African diaspora. We are looking for a thoughtful, organized, and inspiring Restaurant Manager to lead our front-of-house team while helping shape the guest experience from the inside out.

This is a full-time leadership position. The Cafe GM will work closely with ownership and department leaders to oversee daily operations, cultivate an exceptional team, and contribute to the ongoing creative evolution of the restaurant.

Calabash is open four days a week, with dinner service offered two evenings each week. This role centers on daytime management, administration, planning, training, and operational leadership, with evening and weekend availability expected during service, private events, and key operational moments. Because this is a founding leadership role at a restaurant still being built, hours will regularly extend beyond a standard 40-hour week, especially in the lead-up to opening and during the first year.

Core Responsibilities

These are the fundamentals of running Calabash's front of house day to day.

• Managing weekly staff schedules and ensuring labor aligns with business needs.
• Monitoring and managing labor costs to meet financial goals while maintaining exceptional service standards.
• Recruiting, onboarding, training, mentoring, and retaining an exceptional front-of-house team.
• Leading engaging, motivating, and educational pre-shift meetings that prepare the team for successful service.
• Providing continuous coaching, constructive feedback, and professional development opportunities.
• Ensuring consistent execution of Calabash's food, beverage, service, and hospitality standards while upholding the restaurant's mission, values, and culture.
• Leading from the floor by working regular front-of-house service shifts, remaining closely connected to the guest experience and supporting the team through active leadership.
• Maintaining service standards, cleanliness, organization, and operational consistency throughout the restaurant.
• Managing the complete guest experience, responding thoughtfully to guest feedback, resolving service issues with professionalism, and empowering the team to do the same.
• Supporting inventory management, ordering, and vendor relationships related to front-of-house operations.
• Collaborating closely with the culinary team to ensure seamless communication between the kitchen and dining room.
• Helping cultivate a positive, inclusive, and collaborative workplace culture built on accountability, curiosity, and respect.