General Manager

RIKAS Hospitality Group; Abu Dhabi; On-site; AED 446,000 - 725,000; Full time

Job summary

RIKAS Hospitality Group is opening a new premium café concept in Abu Dhabi and seeks an experienced General Manager to lead from pre-opening through daily operations. The role demands hands-on leadership, exceptional guest engagement, and strong financial stewardship to drive revenue and uphold high service standards.

The General Manager will be on the floor, oversee front and back of house teams, manage budgets and KPIs, and collaborate with Marketing, Events, and HR to ensure a successful

Qualifications

• Minimum 3 years' experience as a General Manager in high-end restaurant, café, lifestyle venue, or premium F&B concept.
• Strong experience in premium and/or high-volume F&B operations.
• Pre-opening experience is highly preferred.
• Experience within a recognised hospitality, lifestyle, or international F&B brand is an advantage.
• Strong understanding of high-end hospitality, guest engagement, and VIP service standards.
• Proven track record of driving revenue, profitability, and operational performance.

Responsibilities

• Lead the pre-opening and opening of the venue, ensuring operational readiness across all areas.
• Oversee day-to-day operations with consistently high standards of service, food and beverage quality, hospitality, and guest experience.
• Ensure the concept, atmosphere, and service standards are delivered throughout the guest journey.
• Drive revenue growth, profitability, and overall business performance.
• Manage budgets, labour costs, forecasting, P&L, inventory, purchasing, and costs.
• Monitor KPIs and implement action plans to improve performance.
• Recruit, lead, coach, and develop front and back of house teams.
• Maintain a strong presence on the floor, engaging with guests and VIPs.
• Ensure high standards of service, presentation, cleanliness, product quality, and attention to detail.
• Collaborate with Marketing, Events, and other teams on launch activities, activations, partnerships, and events.
• Monitor guest feedback and address issues to enhance guest experience.
• Ensure compliance with policies, health and safety, licensing, and UAE legal requirements.
• Collaborate with HR, Finance, Marketing, Procurement, and other departments to ensure smooth operation.
• Build and maintain a strong team culture aligned with group standards.
• Carry out other duties to support operation and development of the venue.

Skills

General Manager experience

premium F&B operations

pre-opening experience

staff leadership

revenue growth

budgeting & P&L

guest engagement

VIP service standards

on-floor presence

Job description

We are looking for an experienced and passionate General Manager to lead the opening and operation of an exciting new café concept in Abu Dhabi.

The venue will be part of an established hospitality group and will offer a vibrant, high-quality food and beverage experience, combining excellent products, warm hospitality, and a distinctive atmosphere.

We are looking for a strong and hands-on hospitality leader with experience in high-end restaurants, cafés, lifestyle venues, or premium F&B concepts, who can lead the venue from pre-opening through to successful day-to-day operations.

The ideal candidate will be commercially driven, highly present on the floor, and passionate about creating exceptional guest experiences while ensuring consistently high operational and service standards.

Responsibilities

• Lead the pre-opening and opening of the venue, ensuring operational readiness across all areas.
• Oversee the day-to-day operation, ensuring consistently high standards of service, food and beverage quality, hospitality, and guest experience.
• Ensure the concept, atmosphere, and service standards are consistently delivered throughout the guest journey.
• Drive revenue growth, profitability, and overall business performance.
• Manage budgets, labour costs, forecasting, P&L, inventory, purchasing, and operational costs.
• Monitor key financial and operational KPIs and implement action plans to continuously improve performance.
• Recruit, lead, coach, and develop the front and back of house teams, creating a strong culture of hospitality, teamwork, accountability, and service excellence.
• Maintain a strong presence on the floor, engaging with guests and building relationships with VIPs, regular guests, and key stakeholders.
• Ensure high standards of service, presentation, cleanliness, product quality, and attention to detail at all times.
• Work closely with Marketing, Events, and other relevant teams on launch activities, activations, partnerships, and events to build awareness and drive revenue.
• Monitor guest feedback and operational performance, taking proactive action to address issues and enhance the overall guest experience.
• Ensure compliance with company policies, health and safety regulations, food safety standards, licensing requirements, and UAE legal requirements.
• Collaborate closely with HR, Finance, Marketing, Procurement, and other support departments to ensure the smooth operation of the venue.
• Build and maintain a strong team culture aligned with the values and standards of the hospitality group.
• Carry out any other duties required to support the successful operation and development of the venue.

Qualifications

• Minimum 3 years' experience as a General Manager within a high-end restaurant, café, lifestyle venue, or premium F&B concept.
• Strong experience in premium and/or high-volume F&B operations.
• Pre-opening experience is highly preferred.
• Experience within a recognised hospitality, lifestyle, or international F&B brand is an advantage.
• Strong understanding of high-end hospitality, guest engagement, and VIP service standards.
• Proven track record of driving revenue, profitability, and operational performance.
• Strong financial knowledge, including budgeting, forecasting, P&L management, labour cost control, and cost management.
• Experience recruiting, leading, and developing large multicultural teams.
• Strong commercial awareness and the ability to identify opportunities to drive revenue and improve profitability.
• Excellent leadership, communication, interpersonal, and decision-making skills.
• Highly visible and hands-on leadership style, with a strong presence on the floor.
• Passion for hospitality, food and beverage, and delivering memorable guest experiences.
• Fluency in English is required; additional languages are an advantage.

About the Opportunity

This is an exciting opportunity to join an established hospitality group and play a key role in the launch and long-term success of a new concept in Abu Dhabi.