General Manager

The Italian Greyhound; City of Westminster; On-site; GBP 50,000 - 70,000; Full time

Job summary

The Italian Greyhound is seeking a General Manager who can unite exceptional hospitality, commercial thinking and inspiring leadership. This role anchors culture, standards and ambition across the team from floor to strategy.

You’ll own the guest experience and the restaurant’s commercial performance, forecasting, labour and margins, while developing a confident leadership team. From weddings to intimate events and daily service, you’ll shape every moment in line with the venue’s personality.

Qualifications

• Proven experience as a General Manager or exceptional Deputy GM.
• Experience leading premium hospitality environments where service matters.
• Strong commercial instinct with ability to influence P&L.
• Hands-on operator who enjoys leading from the floor.
• Experience growing weddings, events or private dining.
• Confident people leader with coaching and development skills.

Responsibilities

• Lead the guest experience on the floor with pace, energy and standards.
• Own the restaurant's commercial performance including forecasting and margins.
• Build and coach a confident leadership team with regular feedback.
• Develop weddings, events and private dining into strong commercial opportunities.
• Set and uphold food, drinks, service and presentation standards.
• Cultivate a positive culture where staff grow and take ownership.

Skills

Leadership

Commercial thinking

Hospitality experience

People development

P&L awareness

Autonomy

Calm under pressure

Job description

Some restaurants are simply places to eat. We believe The Italian Greyhound should be somewhere people genuinely want to spend time.

We're looking for a General Manager who can bring together exceptional hospitality, commercial thinking and inspiring leadership. Someone who understands that the atmosphere guests experience is built long before the first table sits, through the culture, standards and ambition of the team behind it.

This is a role for someone who is genuinely 360. You're just as comfortable leading a packed Saturday night service as you are presenting a monthly P&L. You enjoy developing people, spotting opportunities, delivering exceptional events and treating the business as if it were your own.

Above all, you understand that great restaurants aren't built by choosing between people or performance. They come from getting both right.

What you'll own

The guest experience - You'll lead from the floor, setting the pace, energy and standards every single day. You'll know your regulars, create memorable experiences for first-time guests, and ensure every service reflects everything The Italian Greyhound stands for.

The business - You'll have complete ownership of the commercial performance of the restaurant. Forecasting, labour, stock, margins, cost control and profitability won't be reports you simply review—they'll be levers you confidently use to drive the business forward.

Your leadership team - You'll build confident managers who don't simply follow instructions—they think, lead and make great decisions. You'll coach, challenge and develop your team through regular feedback, meaningful conversations and clear expectations, creating an environment where people genuinely grow.

Weddings, events & memorable occasions - From intimate celebrations to full wedding receptions and exclusive private dining, this is one of the restaurant's biggest commercial opportunities and it's yours to grow. You'll work with sales, kitchen and marketing to deliver every event flawlessly, chase down enquiries, and create occasions guests still talk about months later.

Standards - Whether it's food quality, drinks, service, compliance or presentation, you'll create standards that are consistently exceptional—not because you're watching, but because your team genuinely believes in them too.

Culture - You'll be a custodian of our culture, bringing it to life through the way you lead, coach and support your team every day. Culture isn't something written on a wall—it's something lived every day.

What we're looking for

• Proven experience as a General Manager, or an exceptional Deputy General Manager or for the next step.

• Experience leading high-quality, premium hospitality environments where service genuinely matters.

• Strong commercial instinct with the ability to understand and influence every area of the P&L.

• A hands-on operator who enjoys being present with the team as much as analysing the numbers behind the business.

• Proven experience growing a private dining, events or weddings business, from enquiry to execution.

• A confident people leader who is comfortable managing recruitment, coaching, succession planning, performance conversations and employee relations with fairness and confidence.

• Someone who thrives with autonomy, enjoys making decisions and takes real ownership for results.

• Calm under pressure, naturally organised and able to inspire confidence in both guests and teams.

Why join us?

The Italian Greyhound is part of a small, founder-led collection of independent restaurants where every venue has its own personality, but all share the same belief: Joy Built In, not bolted on. You'll work closely with the founders and senior leadership, with the freedom to shape the restaurant, influence decisions and make a genuine impact, working with talented people who care deeply about hospitality and want to build something exceptional together.