General Manager - New Site Opening

Loungers; Bradford; On-site; GBP 42,000 - 62,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Competitive base salary

Bonus

Overtime pay

Free meal on every shift

Christmas and Boxing Day off

Career development & training

Staff discounts 50%

Loungefest staff events

Early pay access via Stream

Support from Licensed Trade Charity

Job summary

Loungers is hiring a General Manager to lead Panno Lounge, a brand-new site in your area. You will build a strong team, drive exceptional hospitality and run the business with ownership and passion.

You’ll lead from the floor, partner with the Head Chef on food quality and operations, and focus on guest satisfaction, community engagement, and strong financial performance. This is a great progression opportunity within a successful UK group.

Qualifications

• Experience leading hospitality teams in a fast-paced environment.
• Proven ability to recruit, train and develop staff.
• Strong understanding of GP, labour, stock and KPIs.
• Comfortable running shifts and coaching on the floor.

Responsibilities

• Take full ownership of Panno Lounge — leading a variety of shifts, making sure the right people are in the right place and standards never slip
• Build, recruit and develop a strong team, with clear development plans for your team members so people know how to grow with you
• Work shoulder-to-shoulder with your Head Chef to stay across food quality, wait times, stock and training
• Know your numbers inside out — GP, labour, NPS, stock counts and use them to drive improvement
• Lead weekly HOD meetings and align across all shifts
• Engage with the local community through social media and events
• Schedule fair rotas at least two weeks in advance and lead on shift reporting

Skills

People leadership

Team building

Hospitality operations

Shift leadership

Recruitment & development

Job description

We're hiring a full-time General Manager to lead Panno Lounge, a local café bar. Part of Loungers, proudly named Casual Dining Group of the Year 2026. With competitive salary, plus bonus, paid overtime, and real progression opportunities, this is a great next step for an experienced hospitality general manager, or assistant general manager.

This is an exciting opportunity to join and lead the opening team at Panno Lounge, our brand-new site in your local area, and become part of one of the UK’s most successful restaurant groups.

About the General Manager Role

Lounges are pretty special places, and what makes them so special is the brilliant people who run them.

As General Manager you'll lead your Lounge. We're looking for a hands-on hospitality General Manager who loves building teams, delivering great hospitality, and running a business like it's their own. You'll be responsible for ensuring your lounge is the heart of the community and every customer leaves happy, It's the small things done brilliantly that make all the difference; from a perfectly made flat white to a little treat for our fluffy friends.

We're a growing hospitality brand across England and Wales with over 300 sites already and quickly growing. How far you go is really up to you.

What’s in it For You?

• Competitive base salary + bonus + overtime
• Permanent full-time role; 48-hour contract (40-hour contract option available)
• Overtime pay for every hour worked
• Achievable bonus scheme, paid twice a year
• Tips shared equally across the team, based on hours worked
• Free meal on every shift no matter the length
• Christmas and Boxing Day off
• Genuine career development with our in-house training courses and ‘Future Ops’ development programmes
• 50% discount on food and drinks from day one. Including alcohol across all our brands (Lounge, Cosy Club, & Brightside) from day one
• No uniform policy
• The most talked-about staff party in hospitality — Loungefest!
• Long service awards – Vouchers/Extra money
• Early access to your pay with Stream
• Emotional and practical support via the Licensed Trade Charity

What You’ll do

• Take full ownership of Panno Lounge — leading a variety of shifts, making sure the right people are in the right place and standards never slip
• Build, recruit and develop a strong team, with clear development plans for your team members so people know how to grow with you
• Work shoulder-to-shoulder with your Head Chef to stay across everything from food quality and wait times to stock, NSF standards and cross-team training
• Know your numbers inside out — GP, labour, NPS, stock counts and use them to make smart decisions and drive continuous improvement
• Lead weekly HOD meetings, keeping everyone aligned, motivated and pulling in the same direction across all 14 shifts
• Put Panno Lounge at the heart of your local community — through an active social media presence, community events, and building genuine relationships with your regulars and neighbours
• Schedule fair rotas at least two weeks in advance and take the lead on all shift reporting, including performance, customer issues and safety

What You’ll Bring

• A natural people leader — you build loyal, motivated teams by understanding what makes people tick. You create a one-team culture between front of house and kitchen, where people back each other and do their best work.
• Community-minded — you see your Lounge as part of the local area and build genuine relationships with guests, neighbours and the widercommunity.
• Hands on Leader — you lead from the floor, coach in the moment, and spot the details that make a difference. You help people grow, with clear development and real progression.
• Commercially minded — you’re confident with GP, labour, stock and KPIs, and use them to make smart decisions without losing sight of the customer. You treat your Lounge like it’s your own and understand how it fits into the bigger brand.
• Experienced and adaptable — you’ll have management experience in restaurants, bars, cafés or coffee shops, whether as a General Manager, Bar Manager, Assistant Manager, Deputy Manager or Restaurant Manager. You’re comfortable recruiting, training and developing teams, and you’re as happy running a shift as you are reviewing performance.

Ready to Apply?

We want to work with kind people so if you want to work hard, have fun and be part of the Loungers ride, we'd love to have you. Want to find out more? Check out our socials at @TheLounges