General Manager - New Site Opening

Loungers plc; Farnborough; On-site; GBP 45,000 - 65,000; Full time

Job summary

Loungers plc is recruiting a hands-on General Manager to lead Volo Lounge, a brand-new site in your local area. You will build and manage a dedicated team, drive hospitality standards, and ensure every guest leaves happy.

Joining a growing restaurant group, you’ll own the operation from shift scheduling to stock, GP, and community engagement, with development pathways and a competitive package including bonus and overtime.

Qualifications

• Experience as General Manager or similar in restaurants, bars, cafés
• Hands-on leader who builds and develops teams
• Strong understanding of GP, labour, stock and KPIs
• Able to lead from the floor and drive standards

Responsibilities

• Take ownership of Volo Lounge operations across shifts
• Build, recruit and develop a high-performing team
• Collaborate with Head Chef on food quality, stock and service times
• Monitor GP, labour and KPIs; drive continuous improvement
• Lead weekly leadership meetings and ensure alignment across shifts

Skills

People leadership

Team development

Commercial acumen

Hospitality operations

Job description

We're hiring a full-time General Manager to lead Volo 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 Volo 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 Volo 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 Volo 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.