General Manager - UK

Zizzi Restaurants; Bedford; On-site; GBP 45,000 - 65,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Performance bonus up to 30%

Earned wage access

Free meals on shift

Discounts on travel and cinema

24/7 Virtual GP

Employee assistance program

Job summary

Zizzi Restaurants in Bedford is seeking a General Manager to drive restaurant performance from day one. You will lead both management and kitchen teams, embedding our values with high-energy leadership to ensure every guest has a feel-good experience.

You'll recruit, train, and coach staff, maintain brand standards, optimise labour and stock, and deliver strong KPIs. The role offers a competitive salary with a generous bonus scheme and benefits packages.

Qualifications

• Proven experience leading diverse teams in high-volume, fast-paced hospitality.
• People person who can motivate and develop teams to deliver exceptional food and service.
• Proven ability to drive business growth and KPI achievement.
• Experience managing costs, stock and labour budgets.

Responsibilities

• Recruit, build, and retain a brilliant team that embodies Zizzi culture.
• Lead your team to deliver standout hospitality and memorable guest experiences daily.
• Maintain a clean, high-standard restaurant with strong kerb appeal.
• Be a menu expert with passion for top-quality dishes.
• Drive performance focusing on labour and stock control.
• Lead with high standards, following health, safety and food safety policies.

Skills

Team leadership

Customer experience

Cost control

KPI delivery

Staff development

Job description

Competative Salary inc Generous Bonus Scheme and Tronc

Our Story

Zizzi started in 1999 with a little wine, a big oven, and an even bigger dream to serve Italian, our way. You'll know us for good times, bubbly pizza, and fresh pasta. We don't do bland food, people or restaurants.

About The Role

As General Manager, you are responsible for your restaurant's successes. Leading your management and kitchen teams, you'll bring our values to life through high-energy leadership. We're looking for a leader who demands the best for our guests while keeping a sharp eye on standards and performance. You'll lead by example, ensuring every guest has a feel-good experience.

What you'll do:

• Recruit, build, and retain a brilliant team that gets the Zizzi culture.
• Lead your entire team to deliver standout hospitality and memorable customer experiences every day.
• Maintain a clean, high-standard restaurant with great kerb appeal.
• Be a menu expert with a passion for picture-perfect dishes and top-tier food quality.
• Drive performance, focusing on labour and stock control to be better than yesterday.
• Lead with high standards, keeping everyone safe by following all health, safety, and food safety policies.

What's in it for you:

• Performance bonus up to 30% of your salary.
• Clear development opportunities. Over 90% of our Ops Managers and Central Support Teams started as Zizzi restaurant GMs.
• Regular events, GM roadshows, and team incentives.
• Access your earned wages whenever you need them with Stream.
• Free meals when you're on shift, and 50% off when you aren't.
• 24/7 Virtual GP and Employee Assistance Program.
• Discounts on travel, cinema, and top brands.

What we're looking for:

• An obsession with maintaining high brand standards
• Proven experience leading diverse teams in a high-volume, fast-paced environment.
• A people person who can motivate, coach, and develop their team to deliver exceptional food and service.
• Proven experience in delivering business growth and meeting KPIs.
• Experience managing costs, stock control, and labour budgets.
• The ability to lead from the front during our busiest times, including evenings, weekends and holiday periods.

Why you'll fit right in:

We want you leading the restaurant, as you are, from day 1. We love individuality - bold tattoos, bad singing, big laugh, brave choices.

We're a Times Top 500 Employer because we celebrate everyone's differences. While we're on that, we're also the only Italian restaurant in the FT's UK's Best Employers 2026 Special Report (all about working conditions, salary, potential for development and company image).