GiGi - Bar Operations Manager

Gusto Restaurants Ltd; Manchester; On-site; GBP 32,000 - 42,000; Full time

Job summary

GiGi is seeking a Bar Operations Manager to lead the GiGi bar, setting the tone for a premium hospitality experience. You will guide the team, protect standards and drive commercial performance through exceptional guest engagement, storytelling and flawless service.

You will nurture a culture of excellence, balancing energy with precision in every service, ensuring a seamless connection between bar and dining room and delivering a long Italian evening for guests.

Qualifications

• Leadership and guest-centric hospitality mindset.
• Strong operational and commercial instincts.
• Ability to build and coach a high-performing bar team.
• Passion for cocktails, wine, coffee and bar culture.
• Calm, organised and decisive during busy services.
• Curiosity and ongoing knowledge development for self and team.
• Ability to read the room, create energy and opportunities.
• Pride in delivering exceptional drinks and guest experiences.

Responsibilities

• Own the day-to-day operation and performance of the GiGi bar.
• Lead, inspire and develop a high-performing bar team.
• Drive bar sales through guest engagement and recommendations.
• Create a bar atmosphere that encourages longer stays.
• Ensure cocktails, wine, coffee and drinks are prepared with precision.
• Develop drinks knowledge across the team and storytelling.
• Own bar stock, ordering, GP, wastage and controls.
• Collaborate with General Manager to align bar and dining room.
• Maintain a well-presented, fully stocked bar ready for service.
• Champion Italian drinking culture and aperitivo rituals.
• Use sales data to identify opportunities and improve performance.
• Lead from the floor, support the team and create memorable moments.

Job description

Bar Operations Manager

The Bar at GiGi

THE ROLE

At GiGi, the bar is where the evening begins—and often where it ends.

It is where aperitivo turns into dinner, one cocktail becomes another and guests settle into the rhythm of a long Italian night. As Bar Operations Manager, you are more than the person who runs the bar—you are its leader, its host and the driving force behind its success.

Every drink should be exceptional. Every bartender should understand their craft. Every guest should feel there is always a reason to stay for one more.

This is a role for someone who combines genuine passion for drinks and hospitality with strong operational and commercial instinct. Someone who can build a brilliant bar team, create energy, protect standards and turn opportunity into sales without ever making hospitality feel transactional.

At GiGi, the bar isn't simply part of the restaurant.

It’s a destination of its own.

WHAT YOU WILL DO

• Own the day-to-day operation and performance of the GiGi bar, ensuring exceptional standards throughout every service
• Lead, inspire and develop a high‑performing bar team built on knowledge, personality and genuine hospitality
• Drive bar sales through exceptional guest engagement, confident recommendations and a deep understanding of the guest journey
• Create a bar atmosphere that encourages guests to arrive earlier, stay longer and return more often
• Ensure every cocktail, wine, coffee and drink is prepared with precision, consistency and pride
• Develop the drinks knowledge of the wider team, creating confident storytellers who understand what they are serving and why
• Take ownership of bar stock, ordering, GP, wastage and controls, delivering strong commercial performance
• Work closely with the General Manager and restaurant leadership team to deliver a seamless experience between the bar and dining room
• Maintain a beautifully presented, organised and fully stocked bar that is always ready for service
• Champion Italian drinking culture, aperitivo and the ritual of a long evening at GiGi
• Use sales and performance insight to identify opportunities, challenge results and continually improve bar performance
• Lead from the floor, reading the room, supporting the team and creating memorable moments for every guest

WHO YOU ARE

• A natural leader and host with warmth, confidence and personality
• Passionate about cocktails, wine, coffee and exceptional bar culture
• Commercially minded and motivated by driving sales and improving performance
• Someone who understands that the best upselling feels like brilliant hospitality
• Calm, organised and decisive during busy services
• Curious and committed to continually developing your own knowledge and the knowledge of your team
• A strong coach who enjoys developing bartenders and building confident, passionate teams
• Someone who reads the room, spots opportunity and knows how to create energy
• Proud of your craft and committed to making the GiGi bar somewhere guests choose to visit

EXPERIENCE

• Previous experience leading a bar within a quality, premium or high-volume hospitality environment
• Proven experience developing and motivating successful bar teams
• Strong knowledge of cocktails, spirits, wine, coffee and bar operations
• Experience managing stock, GP, wastage and operational controls
• A track record of driving bar sales and improving commercial performance
• A passion for Italian aperitivo culture, drinks and exceptional hospitality
• The ambition to grow with GiGi as we build something truly special

Every great evening starts with a drink. Every unforgettable bar begins with exceptional leadership.

Lead the Bar. Set the Rhythm. Create the Memory.

Built for the pleasure of a long Italian evening.

To express your interest, we'd love to hear from you.