General Manager

Gecko Hospitality NC; North Carolina; On-site; USD 120,000 - 170,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health, dental, and vision benefits

Paid time off

Employee meal and dining discounts

Leadership development and career增长

Job summary

Gecko Hospitality is seeking a dynamic General Manager to lead the launch and ongoing operation of a new fast-casual restaurant in Fayetteville, NC. You will recruit and develop the team, establish operational excellence, and drive sales while delivering an exceptional guest experience.

The ideal candidate is hands-on with strong business acumen, proven leadership in high-volume hospitality, and a track record of achieving profitability through effective labor, food costs, and service standards.

Qualifications

• Minimum 3-5 years restaurant management experience with at least 2 years in a General Manager role.
• Experience opening new restaurant locations strongly preferred.
• Strong leadership, coaching, and team-building skills.
• Demonstrated success managing labor, food costs, and overall restaurant profitability.
• Experience recruiting, hiring, and retaining high-performing teams.
• Knowledge of inventory management, scheduling, and restaurant financials.
• Ability to work in a fast-paced environment while maintaining high standards.
• Excellent communication, problem-solving, and organizational skills.
• ServSafe Certification or ability to obtain certification.

Responsibilities

• Lead all aspects of the restaurant's grand opening, including team recruitment, training, operational setup, and execution.
• Hire, train, coach, and develop management and hourly team members.
• Create a positive, guest-focused culture that promotes teamwork, accountability, and excellence.
• Drive sales growth through exceptional guest service, local community involvement, and operational execution.
• Manage daily restaurant operations, ensuring consistent food quality, cleanliness, and service standards.
• Monitor and analyze financial performance, including sales, labor, food costs, and profitability.
• Develop schedules that balance guest service needs with labor cost objectives.
• Ensure compliance with all company policies, food safety standards, and health department regulations.
• Oversee inventory management, purchasing, and vendor relationships.
• Maintain excellent standards of appearance, organization, and facility maintenance.
• Resolve guest concerns professionally and ensure a memorable dining experience.
• Execute marketing initiatives, promotions, and local store events.
• Review profit and loss statements and implement action plans to achieve financial goals.
• Build a strong bench of future leaders through training and succession planning.

Skills

Leadership

Coaching

Team-building

Labor management

Food cost management

Recruiting

Scheduling

Communication

Problem-solving

Organizational skills

Job description

Job Description

We are seeking an energetic, results-driven General Manager to lead the successful opening and ongoing operation of a new fast-casual restaurant in Fayetteville, NC. This individual will play a critical role in building the restaurant from the ground up, including hiring and developing the team, establishing operational excellence, driving sales growth, and creating an outstanding guest experience.

The ideal candidate is a hands-on leader with a passion for hospitality, strong business acumen, and a proven track record of leading high-volume restaurant operations.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead all aspects of the restaurant's grand opening, including team recruitment, training, operational setup, and execution.
• Hire, train, coach, and develop management and hourly team members.
• Create a positive, guest-focused culture that promotes teamwork, accountability, and excellence.
• Drive sales growth through exceptional guest service, local community involvement, and operational execution.
• Manage daily restaurant operations, ensuring consistent food quality, cleanliness, and service standards.
• Monitor and analyze financial performance, including sales, labor, food costs, and profitability.
• Develop schedules that balance guest service needs with labor cost objectives.
• Ensure compliance with all company policies, food safety standards, and health department regulations.
• Oversee inventory management, purchasing, and vendor relationships.
• Maintain excellent standards of appearance, organization, and facility maintenance.
• Resolve guest concerns professionally and ensure a memorable dining experience.
• Execute marketing initiatives, promotions, and local store events.
• Review profit and loss statements and implement action plans to achieve financial goals.
• Build a strong bench of future leaders through training and succession planning.

Qualifications

• Minimum of 3-5 years of restaurant management experience with at least 2 years in a General Manager role.
• Experience opening new restaurant locations strongly preferred.
• Strong leadership, coaching, and team-building skills.
• Demonstrated success managing labor, food costs, and overall restaurant profitability.
• Experience recruiting, hiring, and retaining high-performing teams.
• Knowledge of inventory management, scheduling, and restaurant financials.
• Ability to work in a fast-paced environment while maintaining high standards.
• Excellent communication, problem-solving, and organizational skills.
• ServSafe Certification or ability to obtain certification.

Preferred Experience

• Fast-casual or quick-service restaurant management experience.
• Multi-unit leadership exposure is a plus.
• Experience managing high-volume operations exceeding $2 million in annual sales.
• Strong community engagement and local marketing experience.

What Success Looks Like

• A smooth and successful restaurant opening.
• Strong guest satisfaction scores and positive community reputation.
• Achievement of sales, profitability, and labor goals.
• High employee retention and engagement.
• Consistent operational excellence and food quality standards.

Compensation & Benefits

• Competitive base salary
• Performance-based bonus program
• Health, dental, and vision benefits
• Paid time off
• Leadership development and career growth opportunities
• Employee meal and dining discounts

This is an exciting opportunity for a motivated restaurant leader to build a team, establish a culture, and make an immediate impact in launching a new location in the Fayetteville market.

Company Description

Gecko Hospitality, named to Forbes list of America’s Best Recruiting Firms, offers the largest selection of restaurants, catering, grocery store, corporate dining, senior living, healthcare foodservice, K-12 foodservice, and higher education foodservice positions. Our hospitality-exclusive team covers all 50 states and Canada and offers professional placement services with over 120 dedicated hospitality experts.

With Gecko's extensive list of hospitality recruiter services, we get you and your resume in front of the hospitality industry's leading decision-makers! Better yet, Gecko has exceptional national, regional, and local relationships and is well respected in the hospitality industry for enhancing hospitality careers.

Our national network consists of 80 regional offices driven to meet the needs of the hospitality ind