General Manager - Full-service restaurant

H.T. Prof Executive Search; Freehold, Northern (NJ, KY); Hybrid; USD 90,000 - 140,000; Full time

Job summary

H.T. Prof Executive Search is seeking an experienced General Manager to lead a flagship restaurant in Freehold, NJ, from opening through steady-state operation. This hands-on role requires establishing culture, systems, standards, and the brand identity while upholding ownership expectations.

The GM will drive talent development, P&L discipline, and guest experiences, coordinating closely with culinary leadership and HR/payroll teams to ensure exceptional service and financial performance.

Qualifications

• Proven General Manager experience in a high-volume, polished full-service restaurant.
• Seafood, raw bar, steakhouse, or elevated dining experience strongly preferred.
• New restaurant opening experience highly preferred.
• Strong understanding of food, wine, spirits, cocktails, and elevated service.
• Excellent guest recovery and problem-solving skills.

Responsibilities

• Oversee all day-to-day restaurant operations.
• Recruit, hire, train, coach, and develop management and hourly employees.
• Maintain service, hospitality, cleanliness, and operational standards.
• Manage scheduling and labor performance.
• Monitor sales, COGS, inventory, purchasing, comps, voids, cash controls, etc.
• Collaborate with culinary leadership to align FOH and BOH.
• Manage reservations, pacing, table turns, and restaurant flow.
• Lead management meetings, pre-shifts, training, and staff development.
• Maintain strong management presence on the floor.
• Handle guest feedback and recovery; build relationships with regulars.
• Ensure organization, cleanliness, facility standards, and readiness.
• Identify operational problems and create proactive solutions.
• Develop managers and identify future leaders.
• Maintain positive, professional, accountable workplace culture.

Skills

General Manager experience

Elevated dining knowledge

New restaurant opening experience

Food/wine/spirits knowledge

Guest service leadership

Talent recruitment & development

Labor, scheduling, COGS, P&L

Reservations management & capacity

Operational systems & standards

Guest recovery & problem solving

Hospitality mindset

Leadership collaboration with culinary

Strategic growth & community presence

Accountability culture

Job description

Location Freehold, NJ
No Remote

Type Direct Hire

General Manager

We are looking for an experienced General Manager capable of leading the restaurant from the opening phase forward and establishing the culture, systems, standards, and identity of the operation.

This is a hands-on leadership position. The GM should operate the restaurant like it is their own business while working within the standards and expectations of the ownership group.

What We're Looking For

• Proven General Manager experience in a high-volume, polished full-service restaurant
• Seafood, raw bar, steakhouse, or elevated dining experience strongly preferred
• New restaurant opening experience highly preferred
• Strong understanding of food, wine, spirits, cocktails, and elevated service
• Strong floor presence and ability to control service during high-volume periods
• Ability to recruit, train, develop, and retain a strong management and hourly team
• Excellent understanding of labor, scheduling, COGS, inventory, purchasing, and P&L performance
• Strong understanding of reservation management, pacing, and maximizing restaurant capacity
• Extremely organized with strong attention to detail
• Comfortable holding managers and employees accountable
• Able to establish systems and standards rather than simply inherit them
• Strong guest recovery and problem-solving skills
• Genuine hospitality mentality with the ability to create memorable guest experiences
• Comfortable working closely with culinary leadership and senior leadership
• Ability to think beyond daily operations and contribute to the continued growth of the restaurant
• Protecting the asset of the business through all avenues including but not limited to ABC regulations, theft, and overall workplace culture
• Work directly with our HR partner and accounting teams

Core Responsibilities

• Oversee all day-to-day restaurant operations
• Recruit, hire, train, coach, and develop management and hourly employees
• Maintain service, hospitality, cleanliness, and operational standards
• Manage scheduling and labor performance
• Monitor sales, COGS, inventory, purchasing, comps, voids, cash controls, and other key financial metrics
• Work closely with culinary leadership to maintain consistency between FOH and BOH
• Manage reservations, pacing, table turns, and overall restaurant flow
• Lead management meetings, pre-shifts, training, and continued employee development
• Maintain a strong management presence on the floor
• Handle guest feedback and recovery while developing relationships with regular guests
• Maintain organization, cleanliness, facility standards, and restaurant readiness
• Identify operational problems and create solutions before they become larger issues
• Develop managers and identify future leaders within the organization
• Maintain a positive, professional, accountable workplace culture

Marketing & Community Involvement

• Actively represent the concept and brand within the local community
• Build relationships with local businesses, organizations, charities, community leaders, and potential partners
• Identify opportunities for partnerships, events, sponsorships, and community involvement
• Participate in and help develop local store marketing initiatives
• Provide ideas, feedback, and operational insight to the DOH marketing team
• Identify opportunities to drive traffic during slower periods through events, promotions, partnerships, and programming
• Contribute ideas for social media content, special events, menu promotions, holidays, and restaurant happenings
• Understand the restaurant's guest base and provide feedback on what guests are responding to
• Develop relationships with regular guests and actively work to turn first-time guests into repeat guests

The GM should constantly be thinking about how to improve the restaurant operationally while making it better known, more connected, and more relevant within its community.