General Manager - New-Opening Fine Dining

The Recruiting Hive; Freehold (NJ); On-site; USD 120,000 - 180,000; Full time

Job summary

The Recruiting Hive is seeking an experienced General Manager to lead a new restaurant from opening through ongoing operations, shaping culture, standards, and identity. This hands-on role requires operating the restaurant as if it were your own, aligned with ownership expectations.

The ideal candidate has proven GM experience in high-volume, polished full-service concepts, with a strong grasp of labor, COGS, inventory, and P&L, plus opening experience and a genuine hospitality mindset.

Qualifications

• Proven GM experience in a high-volume, polished full-service restaurant.
• Experience with seafood, raw bar, steakhouse, or elevated dining.
• New restaurant opening experience highly preferred.
• Strong understanding of labor, scheduling, COGS, inventory, and P&L performance.
• Strong understanding of reservation management, pacing, and maximizing restaurant capacity.
• Excellent understanding of guest service and hospitality mindset.
• Ability to recruit, train, develop, and retain a strong management and hourly team.
• Ability to establish systems and standards rather than simply inherit them.
• Protecting the asset of the business through ABC regulations and workplace culture.

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, and financial controls.
• Work with culinary leadership to maintain FOH and BOH consistency.
• Manage reservations, pacing, table turns, and overall restaurant flow.
• Lead management meetings, pre-shifts, training, and continuous staff development.
• Maintain a strong on-floor management presence.
• Handle guest feedback and recovery while building relationships with regular guests.

Skills

GM experience

High-volume restaurant

Fine dining knowledge

Opening experience

Labor management

COGS & P&L

Reservations management

Staff development

Guest experience

Leadership presence

Job description

The Recruiting Hive is seeking an experienced General Manager to lead a new restaurant from opening through ongoing operations, shaping culture, standards, and identity. This hands-on role requires operating the restaurant as if it were your own, aligned with ownership expectations.

The ideal candidate has proven GM experience in high-volume, polished full-service concepts, with a strong grasp of labor, COGS, inventory, and P&L, plus opening experience and a genuine hospitality mindset.