General Manager

 

Description:

Mafra Talents is proud to partner with our client in the search for a hands-on, commercially minded General Manager to lead the full operation of this waterfront venue. This is a strong opportunity for a hospitality leader who can advance the business, driving commercial performance, growing the brunch, bar, and group/celebration business, and leading an engaged team while preserving the character and guest experience that make the venue a neighbourhood favourite.

As General Manager, you will hold full accountability for the venue: its people, its performance, and its reputation. You will set the strategy, lead the team, and own the numbers, balancing day-to-day operational excellence with a plan to grow revenue, elevate the guest experience, and strengthen the venue’s presence for groups and celebrations. You will own the profitability of the operation and uphold the highest standards of service, quality, and safety.

Our client is seeking a leader who thinks like an operator and a host: someone who can read the market, build repeat and walk-in traffic, develop a strong management bench, and take the business to its next stage of growth with a positive, guest-first mindset.

 

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

Strategic & Commercial Leadership

• Hold full P&L accountability, revenue growth, cost control, and profitability across restaurant, bar, and brunch/social-hour programmes.

• Develop and execute a business plan to advance the venue, identifying opportunities to grow covers, average spend, and group/celebration revenue.

• Analyze performance data to inform pricing, staffing, and operational decisions.

• Partner with senior leadership on budgeting, forecasting, and growth initiatives.

• Own compliance with all cost-control budgets, including but not limited to hourly labour, food cost, and beverage cost.

Groups & Celebrations

• Grow and lead the group-dining and celebration business, maximizing use of the venue’s patio and dining spaces for bookings.

• Build repeat and referral bookings, cultivating relationships with corporate, birthday, and community clients.

• Ensure flawless planning and delivery of group bookings alongside the culinary and service teams.

Operations & Guest Experience

• Lead all day-to-day operations to the highest standards of service, quality, consistency, and presentation.

• Uphold and elevate the guest experience across the dining room, bar, and waterfront patio.

• Drive and monitor the venue’s guest satisfaction and online reputation, including OpenTable and Google review rankings, and act on the feedback they surface.

• Ensure full compliance with health, safety, liquor (AGCO), and food-safety regulations at all times.

• Use the venue’s POS, scheduling, and inventory / cost-control systems to manage performance day to day, with the ability to get up to speed quickly on the group’s platforms.

Team Leadership

• Lead, coach, and develop the front- and back-of-house team, building a strong management bench.

• Own recruitment, training, scheduling, and performance management to drive engagement and retention.

• Foster a culture of accountability, hospitality, and continuous improvement that reflects the venue’s standards and community role.

Community & Brand

• Create, nurture, and grow community relationships that extend the impact and reach of the brand within its neighbourhood.

• Represent the venue as a visible local ambassador, building partnerships with neighbourhood businesses, community groups, and local organisations.

• Protect and strengthen the venue’s reputation as a welcoming waterfront destination.

QUALIFICATIONS

• 5+ years of progressive hospitality leadership, ideally as a General Manager or senior operations leader in a high-volume, guest-focused restaurant or bar.

• Experience with brunch, bar/social-hour, patio, and group or celebration bookings is strongly preferred.

• Commercially driven mindset with full P&L ownership and a proven track record of growing a business.

• Proven ability to lead, develop, and retain front- and back-of-house teams.

• Proven ability to elevate the guest experience, measured by OpenTable and Google review rankings.

• Proven ability to create, nurture, and grow community relationships that further extend the impact of a brand within its neighbourhood.

• Strong financial acumen, budgeting, forecasting, cost control, and data-informed decision-making.

• Track record of delivering against cost-control budgets, including hourly labour, food cost, and beverage cost.

• Excellent communication and relationship-building skills with guests, clients, and teams.

• Smart Serve certification and sound knowledge of AGCO / liquor regulations.

• Food Handler Certificate an asset; a diploma or degree in hospitality or business is a definite asset.