General Manager

Be Part of a New Dining Story in Jeddah. Lead from the Very Beginning!

A new Japanese hand roll bar is preparing to open in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, and is looking for a hands-on General Manager to lead the opening and oversee the day-to-day operation.

The concept will be an intimate, smart-casual Japanese restaurant with approximately 40 covers, offering a highly guest-focused dining experience. The venue will place strong emphasis on personality, attention to detail, warm hospitality and the ability to create a relaxed and engaging atmosphere, alongside strong operational standards.

This opportunity could suit an experienced General Manager, but would equally be a strong fit for an accomplished Restaurant Manager or Assistant Restaurant Manager who is ready to take the next step and take ownership of a new restaurant opening.

The Role:

As General Manager, you will take ownership of the restaurant's opening and ongoing operation, working closely with the wider Leylaty management team.

You will be responsible for:

• Supporting the pre-opening and successful launch of the restaurant.
• Leading daily restaurant operations and maintaining consistently high service standards.
• Being highly visible on the floor and building genuine relationships with guests.
• Recruiting, training, motivating and developing the restaurant team.
• Creating an energetic, warm and professional service culture.
• Managing schedules, staffing levels and day-to-day team performance.
• Working closely with the culinary team to ensure smooth coordination between kitchen and service.
• Managing guest feedback and resolving issues confidently and personally.
• Maintaining excellent standards of presentation, cleanliness, hygiene and food safety.
• Managing inventory, stock controls and operational costs.
• Monitoring sales, productivity and restaurant performance.
• Identifying opportunities to increase revenue and build repeat business.
• Ensuring the restaurant consistently reflects Leylaty's standards and personality.

The Person:

We are looking for someone who combines strong restaurant fundamentals with genuine personality.

You may already be a General Manager, or you may currently be a Restaurant Manager or Assistant Restaurant Manager who is ready for greater responsibility.

You should be:

• Hands-on and happiest working alongside the team rather than managing from an office.
• Naturally warm, confident and engaging with guests.
• Charismatic, energetic and able to create atmosphere.
• Polished and well presented.
• A strong communicator and people leader.
• Commercially aware and comfortable taking ownership of restaurant performance.
• Comfortable operating in a relatively small, intimate restaurant where the GM is highly visible.
• Experienced in quality restaurants, luxury hospitality or premium casual dining.
• Experience with Japanese restaurants, sushi or hand-roll concepts would be particularly relevant, as would previous pre-opening experience, but neither should prevent us considering an otherwise exceptional candidate.
• International experience and experience working with multicultural teams would also be valuable.