General Manager - Restaurant

General Manager / Director of Venue Operations — Scaling Transition ($1.5M ➔ $5M)

Location: Downtown Pittsburgh (Cultural District) — Olive or Twist

Current Footprint: Hybrid Private Events & Theater-Surge Lounge ➔ Target: 100% Exclusive Event Venue

Reporting To: Ownership / Managing Partner

The Opportunity & The Vision

Olive or Twist is an established landmark in Pittsburgh’s Cultural District currently generating $1.5M. We are actively executing an aggressive roadmap to scale our business to $5M in private event revenue inside our existing four walls over the next two years.

We are systematically shifting away from traditional dining room service to become downtown Pittsburgh’s premier, 100% private cocktail-event venue. Our food program is purpose-built: elevated grazing installations, high-impact small-plate displays, and interactive stations designed for seamless flow and rapid replenishment—no passed canapés, no seated banquet drag.

We are seeking a high-caliber General Manager who has operated in high-volume F&B environments ($5M+) to run the entire front-of-house engine, partner with our Kitchen Lead, own the weekly financial scorecards, and turn our four walls into a high-margin, flawlessly executed event machine.

Core Responsibilities & Ownership

1. Operational Command & Event Execution (≤175 Guests)

• 4-Walls Operational Ownership: Lead front-of-house operations, event staging, guest flow, and bar execution for private buyouts, corporate mixers, and theater-surge lounge windows.
• Flawless Turnarounds: Orchestrate tight run-of-shows and room resets, ensuring seamless transitions between afternoon corporate mixers, evening receptions, and weekend buyouts.
• VIP & Client Stewardship: Act as the face of the venue on event days, conducting client walkthroughs, executing Banquet Event Orders (BEOs) to spec, and driving exceptional client retention and referral rates.

2. Scaled Systems & Cross-Department Partnership

• BOH / Kitchen Partnership: Work in lockstep with the Working Kitchen Operations Lead to coordinate event timelines, station replenishment pacing, and inventory handoffs.
• SOP Architecture: Implement and uphold structured standard operating procedures (opening/closing checklists, bar build guides, server sidework matrices, and guest hospitality standards) that maintain consistency as event volume triples.
• Cultural District Sync: Coordinate staff scheduling and operational readiness directly with the Pittsburgh Cultural Trust performance calendar to capitalize on theater traffic.

3. Financial Discipline & Scaling Metrics

• P&L & Prime Cost Management: Drive four-wall profitability with relentless focus on beverage cost (target 18%–20%), total labor efficiency, and direct operating supplies.
• Dynamic Variable Labor Scheduling: Master sales-per-labor-hour (SPLH) scheduling—ramping up staffing for peak 175-guest events while running tight skeleton crews during prep and dark theater nights.
• Weekly Scorecard Accountability: Maintain and review weekly operational KPIs (labor variance, beverage gross margins, guest satisfaction scores, and revenue pacing) in accordance with the Scaling.com operating cadence.

4. Talent Development & Culture

• Build the Frontline Bench: Recruit, hire, cross-train, and hold accountable a sharp, professional hospitality team (bartenders, event servers, and barbacks) who embody modern, proactive hospitality.
• Performance Accountability: Conduct pre-shift briefings, inspect uniform and room standards, and coach in the moment—protecting the brand standard against operational drift.

Candidate Requirements

• Proven Scale Background: Required: 2+ years as a General Manager, Assistant GM, or Director of Operations in a high-volume venue, luxury boutique hotel, private club, or premier event space generating $4M to $7M+ in annual food & beverage revenue.
• Cocktail & Beverage Acumen: Deep knowledge of high-volume bar management, craft cocktail execution, liquor costing, inventory controls, and Pennsylvania LCB compliance.
• Event Mastery: Extensive hands-on experience executing private cocktail parties, corporate buyouts, and dynamic food station setups (≤200 guests).
• Systems & Scaling Mindset: Familiarity with structured business frameworks (e.g., Scaling.com, EOS, Scaling Up) and modern POS/ERP tech stacks (Toast, MarginEdge, Restaurant365, Tripleseat).
• High Floor Presence: An energetic, polished leader who commands the room from the floor—not an office manager hidden behind a laptop.

Compensation & Executive Upside

• Competitive Base Salary: Commensurate with experience (
• Quarterly Margin & Growth Bonuses: Performance incentives directly tied to four-wall EBITDA, prime cost targets, and quarterly scaling milestones.
• Clear Career Trajectory: Opportunity to lead total venue operations and step into multi-venue or group-level executive leadership as our portfolio expands.

Pay: $28.00 - $40.00 per hour

Benefits:

• Health insurance

Work Location: In person