General Manager

SUMMARY:
An exciting new social entertainment venue in West Durban is seeking a dynamic, commercially minded GENERAL MANAGER to lead the business from pre-opening setup through to full operation.

POSITION INFO:
This is a hands-on leadership role for an experienced operator who thrives on ownership and can build a business from the ground up. The ideal candidate will come from a high-volume, guest-facing environment such as a busy restaurant group, QSR, padel or entertainment venue, bar, or club, and will be equally comfortable setting up operating systems as running the floor once doors open. Core Criteria: Proven experience as a GM or senior operator in a high-volume, guest-facing hospitality, leisure, or entertainment business Strong P&L management, budgeting, cost control, and forecasting experience Experience setting up SOPs, staffing structures, and operating systems (pre-opening experience highly advantageous) Strong people management, recruitment, and training ability Confident working with POS systems and using data to drive operational decisions Sales and marketing experience, including promotions, events, and driving repeat business Entrepreneurial, ownership-minded approach with the confidence to work independently Comfortable with extended, seven-day operating hours, including opening and closing shifts Core Responsibilities: Take full ownership of pre-opening readiness: staffing structure, recruitment, rostering, SOPs, and operating systems Coordinate with contractors, suppliers, and stakeholders to ensure the venue is operationally ready for launch Manage procurement, stock planning, and opening stock Set up POS and reporting systems ahead of opening Train and onboard the full team before launch Manage the full P&L, budgets, cost control, and forecasting once operational Maintain high service standards and remain highly visible within the venue Drive sales, marketing, promotions, and events to build traffic and repeat business Develop corporate, group, league, and other revenue opportunities Lead and manage the team, overseeing rosters and labour control Report regularly to ownership on performance and operational matters On Offer: Salary: R50,000 - R60,000 CTC per month, dependent on experience, with a performance incentive to be structured once budgets are finalised This is a live-out position The opportunity to build and shape a brand-new venue from the ground up, with genuine scope to grow the business