General Manager

General Manager
Champers Social Club · SoHo, New York · Full-Time, Salaried
Reports to: CEO · Leads: Assistant General Manager, Floor Managers & Front-of-House Team

ABOUT CHAMPERS
Champers Social Club is SoHo’s boutique Champagne bar and all-day café, pouring a curated selection of bubbles alongside delicious bites. We blend an upscale, high-energy atmosphere with approachable luxury, a curated Champagne and cocktail program, and a highly stylized guest experience.

Champers is part of Festive & Co, a family of retail and hospitality concepts that includes Feste, led by husband-and-wife team Brenna Gilbert and Andrew McCaughan. Our leadership brings decades of experience from LVMH, Anthropologie, URBN, USHG, and Shake Shack.

But what we’re proudest of is simpler: people come back. A glass at the bar, dinner with friends, or a night to celebrate, we want every guest to feel like a regular.

THE ROLE
We’re looking for an experienced, hospitality-obsessed General Manager to lead Champers Social Club. You’ll own the restaurant from end to end: the guest experience, the team, the beverage program, events, and the P&L. You’ll report to our CEO, lead our Assistant General Manager, Floor Managers, and front-of-house team, and partner with our Director of Culinary Operations to run one seamless restaurant.

This is a floor-first leadership role. You’ll be present for peak service, set the tone at pre-shift, and know our regulars by name, while building the systems, training, and culture that keep Champers consistent and growing.

The right person is obsessed with Champagne and sparkling wine, has a strong taste level, and thinks both creatively and analytically, with a proven record of driving sales and profitability.

WHAT YOU'LL DO

Leadership & Guest Experience
• Lead the Restaurant: Be the face of Champers: present on the floor during peak service, setting the pace, reading the room, and stepping in wherever guests or the team need you.
• Pre-Shift: Make sure every pre-shift runs on time and in our four-step format: the numbers, a steps of service focus, the daily drill, and housekeeping and energy.
• Guest Experience: Own the quality of hospitality, service, food, and beverage, and keep raising the bar on what makes a visit memorable.
• Regulars & VIPs: Build relationships with regulars and VIPs, turn new guests into regulars, and handle guest feedback and recovery personally.
• Ambience: Keep the room right at all times, from lighting and temperature to music and presentation.

Business & Financial Performance
• P&L: Own the restaurant P&L: sales, labor, cost of goods, and controllable expenses. Build the budget with the CEO and deliver against it.
• Sales Growth: Grow revenue through check average, beverage sales, events, and new guests, and partner with leadership on promotions and seasonal programming.
• Labor & Payroll: Oversee scheduling against volume and labor targets, approve payroll, and manage the tip pool accurately and in line with policy.
• Reporting: Share weekly results with the CEO, including sales, covers, labor, cost of goods, and guest feedback, with clear actions to hit targets.
• Cash & Controls: Own cash handling, comps, voids, and nightly reporting, and make sure every manager follows our closing and cash-drop procedures.

Beverage Program
• Champagne, Wine & Cocktails: Own the beverage program, from the wine list, flights, and cocktails to pricing, costs, and inventory, partnering with our purchasing team.
• Wine Education: Make sure every Server can deliver our flight scripts, and lead tastings and wine training with the AGM and Senior Bartenders.

Events & Private Dining
• Event Sales: Oversee event and large-party sales, from inquiry and proposal to booking, and grow our private event business.
• Execution: Make sure every event runs flawlessly, aligning with the Director of Culinary Operations on menus, staffing, and timing.

Team & Culture
• Hiring: Recruit and hire a front-of-house team that reflects the energy and hospitality of Champers, and keep a proactive talent pipeline.
• Leadership Development: Coach and develop the Assistant General Manager and Floor Managers, and build the next generation of Champers leaders.
• Training: Own our training system, including the FOH Training Manual, chapter quizzes, training plans, and daily checklists, and hold every team member to our training levels.
• Performance: Set clear expectations, hold regular check-ins, and lead performance reviews so every team member has a path to grow.
• Culture: Build a positive, collaborative culture across front and back of house, with clear communication before, during, and after service.

Operations & Compliance
• Standards: Make sure opening, closing, and DOH walkthrough checklists are completed and signed off every day.
• Compliance: Keep Champers compliant with NYC Department of Health standards, liquor laws, labor laws, and the policies in our Employee Handbook.
• Facilities & Vendors: Manage maintenance, repairs, and key vendor relationships so the restaurant is always guest-ready.
• Kitchen Partnership: Partner with the Director of Culinary Operations on menu, service, timing, food cost, and guest feedback.

WHAT YOU BRING
• 5+ years of restaurant management experience, including 2+ years as a General Manager or Assistant General Manager in an upscale or high-volume restaurant
• Deep knowledge of Champagne, sparkling wine, and beverage, with a strong taste level (WSET or Court of Master Sommeliers certification a plus)
• Proven ownership of a restaurant P&L, with a record of growing sales and managing labor and cost of goods
• Hands-on experience with payroll, scheduling, POS, and reservation systems (Toast and Resy a plus)
• Working knowledge of NYC Department of Health and liquor regulations, and an NYC Food Protection Certificate (or the ability to get one)
• Warm, decisive leadership, with excellent written and verbal communication
• Flexibility to work nights, weekends, and holidays

WHAT WE OFFER
• Salary range: $95000-105000 based on experience
• 401(k), with eligibility to enroll immediately
• Pre-tax stipend toward personal health insurance after 90 days
• Team dining discount at Champers and team discount at Feste

PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS
• Stand and walk for up to 8 hours or the length of a full shift
• Lift and carry up to 25 pounds
• Navigate stairs safely and regularly throughout the shift
Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions of this role.

JOIN THE TEAM
Hospitality is the whole job here. We look for people who notice the details, love making someone’s night, and want to build something special with us as Festive & Co grows. If that sounds like you, we’d love to meet.

Champagne for the people.

Festive & Co is an equal opportunity employer. We celebrate difference and are committed to building a team that reflects the neighborhoods and guests we serve.