General Manager

Great Coast Commons | Kenilworth, Illinois

Compensation: $80,000–$100,000 annually, commensurate with experience and qualifications, plus benefits.

Lead and Grow an Exceptional Neighborhood Restaurant

Great Coast Commons is an independently owned neighborhood American bistro in Kenilworth, on Chicago's North Shore. We're known for excellent food, warm and welcoming surroundings, thoughtful service, and the relationships we've built with our guests and community.

We have an experienced culinary team, a talented group of employees, and a loyal following. We're proud of what we've created, and we believe there's considerable opportunity to make it even better.

We're seeking an exceptional General Manager who shares our love of hospitality and brings the initiative, creativity, and determination to develop our people, deepen our relationships with guests and the community, and help Great Coast realize its full potential.

Our Philosophy of Hospitality

We believe great hospitality begins with a genuine desire to serve others.

It's about making people feel welcome, comfortable, appreciated, and cared for. It's about recognizing needs before they're expressed, paying attention to the smallest details, and creating an experience that brings people together.

The best hospitality professionals lead by example. No job is beneath them, and they understand that caring for their colleagues is just as important as caring for their guests.

We're looking for someone who shares that philosophy and finds genuine satisfaction in inspiring others to embrace it.

The Opportunity

Great Coast is a relatively small, well-established restaurant where hospitality is personal and relationships matter. Our size allows for close collaboration among our team and a General Manager who can have a meaningful impact on nearly every aspect of the business.

This is a hands-on leadership position. Our GM is expected to be an active presence in the dining room—welcoming guests, developing relationships, supporting employees, and participating directly in service whenever needed.

With an experienced culinary team and a focused dinner-service schedule, the position also provides meaningful opportunities beyond daily operations. We want someone who will devote energy and creativity to staff development, guest relationships, community engagement, marketing, and improving the business.

The right person will combine the discipline to manage the details with the initiative and imagination to recognize opportunities and make things happen.

Key Responsibilities

• Staff leadership and development: Recruit, train, coach, and inspire our team. Develop meaningful ongoing education in hospitality, food, wine, cocktails, and service. Maintain and improve training resources, helping employees develop their abilities, confidence, and pride in their work.
• Guest hospitality and relationships: Lead the dining room with warmth, energy, and attention to detail. Get to know regular guests, welcome new ones, and cultivate the personal relationships that make a neighborhood restaurant special.
• Community engagement and business development: Build relationships with residents, local businesses, and community organizations. Develop and manage thoughtful marketing, social media, promotions, events, and outreach initiatives that strengthen Great Coast's place in the community.
• Food and beverage enthusiasm: Work closely with our culinary team to ensure an exceptional overall experience. Build staff knowledge and excitement about our menu, wine list, cocktails, and beverage offerings.
• Operational and financial management: Take responsibility for daily operations, including staffing, scheduling, payroll, purchasing, inventory, administrative systems, and opening and closing standards. Ensure that details are handled accurately, efficiently, and consistently while identifying opportunities to improve profitability.
• Leadership and accountability: Take initiative, communicate openly, follow through on commitments, and assume responsibility for results. Build a positive, professional workplace where employees understand expectations and take pride in meeting them.

Who We're Looking For

We welcome accomplished General Managers as well as exceptional Assistant General Managers or Directors of Operations who are ready for greater responsibility.

The right person will bring:

• A genuine love of restaurants, hospitality, food, wine, and people.
• Demonstrated success leading, motivating, and developing employees.
• Warmth, humility, maturity, integrity, and sound judgment.
• Excellent communication, organizational skills, and consistent follow-through.
• A natural ability to build relationships with guests and colleagues.
• Creativity, curiosity, initiative, and a desire to make things better.
• A solid understanding of restaurant operations and financial performance.
• The ambition and personal commitment to build something meaningful over the long term.

We value character, enthusiasm, and demonstrated accomplishments more than impressive titles or corporate credentials.

A Meaningful Long-Term Opportunity

Great Coast offers the opportunity to work closely with an experienced independent restaurant owner who cares deeply about the restaurant, its employees, its guests, and its place in the community.

The successful candidate will work alongside the owner during an extended transition, becoming thoroughly familiar with the business and gradually assuming greater independence and responsibility.

We're looking for someone who wants to make a lasting contribution and take genuine pride in the restaurant's success.

For an exceptional individual who demonstrates sustained commitment and results, there may be opportunities to explore performance-based incentives and a more substantial long-term relationship.

Compensation and Benefits

• Annual base salary of $80,000–$100,000, depending on experience and qualifications.
• Employer-provided health stipend, paid as additional taxable compensation.
• Paid time off.
• Complimentary meals during scheduled workdays.
• Monthly dining allowance for entertaining friends and family at Great Coast Commons.
• Potential for future performance-based compensation.
• A collaborative working relationship with the owner, substantial professional autonomy, and the opportunity to help shape the restaurant's future.

Join Us

We're looking for someone who takes real pleasure in making people feel cared for, believes in developing others, and has the energy and determination to make a wonderful neighborhood restaurant even better.

If that sounds like you, we'd welcome an introduction.

Please submit your résumé and a brief note telling us what you love most about hospitality, how you've helped develop a team or grown a restaurant, and why this opportunity interests you.