General Manager

About Starry Night Lounge

Starry Night Lounge is an exciting new live-music, dining and nightlife destination coming to West Nashville. Starry Night will offer familiar music presented in fresh and entertaining ways, elevated food and cocktails, outstanding hospitality and a lively late-night atmosphere.

The venue will feature ticketed dinner shows performed by the Starry Night Players, additional live entertainment, an outdoor patio experience and a late-night dance floor with a DJ.

Position Overview

We are seeking an experienced, entrepreneurial and highly engaged General Manager to lead the venue's launch and ongoing operations.

The General Manager will serve as the senior leader and will have significant responsibility for bringing the Starry Night vision to life. This individual will help establish the venue’s operating structure, build and lead the opening team, create exceptional service standards and oversee all aspects of the guest experience and business performance.

The ideal candidate is a hands-on hospitality leader who understands restaurants, bars, live entertainment and nightlife. This person must be comfortable operating in a fast-paced environment where the dining room transitions between multiple ticketed performances and a late-night dance experience.

Key Responsibilities

Pre-Opening Leadership

Partner with the owner, designers, contractors and other stakeholders throughout the venue’s development and opening.
Develop pre-opening timelines, operating procedures and launch plans.
Recruit, hire, train and retain a high-performing hospitality team.
Establish service standards that reflect an elevated, welcoming and energetic guest experience.
Assist with the selection and implementation of point-of-sale, reservations, ticketing, scheduling, payroll and inventory-management systems.
Coordinate vendor relationships and support the development of food, beverage and operating programs.
Ensure all required licenses, permits, inspections and compliance processes are completed before opening.
Plan and lead soft-opening events, staff rehearsals and operational testing.

Venue Operations

Direct all day-to-day operations, including dining, bar service, patio operations and late-night service.
Maintain a visible leadership presence during peak operating hours.
Coordinate closely with culinary, beverage, security and service teams.
Oversee the rapid transition of the dining room between scheduled performances and the late-night dance-floor setup.
Ensure shows and service periods begin and end on schedule without compromising the guest experience.
Develop systems that support smooth communication between front-of-house, back-of-house and entertainment personnel.
Maintain the cleanliness, safety, appearance and overall readiness of the venue.

Team Leadership

Build a positive, accountable and hospitality-focused workplace culture.
Lead, coach and develop managers, bartenders, servers, hosts, support staff, security personnel and other team members.
Establish clear performance expectations and consistently address coaching or performance concerns.
Create efficient staffing plans based on ticket sales, reservations, special events and projected business levels.
Conduct regular leadership meetings, pre-shift meetings and employee training.
Promote teamwork and effective communication across all departments.

Guest Experience

Create a distinctive experience that encourages guests to return for dinner, music, drinks and dancing.
Ensure every guest receives attentive, friendly and professional service.
Proactively address guest concerns and resolve service issues with good judgment and urgency.
Monitor guest feedback, online reviews and operating trends to identify opportunities for improvement.
Develop programs that recognize repeat guests and build long-term customer loyalty.
Protect the atmosphere and identity of Starry Night Lounge while ensuring the venue remains welcoming and inclusive.

Financial and Business Management

Develop and manage operating budgets, forecasts and financial goals.
Monitor revenue, labor, food costs, beverage costs, inventory and other controllable expenses.
Review profit-and-loss statements and provide regular performance updates to ownership.
Establish cash-handling, purchasing, inventory-control and loss-prevention procedures.
Analyze ticket sales, reservations, attendance, average guest spending and other key performance indicators.
Identify opportunities to increase revenue while maintaining quality and guest satisfaction.
Negotiate and manage relationships with suppliers, service providers and operating partners.

Food and Beverage Oversight

Partner with culinary and beverage leaders to deliver consistent, high-quality menu offerings.
Help develop an impressive cocktail, wine, beer and spirits program.
Ensure food and beverage offerings support the venue’s entertainment schedule and service model.
Maintain appropriate inventory levels and oversee purchasing and cost controls.
Ensure compliance with food-safety, alcohol-service and sanitation requirements.
Monitor product quality, presentation, preparation times and guest feedback.

Entertainment and Event Coordination

Collaborate with the band leader, to coordinate the venue’s performance schedule.
Ensure entertainment, dining and bar operations function as one cohesive guest experience.
Oversee operational details for special performances, private events and venue rentals.
Coordinate sound, lighting, security and staffing requirements for scheduled entertainment.
Build relationships within Nashville’s hospitality, music and entertainment communities.

Safety and Compliance

Maintain compliance with all applicable employment, health, fire, occupancy, food-service and alcohol-service regulations.
Develop responsible alcohol-service and incident-response procedures.
Coordinate security operations and establish clear protocols for guest and employee safety.
Maintain accurate operational, employee, financial and compliance records.
Respond appropriately to emergencies and unexpected operational issues.

Qualifications

At least 5–7 years of progressive hospitality-management experience.
Previous experience as a General Manager, Assistant General Manager, Director of Operations or senior venue leader strongly preferred.
Experience managing a high-volume restaurant, cocktail bar, live-music venue, nightclub, supper club or entertainment-driven hospitality concept.
Demonstrated success recruiting, training and leading large, diverse teams.
Strong understanding of restaurant and bar financial management, including budgeting, labor management, inventory and cost controls.
Experience opening a new restaurant, bar, venue or hospitality concept is highly preferred.
Knowledge of live-entertainment operations, ticketed events or performance scheduling is a plus.
Strong problem-solving, decision-making and conflict-resolution skills.
Excellent communication, organizational and interpersonal abilities.
Ability to remain calm, professional and decisive in a fast-moving environment.
Working knowledge of point-of-sale, scheduling, reservations, ticketing and inventory-management systems.
Knowledge of Tennessee alcohol regulations and Nashville hospitality requirements is preferred.

Schedule and Physical Requirements

Must be available to work evenings, late nights, weekends and holidays.
Must be willing to maintain a visible presence during the venue’s busiest operating periods.
Ability to move throughout the venue for extended periods.
Ability to work in an environment that includes live music, crowds and elevated sound levels.
Ability to lift or assist with operational materials weighing up to 30 pounds, when necessary.

Why Join Starry Night Lounge?

This is a rare opportunity to help create a hospitality and entertainment concept from the ground up. The General Manager will have a meaningful voice in shaping the team, culture, systems and guest experience of a new Nashville destination.

We are looking for someone who is energized by building something new, understands the importance of exceptional hospitality and has the leadership ability to turn an ambitious vision into a successful operation.

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