Find & Apply For Restaurant / Food Service Manager Jobs in Highland Park, Illinois

Location:

Highland Park, Illinois Position:

Full-Time General Manager Madame ZuZu's is a café, tea shop, retail store, and live music venue. We are looking for an experienced, hands-on General Manager to oversee the day-to-day operation of the entire cafe and create a consistently excellent experience for our guests. This role requires someone who can balance hospitality, retail, food & beverage, events, and team management while maintaining the unique character of ZuZu's. Key Responsibilities Oversee all daily operations across the café, retail shop, and music venue Lead, schedule, train, and manage the front-of-house team Maintain exceptional standards for service, hospitality, cleanliness, and presentation Ensure the café operates efficiently, including ordering, inventory, waste, product quality, and food safety Oversee retail operations including merchandising, inventory, receiving, and product launches Coordinate with the team on concerts, private events, and other programming Ensure events are properly staffed and operationally organized from setup through close Manage weekly labor and scheduling to meet business needs while controlling costs Monitor sales, labor, inventory, and other key operating metrics Identify opportunities to improve revenue, efficiency, and the overall customer experience Work closely with ownership and senior management on priorities, promotions, partnerships, and special projects Maintain strong vendor relationships and oversee ordering and deliveries Troubleshoot operational issues quickly and take ownership of solutions Create clear systems, procedures, and accountability across the team Be present and visible on the floor, particularly during busy services and important events What We're Looking For Previous General Manager or senior hospitality management experience Experience managing a café, restaurant, retail, music venue, or similarly multi-faceted hospitality business Strong leadership skills with the ability to build and hold a team accountable Highly organized and comfortable managing multiple areas of the business simultaneously Strong understanding of labor, scheduling, inventory, and operating costs Excellent communication and problem-solving skills Genuine interest in hospitality, music, culture, and creating memorable experiences Comfortable working evenings and weekends when concerts and special events require it The Right Person We are looking for someone who treats the business as if it were their own: proactive, organized, financially responsible, warm with guests, and highly accountable. This is not a desk-only management role. The General Manager should understand what is happening throughout ZuZu's, anticipate problems before they happen, support the team when needed, and continually look for ways to make the operation stronger.