General Manager -

Sakanaya Japanese Restaurant Location:

West Lafayette, IN Job Type:

Full-Time Salary:

$50,000-$56,000 per year + Performance Bonus About Sakanaya Sakanaya is a growing Japanese restaurant brand focused on high-quality food, genuine hospitality, and memorable dining experiences. We believe a successful restaurant is built through strong leadership, consistent standards, a well-trained team, and attention to every detail of the guest experience. As Sakanaya continues to grow, we are looking for a General Manager to lead our West Lafayette location and build a strong, accountable restaurant team. The Role The General Manager is responsible for the day-to-day leadership and performance of the restaurant, with primary ownership of: Guest experience and service standards Front-of-house operations Hiring, training, and team development Scheduling and labor management Sales performance Restaurant cleanliness and organization Execution of company systems and SOPs Management team accountability The GM will work closely with Company Leadership and Kitchen Leadership to ensure smooth restaurant operations and strong coordination between the front and back of house. This role is ideal for someone who is ready to take ownership of a restaurant, develop a team, and grow with an expanding restaurant company. Key ResponsibilitiesRestaurant Operations & Guest Experience Lead daily restaurant operations and ensure consistent execution of Sakanaya service standards. Maintain a strong floor presence during peak service periods. Create a welcoming, professional, and memorable experience for every guest. Monitor guest feedback, online reviews, service recovery, and recurring service issues. Ensure the restaurant is clean, organized, properly staffed, and ready for service. Maintain strong opening, closing, and shift management procedures. Work closely with Kitchen Leadership to maintain smooth communication between FOH and BOH. Identify operational problems early and take ownership of resolving them. Team Leadership & Development Recruit, interview, onboard, train, and retain restaurant employees. Build a culture of professionalism, accountability, teamwork, and hospitality. Set clear expectations and consistently hold employees and managers accountable. Coach employees through regular feedback and performance conversations. Develop Assistant Managers, shift leaders, servers, hosts, and other team members. Build a management structure that allows the restaurant to operate consistently without requiring the GM to personally solve every issue. Maintain appropriate staffing levels and create effective schedules based on business needs. Sales & Business Performance Take ownership of restaurant sales performance and actively identify opportunities to grow the business. Review weekly sales and labor performance with Company Leadership. Manage labor through effective scheduling, staffing, and shift deployment. Understand key restaurant operating metrics and use them to make better management decisions. Support promotions, local marketing initiatives, special occasions, and guest retention efforts. Look for opportunities to improve repeat business and overall restaurant performance. Standards & Accountability Maintain Sakanaya standards for hospitality, cleanliness, organization, and restaurant presentation. Ensure company SOPs and policies are consistently followed. Maintain accurate cash handling, scheduling, inventory, and required administrative procedures. Ensure compliance with food safety, alcohol service, workplace safety, and applicable employment requirements. Hold the management team accountable for completing assigned responsibilities. Communicate operational issues clearly and proactively with Company Leadership. What We're Looking For 2+ years of restaurant management experience preferred. Previous experience as a Restaurant Manager, Assistant General Manager, General Manager, or similar leadership role preferred. Full-service restaurant experience strongly preferred. Strong leadership and people-management skills. Ability to recruit, train, coach, and develop employees. Strong understanding of hospitality and guest service. Experience with scheduling and labor management. Comfortable working with POS, scheduling, and restaurant management systems. Strong communication, organization, and problem-solving skills. Ability to remain composed and make decisions in a fast-paced restaurant environment. Japanese, sushi, Asian restaurant, or upscale-casual dining experience is a plus, but not required. What Success Looks Like A successful Sakanaya General Manager builds a restaurant where: Guests consistently receive excellent service. Employees are properly trained and understand expectations. Managers take ownership instead of waiting for direction. Staffing and labor are managed responsibly. Restaurant standards remain consistent even when the GM is not physically present. Operational problems are identified and addressed early. Sales opportunities are actively pursued. Strong employees are developed into future leaders.

Compensation & Growth Base Salary:

$50,000-$56,000 per year , depending on experience.

Performance Bonus:

Additional performance-based bonus opportunities are available based on restaurant and management results. Sakanaya is part of a growing multi-concept restaurant group with continued expansion planned in Indiana and additional Midwest markets. We believe strong managers should have a real career path. General Managers who consistently demonstrate strong operational results, team development, and leadership ability may have opportunities to take on broader leadership responsibilities as the company grows. We are looking for someone who wants to build a restaurant, build a team, and build a career — not simply manage shifts.

Pay:

$50,000.00 - $56,000.00 per year

Benefits:

Dental insurance Employee discount Flexible schedule Health insurance Paid time off Paid training Vision insurance

Work Location:

In person