Le Festin D'Or hiring General Manager at Dubai, United Arab Emirates

General Manager – F&B Startup

Dubai, UAE | Full-Time

About the Role

We are hiring a hands-on General Manager to lead the execution and growth of two founder-led F&B brands:

• a health-focused cloud kitchen brand
• a premium AOP cheese and charcuterie catering brand

This role is designed for a builder, not a corporate caretaker. You will run the business end to end, manage day-to-day operations, lead business development, and work closely with the founders to turn an early-stage operation into a scalable, profitable business.

You will report directly to the founders and operate with high ownership within agreed approval frameworks.

Key Responsibilities

Operations & Execution

• Own and manage daily operations across both brands.
• Ensure smooth coordination between kitchen staff, suppliers, agencies, and external partners.
• Maintain high operational discipline in a lean-team environment.
• Identify operational gaps, inefficiencies, and risks early and resolve them proactively.
• Build, document, and implement SOPs progressively as the business grows.
• Be operationally hands-on when required.

Financial Management & Cost Control

• Prepare budgets, forecasts, and cost plans for founder review and approval.
• Track revenue, food costs, margins, labor efficiency, and cash flow.
• Own menu costing and margin analysis at SKU level.
• Prepare regular financial and performance reports for the founders.
• Liaise with external accountants by providing invoices, supporting documentation, and operational inputs.
• Identify and propose cost-saving and margin-improvement initiatives.

Menu Engineering & Product Development

• Work with kitchen staff to engineer and optimize menus across both brands.
• Work with kitchen staff to improve existing items and develop new SKUs.
• Ensure menu items are costed accurately, scalable, and aligned with brand positioning.
• Identify underperforming SKUs and propose improvements or removals for founder approval.
• Source and evaluate new ingredients and suppliers to meet quality and cost targets.

Supplier & Procurement Management

• Source, negotiate, and manage supplier relationships.
• Handle direct ordering where required to support kitchen operations.
• Over time, design and implement a structured procurement and ordering system for the kitchen team.
• Negotiate pricing, MOQs, payment terms, and service levels.
• Ensure suppliers meet quality, consistency, and food safety standards.

Sales, Growth & Business Development

Business development is a core pillar of this role.

• Develop, prepare, and execute a structured business development plan for both brands.
• Actively lead B2B sales efforts, including outreach, pitching, and closing for both brands.
• Build and manage relationships with partners and clients post-close to ensure quality execution and repeat business.
• Propose and structure brand collaborations and partnerships.
• Track BD performance, conversion, and revenue contribution.

Marketing & Brand Execution

• Work closely with outsourced marketing agencies to plan and execute campaigns.
• Oversee content calendars, brand messaging, and campaign execution.
• Ensure marketing execution aligns with operational capacity and brand positioning.
• Provide operational and commercial input to improve marketing effectiveness.
• Monitor campaign performance and feedback insights to founders.

Team Management & HR

• Manage and supervise kitchen staff.
• Set clear expectations, routines, and accountability standards.
• Address performance issues promptly and constructively.
• Recruit and manage front-facing event staff for LFD (with founder approval).
• Coordinate with PRO services for visas, contracts, and compliance.

Compliance & Risk Management

• Ensure compliance with UAE food safety, municipality, and licensing requirements.
• Manage inspections and maintain required documentation.
• Monitor regulatory deadlines and renewals.
• Escalate risks or issues to founders early.

Profile We’re Looking For

• 5+ years’ experience in F&B operations (restaurant or cloud kitchen experience required).
• Startup or lean-team experience strongly preferred.
• Proven experience with menu costing, margin control, and supplier management.
• Strong commercial mindset with the ability to drive sales and business development.
• Confident communicator, comfortable pitching, negotiating, and building relationships.
• Hands-on, proactive, and highly detail-oriented.
• Comfortable operating without large teams or corporate structures.
• UAE experience preferred.
• Founder-level ownership mentality.