General Manager

Company overview

Soul Mama Music Venue & Restaurant is a hospitality-led cultural destination that brings together food, live performance, and community in a welcoming setting. Established by YolanDa Brown OBE DL and Adetokunbo “T” Oyelola, it features a varied calendar that includes jazz, soul, reggae, comedy, conversations, brunches, and special events. The food offering draws inspiration from African, Caribbean, and South American flavours, paired with cocktails and a strong emphasis on friendly, attentive service. The first site opened at the Hilton Gantry Hotel in Stratford, East London, and additional venues at Angel Central and Westfield Stratford are planned. The brand is expanding into a multi-location concept created to be a home where artists, audiences, and communities can come together in an uplifting and inclusive atmosphere.

Role overview

The General Manager will take ownership of the daily running of Soul Mama Music Venue & Restaurant, making sure guests enjoy a smooth experience across both dining and live entertainment. This is a full-time, on-site position in the London Area, United Kingdom. The role requires guiding and inspiring front-of-house and back-of-house teams, working closely with kitchen, bar, and events colleagues, and ensuring consistent standards across service, cleanliness, and safety.

Key responsibilities

The successful candidate will handle staffing rotas, hiring, onboarding, and performance reviews while helping to create a workplace culture that is inclusive, supportive, and collaborative. They will also oversee budgets, revenue, and expense control, using financial insight to keep operations efficient and commercially strong. In partnership with leadership, the General Manager will contribute to sales plans, marketing activity, and event scheduling to increase guest numbers and repeat visits.

The role further involves developing productive relationships with performers, partners, hotel and landlord contacts, and the surrounding community. A key part of the job is ensuring the venue remains aligned with the artistic and cultural identity of the area while supporting the wider goals of the brand.

Qualifications and experience

Applicants should bring experience in hospitality or venue management, ideally with responsibility for both restaurant service and live music or events. A strong record of delivering excellent guest experiences is important, along with proven people leadership skills such as coaching, performance management, rota planning, and building respectful team environments.

Operational and financial understanding is required, including budgeting, forecasting, stock management, cost control, and P&L awareness in a venue with multiple revenue streams. Candidates should also understand food and beverage service standards, UK health and safety rules, licensing obligations, and best practices in customer service.

Experience with event coordination or programming, including collaboration with artists, promoters, or cultural partners, will be valuable. Strong communication and relationship-building skills are essential for working with guests, employees, artists, suppliers, and external stakeholders. The ideal candidate should also be calm under pressure and capable of making sound decisions when challenges arise.

Additional information

This is a full-time, permanent leadership role based on site in the London Area, United Kingdom. No salary, vacancy count, start date, or application deadline was provided in the source information.