Job Description

About OMAKAI

OMAKAI is a traditional sushi restaurant with one aim: to be known for blowing people's minds. Everything we do rests on three guarantees: warm rice for contrast, crispy nori for texture, and kind service. Every guest, every visit.

We serve high-quality traditional sushi at an accessible price, and we are growing across South Florida and expanding to other cities nationally with our full-service restaurants and hand roll bars. We aim to hold ourselves to a five-star hotel standard in a casual dining room, which means the details matter here more than they do in most restaurants.

We treat every guest with genuine kindness and focus heavily on execution. Our team runs on accountability, reliability, and doing what we say we will do.

Position Overview

We are seeking an exceptional General Manager with at least five years of restaurant experience, including at least two years running a restaurant as a General Manager or Assistant General Manager. Japanese or sushi restaurant experience is a plus but not required.

The General Manager runs the whole restaurant. You will lead, manage, and hold the entire team accountable, including the Assistant General Manager and Floor Managers, drive results against the restaurant's key metrics, own training and development for the staff, and keep operational, safety, and sanitation standards in compliance on every shift. You are also the link between the restaurant and upper management and HR. We are looking for someone who leads by example rather than by title, motivates instead of commands, recognizes and develops talent, and knows what excellence looks like on a busy floor.

Responsibilities

Leadership and Team Accountability

• Lead, manage, and hold all restaurant staff accountable, including the Assistant General Manager and Floor Managers
• Set the tone for performance, culture, and standards on every shift
• Lead by example on the floor, jumping in to bus, run food, or take a table when the team needs it
• Motivate rather than command, delegate clearly, and prioritize the work that matters most
• Recognize talent and develop your strongest people toward their next seat
• When something is not done right, check first whether the request was clear and whether the person was trained before assigning blame

Floor Manager Duties

Perform all responsibilities of the Floor Manager seat, stepping onto the floor whenever service calls for it

• Monitor front-of-house operations in real time, including expo, seating, food running, and pacing, and keep those functions coordinated
• Maintain visibility across the dining room throughout service and step in to resolve guest issues
• Re-balance sections, adjust staffing, and reset the pace of service when volume shifts
• Hold the room to standard, catching a wobbly table, misaligned chairs, or a slow section before a guest notices
• KPI and Scorecard Adherence
• Track and drive performance against the restaurant's key metrics, including labor, sales, guest satisfaction, and operational targets
• Review scorecards regularly with the management team and course correct when the numbers are off track
• Identify operational issues early and work several layers of solutions before escalating
• Deliver results through a tough stretch, and report performance honestly, including a bad month
• Employee Training and Development
• Lead onboarding and ongoing development for all front-of-house staff
• Own training standards, sign off on staff readiness, and track checklist completion
• Coach in the moment and deliver correction respectfully and to the point, rather than barking orders
• Identify growth opportunities for high performers and build them toward their next seat
• Operational Standards and Compliance
• Oversee inventory controls, safety protocols, sanitation compliance, maintenance needs, and restaurant systems
• Enforce company staff policies, dress code, and service standards on every shift
• Address violations promptly, document recurring issues, and follow through until they are resolved
• Own inventory counts, vendor orders, and receiving, and make sure discrepancies or shortages are corrected immediately
• Walk the restaurant with a five-star hotel eye, correcting lighting, cleanliness, and service gaps before a guest notices
• HR and Upper Management Communication
• Ensure HR policies and compliance requirements are met at the restaurant level
• Serve as the primary point of contact between the restaurant and upper management and HR
• Escalate issues, report performance, and relay updates in a timely manner
• Handle cash, comps, and disciplinary decisions in line with company procedures

Qualifications

• Five years of restaurant experience required, including at least two years running a restaurant as a General Manager or Assistant General Manager
• Experience leading a full management team, holding staff accountable during peak volume, and owning results against a set of targets
• Manager, alcohol serving, and sexual harassment prevention certifications required, and all can be obtained during training. We cover the cost of all three certificates once you pass the 90-day probation mark
• Japanese cuisine or sushi restaurant knowledge is a plus but not required
• Full open availability, including nights, weekends, and holidays
• Able to learn and memorize the entire menu in detail, including ingredients, preparation, presentation, and pairings
• Comfortable with scheduling, labor and inventory tracking, cash handling, and a point-of-sale system, including basic math under pressure
• Financially literate, able to read sales and labor reports, build a schedule to budget, and manage food and beverage cost
• Communicates clearly and calmly with guests, teammates, and upper management, even during a rush
• High school diploma or equivalent preferred but not required
• Reliable transportation to and from the restaurant
• Must be legally authorized to work in the United States

Working Conditions

• Indoor dining room environment in a restaurant that handles fish, seafood, vegetables, fruits, wheat products, rice, dry seaweed, sauces, and many other food and beverage products
• Candidates with food allergies must inform management during the application process
• Noise levels vary depending on how busy the restaurant is
• Standing and walking the floor for long periods, with some bending and kneeling to reach items such as plates, spoons, sauces, and beverages
• Moderate tray handling and lifting, up to 30 pounds, including receiving and moving deliveries
• Pre-bussing and bussing tables, running food, and resetting the dining room when the team needs support
• Maneuvering between tables and corners in a full dining room
• Time split between the floor and administrative work such as scheduling, inventory, and reporting

Characteristics We Value

• Genuinely kind, treating a dishwasher and an upper manager with the same respect
• Reliable without exception, early, prepared, and accountable for the result
• Detail-oriented, walking the room with a five-star hotel eye for lighting, cleanliness, and service gaps
• Composed and decisive under pressure, steady when the room is busy and something breaks
• Resourceful, working several layers of solutions before escalating
• Motivating rather than authoritarian, leading by example as a matter of instinct
• Honest and accountable, sharing mistakes and numbers openly
• Team first, developing your people and giving credit where it belongs

Core Values

• Hospitality from the heart, applied to your team as much as your guests. You lead with humility, treat a dishwasher and an upper manager with equal respect, and deliver hard feedback as an act of care rather than criticism.
• Be Reliable. You set the standard by being early, prepared, and accountable. When a shift or a month goes badly, you own it to upper management instead of making excuses.
• Blowing Minds. A five-star hotel mentality in a casual room, where mediocrity bothers you. You correct lighting, cleanliness, and service gaps instinctively, and you hold every shift to warm rice, crispy nori, fresh fish, and impeccable service.
• Make It Happen. Several layers of solutions before you escalate. When the restaurant is short-staffed or a system breaks, you jump on the floor personally and still deliver the numbers in a tough stretch.
• No Drama. You stay cool under pressure, shut down gossip and drama right away, and keep the room positive. When a decision does not go your way, you move on gracefully.
• Build Trust. You operate in the open, sharing mistakes and numbers honestly with the team and upper management. You never cut corners to protect your image.

This May Not Be the Right Fit If

• You think the job is mainly being present and putting out fires
• You are indecisive or aloof, or you let ego get in the way of the team
• You would rather not lead, delegate, or prioritize the work that actually moves the restaurant
• You treat guests as if they are simply there and do not enjoy interacting with people
• You lead by authority rather than motivation, and you let complaints, gossip, or dark energy sit until morale drops
• You want the title and the pay but not the pressure of owning the team, the numbers, and the hard decisions
• You are a strong floor operator but have never owned results, developed a team, or handled compliance and HR, and confrontation is not something you do well

Compensation & Benefits

• $75,000 to $85,000 base depending on experience
• Quarterly bonuses depending on performance and hitting store targets
• Paid time off
• Sick days
• Additional personal unpaid time off
• Medical and other insurance reimbursements
• Daily meal when working
• $500 monthly credits for personal use at any of our locations
• 50% meal discount if credits run out
• Paid manager, alcohol serving, and sexual harassment prevention trainings after passing 90-day probation period
• Free parking
• Flexible scheduling
• A dedicated onboarding and training program

Equal Opportunity Employer

OMAKAI is an equal opportunity employer. This employer must notify all applicants of their rights under federal employment laws. For further information, please review the Know Your Rights notice from the Department of Labor.