General Manager
General Manager, Boxcar Hyde Park, W2 2AW
£55,000 - £60,000 annual (blend of base and tronc)
Boxcar Hyde Park is a neighbourhood café at heart. The kind of place where regulars are greeted by name, the coffee is always good and people genuinely want to spend time, whether that's ten minutes or the whole morning.
We're looking for a General Manager who loves coffee as much as they love hospitality. Someone who brings together warmth, commercial thinking and great leadership, and who understands that the experience guests have is built long before the doors open, through the culture and standards of the team behind it.
It's a busy little site, and this is a role for someone who is genuinely 360°. You're just as comfortable reading the room on a packed Saturday morning as you are going through the monthly numbers. You enjoy developing people, spotting opportunities and treating the business as if it were your own.
Above all, you understand that great neighbourhood places aren't built by choosing between quality and pace. They come from getting both right.
What you'll own
The coffee: You'll know what excellent coffee tastes like and how to get there, and you'll build a team that cares about it as much as you do. You'll be able to read the bar at a glance, spotting when quality is slipping, when the flow isn't working or when someone needs support, and you'll make sure the right people and routines are in place so great coffee happens on every shift, whether you're there or not.
The order at table journey: Our guests order from their table, so every step needs to feel easy and personal. You'll make sure it runs smoothly from table to bar and kitchen, and that the team's presence on the floor adds warmth rather than disappearing behind the screen.
The guest experience: You'll lead from the floor, setting the tone and standards every day. You'll know your regulars, make newcomers feel at home, and make sure every visit feels like Boxcar.
The business: You'll own the performance of the site. Labour, stock, margins and costs won't be reports you simply review. They'll be things you understand and use to keep the business healthy and growing.
Your team: You'll build a team who think for themselves and make good decisions. You'll coach, challenge and support them through regular feedback, honest conversations and clear expectations, creating a place where people genuinely grow.
Standards: Whether it's coffee, food, service, compliance or presentation, you'll set standards the team holds consistently, not because you're watching, but because they genuinely believe in them too.
Culture: You'll bring our culture to life through the way you lead and support your team every day. Culture isn't something written on a wall. It's something lived.
What we're looking for
- Experience as a General Manager, or a strong Assistant or Deputy Manager ready for the next step.
- Experience in busy, quality-led cafés, coffee shops, bakeries or neighbourhood restaurants.
- A genuine love of coffee and a sharp eye for quality, knowing what great looks like and making sure the right people are in place to deliver it.
- Experience with order at table or digital ordering, and an understanding of how to keep it feeling human.
- A good commercial head and a real interest in what drives the numbers.
- A hands-on, present leader who enjoys being with the team and the guests.
- Confidence managing recruitment, coaching, performance conversations and employee relations fairly.
- Someone who enjoys autonomy, makes decisions and takes ownership.
- Calm under pressure, organised and able to inspire confidence in guests and team alike.
Why join us?
Boxcar Hyde Park is part of a small, founder-led collection of independent venues where every site has its own personality, but all share the same belief: Joy Built In, not bolted on. You'll work closely with the founders and senior team, with the freedom to shape the site and make a genuine difference, alongside people who care deeply about hospitality.
