Restaurant General Manager

GENERAL MANAGER- MULBERRY STREET TAVERN

Reports to: General Manager, position is exempt

WHO WE ARE

Hotels done differently. It is not a tagline; it is how we operate. We believe in the power of People, Place, and Character, building properties where individuals are valued and celebrated as a tribute to the neighborhoods we call home.

Located in the historic Hippee Building in downtown Des Moines, Surety Hotel celebrates the city's past while helping shape its future. Housed in a beautifully restored, 1913 Beaux-Arts landmark and now part of Marriott's Autograph Collection, Surety blends independent character with world-class hospitality. Inspired by the meaning of a surety bond, we make a promise as well; unmatched service, incredible design, and a superior level of hospitality rooted in connection and community. With 137 guest rooms and suites, vibrant gathering spaces, and onsite dining at Mulberry Street Tavern, Surety is both a destination for travelers and a point of pride for the City of Certainties.

Surety is managed by Aparium Hotel Group, founded in 2011 by Chicago hospitality entrepreneur Mario Tricoci on a simple conviction: that c-suite service belongs in distinct, underserved cities, and that the unadulterated character of each place is the point. Aparium has since grown into a different kind of hotel company, one that ventures off the beaten path and pairs the acumen of large operators with the soul of an independent.

THE RESTAURANT

Mulberry Street Tavern is the Food & Beverage anchor of Surety Hotel and one of the most ambitious dining rooms in the market. Open for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, it moves from a polished morning service to a destination evening experience, holding an elevated standard across every daypart.

WHO YOU ARE

You have run elevated, high-volume rooms, and you understand there is an art and a science to this work that no manual fully captures. You are energized by a full dining room and take real satisfaction in a clean, well-run shift. When the night turns, you step in, and your team respects you for it.

Guests and industry peers seek you out; you are the person they call for a table, and the one who makes them and their friends feel known. You hold a clear picture of how a top operation runs and how every lever connects to it: staffing, scheduling, training, ordering, sidework, shift logs, pre-shifts, and the systems behind them. You carry serious beverage depth, and you sweat the details that separate good service from exceptional service.

THE ROLE

The General Manager is the primary leader of food and beverage for the restaurant. This role does not report to a Director of Food & Beverage; you report directly to the Hotel General Manager and own the concept end to end. The vision, the standards, the numbers, and the team are yours.

Every Aparium leader is expected to get their hands dirty: to find what needs fixing and fix it. We are a company in hyper-growth, so the ability to serve as a soldier matters as much as the ability to lead as a general. You will spend the majority of your time on the floor, at the door and the table, running service and building the personal relationships that make a great restaurant feel like one.

WHAT YOU WILL DO

• Own the restaurant. Develop and execute the operating plan that delivers the concept across breakfast, lunch, and dinner at a consistent elevated standard.
• Set and protect the service standard. Define the sequence of service, train to it, and hold the floor to it through every daypart and every cover.
• Lead by example. Spend your time in service, mentoring and coaching the team and giving them everything you know about food, beverage, and hospitality to build real technical skill.
• Own the beverage program. Curate the wine list and the cocktail and spirits offering, and educate the team so every member can speak to it with authority.
• Build the systems. Establish and maintain the staffing, scheduling, ordering, inventory, sidework, and shift-log discipline that lets an elevated room run cleanly every night.
• Own the P&L. Set goals and KPIs, lead inventory and cost controls, and manage labor and expense to deliver the financial result the restaurant is built to produce.
• Partner with the kitchen. Work with the Executive Chef on menu architecture and item performance to sharpen the offering and protect margin.
• Run a tight floor. Lead organized, intentional pre-shift meetings, and verify that opening and closing procedures are completed correctly, every shift.
• Drive the experience. Act as the front-of-house ambassador, engage in every aspect of service so experiences exceed expectations, maximize the room, and keep the restaurant at the top of its market and its review channels.
• Collaborate across the hotel. Work with the Hotel General Manager and the Lifestyle and Sales teams to plan and execute the events and activations that express Aparium''s translocal hospitality.
• Master the tools. Demonstrate full command of the POS, including input, comp, void, transfer, reporting, and routing, and ensure the team is trained to use it efficiently.
• Guard health and safety. Ensure compliance with local health and safety codes, hotel security policy, and Iowa state and local liquor law.

WHAT YOU WILL NEED

• Minimum of five (5) years of restaurant management, with a track record in elevated, full-service dining.
• Minimum of three (3) years as a Restaurant General Manager carrying full P&L responsibility.
• Demonstrated beverage depth; sommelier certification (or equivalent wine credential) strongly preferred. Craft cocktail experience strongly preferred.
• Bachelor''s degree in Hospitality Management or a related field, or equivalent work experience, preferred
• Ability to work varied shifts, including mornings, evenings, weekends, and holidays.
• Ability to obtain and maintain an Iowa liquor license and Food Handler certification.
• Adaptable interpersonal skills to communicate with and address every level of the hotel.
• Professional proficiency in English across reading, writing, and verbal communication.

HOW YOU LEAD

• Build rapport quickly, reading the room and adapting how you communicate to a wide range of audiences and stakeholders.
• Approach discovery as a collaborator, valuing the input and experience of others to surface the deeper issues worth solving.
• Make decisions with integrity, holding confidence where it is owed and knowing the difference between transparency and discretion.
• Stay analytical without ever needing to be the smartest person in the room; seek the facts and hold a point of view without ego.
• Lead with business acumen, ensuring the actions you take support the restaurant''s operational goals and budget.

As an Equal Opportunity Employer, Aparium Hospitality Services celebrates diversity and is committed to creating an equitable and inclusive environment, and a sense of belonging for all employees. We do not discriminate, and we believe every individual should be proud of who they are, where they come from, and take pride in who we serve. Aparium is an E-Verify employer.