Job Description

Job DetailsFloor Manager – Opening Leadership Role

SK Hospitality Group | Yamasaki Restaurant

Location: Financial District, New York City
Opening Target: May 2026

SK Hospitality Group is an exciting new hospitality company seeking an experienced Floor Manager to join the opening leadership team for Yamasaki Restaurant , a dynamic, high-end dining destination in the heart of Manhattan’s Financial District, just steps from the New York Stock Exchange.

Yamasaki will be a hospitality concept that thoughtfully embraces Japanese and broader Asian culture through its cuisine, service philosophy, beverage program, design, presentation, and overall guest experience. The restaurant will be rooted in respect for tradition, cultural appreciation, and intentional hospitality, while bringing a modern and sophisticated energy to the New York dining scene.

This is a unique opportunity to help build not only a restaurant, but a brand that honors the spirit of Japanese hospitality and celebrates the richness, diversity, and beauty of Asian culinary culture. We are looking for a leader who values authenticity, respect, humility, precision, and warmth, and who can help translate those principles into a memorable guest experience.

The ideal candidate will understand that hospitality is more than service execution. It is about care, awareness, timing, presentation, beverage knowledge, and making each guest feel genuinely welcomed. This role requires a leader who can help foster a team culture that reflects respect for Japanese and Asian traditions while remaining approachable, inclusive, and distinctly New York.

We are building a team that is collaborative, driven, culturally curious, and committed to excellence without ego, where high standards, sincere hospitality, thoughtful service, and strong food and beverage knowledge go hand in hand.

The space will feature two distinct dining experiences:

• Upper Level: A refined Japanese and Asian-fusion fine dining restaurant celebrating Japanese technique, Asian culinary influences, elevated presentation, curated sake, wine, and cocktail offerings, and gracious hospitality
• Lower Level: An upscale-casual Latin fusion concept with vibrant energy, strong beverage programming, craft cocktails, wine, spirits, and a lively hospitality atmosphere

This role is ideal for someone who thrives in high-volume environments, leads by example on the floor, and takes pride in creating memorable guest experiences while developing a strong, supportive, and culturally respectful team.

Position Overview

The Floor Manager will oversee daily front-of-house operations and work closely with the General Manager, Executive Chef, beverage leadership, and service team to ensure seamless service, exceptional guest experiences, and strong team performance across both dining concepts.

This is a hands-on leadership role for someone who is present on the floor, engaged with guests, supportive of team members, and committed to delivering a refined yet welcoming hospitality experience.

The Floor Manager will play an important role in shaping the opening culture of Yamasaki. This includes helping establish service standards that reflect the restaurant’s Japanese and Asian-inspired identity, training the team to speak confidently and respectfully about menu items and cultural influences, and supporting a beverage program that includes sake, wine, cocktails, spirits, and thoughtful food pairings .

Essential Responsibilities

• Lead daily front-of-house operations, ensuring efficient, polished, and welcoming service across both concepts
• Help build and uphold service standards inspired by Japanese hospitality, including attentiveness, respect, humility, precision, anticipation, and warmth
• Support a guest experience that thoughtfully honors Japanese and Asian culinary traditions, presentation, beverage culture, and service style
• Maintain an active floor presence, engaging with guests, reading the room, and supporting team members in real time
• Demonstrate strong working knowledge of wine, sake, cocktails, spirits, and beverage service standards
• Support the beverage program by helping train staff on sake styles, wine varietals, cocktail offerings, spirits, pairings, and responsible alcohol service
• Guide guests through beverage selections with confidence, including sake recommendations, wine pairings, cocktails, and spirit options
• Help develop service protocols that reflect an elevated Asian dining experience, from greeting and table maintenance to pacing, beverage presentation, tableside service, and guest farewell
• Ensure FOH team members are educated on menu items, ingredients, techniques, cultural influences, beverage pairings, and the story behind the restaurant concept
• Support hiring, onboarding, training, and development of FOH team members
• Foster a positive, inclusive, and culturally respectful team culture built on collaboration, accountability, and pride in hospitality
• Conduct pre-shift meetings that prepare, inspire, and align the team on service expectations, menu knowledge, beverage features, sake and wine pairings, guest notes, cultural context, and operational priorities
• Partner with culinary and beverage leadership to ensure the FOH team can communicate menu and beverage details with accuracy, respect, and enthusiasm
• Manage scheduling, floor plans, and service assignments to optimize flow, coverage, and team efficiency
• Monitor cleanliness, organization, table presentation, ambiance, bar standards, beverage presentation, and overall guest-facing standards
• Handle guest feedback, special requests, and service recovery with professionalism, composure, and care
• Partner closely with BOH and beverage leadership to support communication, pacing, and seamless execution
• Support service across regular dining, private events, bar/lounge operations, and high-volume shifts
• Assist with POS systems, reservation platforms, guest notes, reporting, inventory awareness, and daily operational needs
• Ensure compliance with health, safety, sanitation, company standards, and responsible alcohol service requirements
• Lead by example, setting the tone for professionalism, cultural appreciation, teamwork, beverage knowledge, and attention to detail

Qualifications

• 3–5 years of experience in a front-of-house leadership role, such as Floor Manager, Assistant Manager, Service Manager, or similar
• NYC restaurant experience strongly preferred
• Experience in Japanese, Asian, fine dining, omakase, sushi, izakaya, Korean, Chinese, Thai, Southeast Asian, or Asian-fusion concepts is strongly preferred
• Experience with restaurant openings or new hospitality concepts is a plus
• Strong understanding of elevated service standards and guest experience management
• Appreciation for Japanese and Asian cuisine, hospitality, beverage culture, and service traditions
• Working knowledge of sake, wine, cocktails, spirits, and food pairings
• Ability to confidently discuss sake styles, wine selections, cocktail ingredients, spirits, and beverage recommendations with guests and team members
• Experience supporting beverage training, upselling, pairing recommendations, and responsible alcohol service
• Ability to communicate cultural, culinary, and beverage influences with respect, accuracy, and enthusiasm
• A natural leader who is both detail-oriented and people-focused
• Ability to lead with calm, confidence, humility, and professionalism
• Strong guest service instincts and the ability to handle challenges with composure
• Excellent communication, organization, and follow-through skills
• Comfortable working in a fast-paced, high-volume, high-expectation environment
• Familiarity with POS and reservation platforms such as Toast, OpenTable, Resy, or similar systems

Work Environment & Physical Requirements

• Fast-paced, high-volume hospitality environment
• Ability to stand, walk, and move for extended periods
• Ability to lift up to 25–40 lbs
• Availability for evenings, weekends, and holidays
• Work across restaurant, bar, lounge, private dining, and event environments
• Maintain a polished, professional, and guest-facing appearance
• Ability to communicate effectively and lead under pressure
• Comfort working in a dynamic opening environment where systems, standards, and culture are being built
• Commitment to creating a welcoming environment that respects and celebrates Japanese and Asian culture
• Ability to support beverage service, guest recommendations, and responsible alcohol service in a high-volume setting

Compensation Details

Compensation: $80,000 – $95,000 annually

Job Tags

Full time, Casual work, Shift work, Weekend work, Afternoon shift

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