General Manager - Nest

Position: General Manager -The Nest
About the Nest at Calesa:

The Nest at Calesa is an open-air community gathering place where dining, live entertainment, family experiences, and memorable hospitality come together. Located across from FAST in Calesa Township, it serves residents, visitors, athletes, families, and event guests with a distinctly local sense of welcome and energy.

Our purpose is simple: create a place where good times take flight through quality food, genuine hospitality, thoughtful programming, and teams that take pride in caring for people.

The core of our service culture is centered on the disciplined belief that extraordinary hospitality is achieved through consistent execution of the fundamentals, attention to detail, and genuine care for people.

We are seeking a General Manager who embodies this philosophy while building an operating culture that is accountable, welcoming, financially disciplined, and deeply rooted in care for guests, team members, and the community.

About the Culinary Experience The Nest is an open-air hospitality destination anchored by Cow Bird Kitchen, supported by Fare grounds, and energized by a major event lawn and amphitheater. The guest experience includes:
• Cow Bird Kitchen - a smoke-forward, family-friendly restaurant serving burgers, tacos, sandwiches, and seasonal features
• Fare grounds:
Perch Coffee & Creamery, The Roost Bar, Cowbird Express, The Yard Pizza Bar, and Lucky Sparrow Asian Cuisine
• Concerts, community events, private celebrations, catered experiences, and high-volume festival-style activations
• Programming that connects food, entertainment, residents, visitors, and the broader Calesa community
• A shared place for Calesa families, FAST visitors, OTOW and Stone Creek residents, and the wider Marion County community to gather, stay, and return

This opening leadership role will bring these experiences together as one Nest - building the team, systems, guest standards, and community relationships that will establish The Nest as a regional destination.

Job Summary /Overview The Opening General Manager is the senior on-site leader responsible for the overall operations, guest experience, and financial performance of The Nest s role reports directly to the Managing Director of Hospitality & Restaurants and partners closely with Colen Built leadership and centralized Marketing, Finance, Human Resources, IT, and Risk/Safety teams.

The General Manager directly leads the Director of Restaurants, Director of Special Events, and Facilities Supervisor, while providing integrated oversight of Cow Bird Kitchen, Fare grounds, events, facilities, public safety, and community operations.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities The following statements describe the principal functions of this position and the scope of responsibility, but should not be considered an all-inclusive listing of work requirements. Individuals may be expected to perform other duties as assigned, including working in other areas to cover absences or balance the workload. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform essential functions.

Leadership & Culture
• Build and develop a high-performing leadership team across restaurants, events, facilities, safety, and guest operations through recruitment, coaching, clear accountability, and retention.
• Establish a culture of ownership, hospitality, respect, collaboration, urgency, and pride in execution across employees, contractors, and partners.
• Model through visible leadership, preparation, cleanliness, communication, consistency, and disciplined follow-through.
• Coach, recognize, and retain leaders and team members by setting clear expectations, resolving cross-functional issues, and building a bench of future leaders.
• Lead with composure, humility, and a genuine commitment to the well-being, success, and safety of the team and community.

Business Strategy & Guest Experience
• Build and develop a high-performing leadership team across restaurants, events, facilities, safety, and guest operations through recruitment, coaching, clear accountability, and retention.
• Establish a culture of ownership, hospitality, respect,…