General Manager — Hospitality, Retail & Creative Operations

My client is a small, independent shop and creative café based around the Totnes area.

We're a welcoming, community-focused space combining a café, small retail shop, pottery painting and creative workshops.

We're not a large business or a corporate operation — we're a small team, and everyone plays a hands-on role in keeping the shop running.

We're now looking for an experienced General Manager to take responsibility for the day-to-day running of the shop and help us continue to grow.

About the role

This is a hands-on management position covering the different parts of our small business.

You'll oversee the café, retail shop and creative activities, while managing the team and making sure everything runs smoothly day to day.

We're looking for someone who can take ownership rather than needing constant direction — someone who notices when something needs doing, takes action and cares about the small details that make a shop feel welcoming and well looked after.

Key responsibilities

• Oversee the day-to-day running of the café and shop


• Manage and support our team, including rotas, training and performance


• Maintain high standards of customer service, cleanliness and presentation


• Manage café and retail stock, ordering and suppliers


• Keep the shop and retail displays organised, attractive and well stocked


• Ensure pottery painting and workshops are prepared and running smoothly


• Monitor sales, stock and day-to-day costs


• Deal confidently with customer queries and issues


• Put simple systems in place to keep the business organised


• Make sure the shop looks and feels its best every day


• Work closely with the founders on the development of the business

The ideal candidate

We're looking for someone with previous management experience in hospitality, retail, leisure, events or another customer-facing environment.

You may currently be a Deputy/Assistant Manager, Operations Manager, Hospitality Manager, Retail Manager or Venue Manager and be ready to take on more responsibility.

You'll ideally be:

• Naturally organised and proactive


• Confident managing a small team


• Hands-on and happy working alongside the team


• Commercially aware


• Attentive to detail


• Confident making decisions independently


• Warm and personable with customers


• Comfortable working in a small, independent business where everyone gets involved

Most importantly, we're looking for someone who takes ownership.

This is a great opportunity for someone who enjoys being part of a small, independent business and wants genuine responsibility for how the shop operates and feels every day.