General Manager Pop‑Up
Location: Shoreditch, London. Company: Junkies. Employment Type: Full‑time.
About Junkies
Junkies hits different. We’re a pastry business, but not as you know it… With a fast-paced, design-led concept built around indulgence, precision, and experience, we are not trying to replicate traditional hospitality we are building something sharper, and operationally disciplined behind the scenes. Our success depends as much on smart execution as it does on strong commercial traction… This will be our first standalone site and sets the operational and commercial precedent for everything that follows. Our upcoming Shoreditch pop‑up is a 3‑month performance phase. Its objective is clear: the site must be operating at or above site‑level breakeven on a consistent basis with systems that allow the business to operate without regular founder involvement.
Product & Model
Junkies is a mono‑product operation… One SKU. One price. All day. That simplicity is intentional; it reduces complexity, tightens training, and makes the operation highly measurable. But it also raises the performance bar: with a single product, outcomes are driven by execution quality and operational control. There’s nowhere to hide behind menu variety.
* Throughput and queue conversion during peak windows.
* Production planning to protect freshness while minimising waste.
* Labour deployment matched tightly to demand by hour.
* Quality consistency at speed every unit to standard, every time.
* Operational flow designed for repeatability, not heroics.
This model rewards operators who can run a clean, disciplined system: tight prep, tight handoffs, tight reporting and who understand that growth only matters if it improves contribution.
The Role
This role is focused on making the Shoreditch pop‑up economically successful within three months. You will own site-level contribution not just revenue. That means taking responsibility for revenue performance, labour efficiency, waste control, throughput, and operational clarity. You must be commercially sharp enough to grow revenue intelligently, but disciplined enough to prioritise what improves contribution rather than just top‑line sales. This is not a role for someone who simply follows established playbooks you will be expected to refine, build, and implement better ways of operating as we scale. This is not a lifestyle store manager role. This is a performance mandate.
What Success Looks Like (By End of Month 3)
* The site is operating above breakeven, covering all fixed costs.
* Labour and waste are controlled within agreed targets.
* Peak‑hour throughput is optimised.
* The business runs without regular founder input.
* Clear systems and reporting are in place.
* Growth initiatives improve overall contribution not just activity.
* Clear weekly reporting of revenue, labour %, waste %, and contribution.
Core Responsibilities
1. Economic Ownership (Primary Focus).
* Own weekly site-level P&L.
* Monitor and manage contribution, not just revenue.
* Own and oversee local marketing and sampling campaigns, structured and measured against contribution impact.
* Align labour scheduling to hourly demand patterns.
* Control waste through disciplined production planning.
* Improve revenue per labour hour.
* Optimise peak trading windows.
2. Operational Discipline.
* Translate brand standards into practical, repeatable ways of working.
* Maintain consistent product quality and service execution.
* Responsible for timely re‑ordering of ingredients and materials.
* Build and document simple, repeatable SOPs.
* Identify friction and remove it quickly.
* Ensure operational resilience when founders are not present.
* Keep systems lean and scalable.
3. Commercial Intelligence.
* Increase revenue without destabilising cost structure.
* Improve AOV and conversion through structured experimentation.
* Evaluate new channels (wholesale, B2B, collaborations) through a contribution lens.
* Prioritise initiatives that strengthen the core site before expanding complexity.
4. Team Leadership.
* Lead, coach, and structure the team to deliver fast, accurate, high‑energy service.
* Set clear performance standards.
* Develop accountability and clarity in scheduling.
* Maintain high energy without sacrificing discipline.
Who You Are
* Commercially rigorous you think in contribution, not just sales.
* Comfortable working autonomously and taking full ownership of outcomes.
* A builder as much as an operator; you improve and create systems rather than just maintain them.
* Analytical comfortable being measured against financial targets.
* Structured under pressure you respond with data, not reaction.
* Solution-oriented you present options, not just problems.
* Disciplined in prioritisation you don’t chase growth for its own sake.
* Motivated by developing relationships and channels that strengthen site contribution.
* Reporting by default you provide clear, concise summaries of relevant business metrics.
Experience
* Experience developing commercial accounts, partnerships, or local business channels is highly valued.
* Demonstrated ability to improve processes and implement structure in growing environments.
* Strong organisational and analytical skills with understanding of how operations drive financial results.
* Familiarity with POS, inventory systems, and scheduling tools.
What This Role Is
* A high‑accountability operational leadership position.
* A commercially driven site management role.
* A chance to shape how Junkies operates as it scales.
* A full‑time role with performance‑aligned objectives.
What This Role Is Not
* A pure sales position.
* A passive store manager role.
* A high‑cadence event marketing job.
* A 'grow at all costs' expansion role.
Compensation
Competitive base salary. Performance‑based incentive aligned to clear financial objectives. We reward contribution and operational excellence.
How to Apply
* A time you improved contribution, not just revenue.
* A time you identified and fixed operational leakage.
* How you prioritise growth vs discipline.
Experience: Required
Employment: Full‑time
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