General Manager

Company Description

Leisurehound Athletic Club (“Leisurehound”, “Leisurehound AC”, or “LAC”) is a charming off-leash dog park and bar concept designed around community, hospitality, wellness, and elevated leisure.

Part dog park, part neighborhood watering hole, Leisurehound blends thoughtfully designed outdoor spaces with curated beverage offerings, social programming, and membership-driven experiences. Our vision is to create one of Columbia’s most beloved “third places” — a charming oasis where people and dogs feel known, welcomed, and connected.

As we prepare to launch our first location in the heart of Downtown Columbia, SC, we are looking for a General Manager who is excited not only to operate a business, but to help build one from the ground up.

Role Description

This is not a traditional “plug-and-play” management role.

As General Manager, you will serve as the operational and cultural leader of Leisurehound’s flagship location. Because this is our first location, we are seeking someone who is energized by building systems, creating structure, developing teams, and helping define the customer experience from day one.

The ideal candidate is equal parts:

• hospitality leader,
• community builder,
• operational organizer,
• and entrepreneurial problem solver.

You will work directly with ownership to help establish the operational foundation of the business, including staffing models, Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs), inventory systems, customer service standards, and day-to-day venue management.

This is a hands-on leadership role requiring both strategic thinking and a willingness to jump into the daily flow of operations.

Key Responsibilities:

Operations & SOP Development

• Develop and implement operational systems and SOPs for daily venue operations
• Help create simple, scalable procedures for: opening/closing operations - beverage service - membership management - dog safety protocols - cleaning and maintenance - incident response - inventory tracking - continuously improving operational efficiency and the guest experience

Hospitality & Community Building

• Foster a welcoming, community-oriented environment for members and guests
• Serve as a visible, relationship-driven leader on-site
• Build strong relationships with regulars and help cultivate a loyal membership base
• Assist with planning and executing social events, member programming, and partnerships
• Help establish the tone, culture, and identity of the Leisurehound brand

Staffing & Leadership

• Recruit, hire, train, and manage bartenders and support staff
• Create training programs and performance standards
• Build schedules and oversee labor management
• Lead by example with a high standard of professionalism and hospitality

Inventory & Financial Oversight

• Manage beverage inventory, ordering, vendor relationships, and cost controls
• Monitor labor and operational expenses
• Assist ownership with budgeting, reporting, and operational planning
• Identify opportunities to improve profitability and operational performance

Customer Experience

• Help design and optimize the full guest journey from arrival to departure
• Handle guest concerns and conflict resolution professionally
• Ensure consistent execution of hospitality standards across all staff and shifts

Qualifications:

Required

• 3 years of hospitality or venue management experience
• Experience managing teams in fast-paced customer-facing environments
• Strong organizational and operational skills
• Experience with inventory management and vendor coordination
• Strong communication and leadership abilities
• Ability to thrive in an entrepreneurial, startup-style environment
• Comfortable building systems and processes from scratch
• Willingness to work evenings, weekends, and holidays as needed

Preferred

• Experience opening a new hospitality concept or location
• Experience developing SOPs or operational playbooks
• Experience in membership-based businesses, boutique hospitality, breweries, coffee shops, or community-driven concepts
• Familiarity with POS systems, scheduling platforms, and membership software
• Passion for hospitality, dogs, community-building, and experiential businesses

What We’re Looking For

We are looking for someone who:

• takes ownership,
• solves problems proactively,
• loves hospitality and the idea of a more charming Columbia,
• and genuinely enjoys creating memorable experiences for people.

The right person will play a foundational role in shaping not just daily operations, but the long-term identity and culture of Leisurehound Athletic Club.

If building something meaningful from the ground up excites you, we’d love to hear from you.