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 Nest Experience
The Nest is an open-air hospitality destination anchored by Cow Bird Kitchen, supported by Faregrounds, 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
- Faregrounds: 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.
Position Overview
The Opening General Manager is the senior on-site leader responsible for the overall operating, guest-experience, and financial performance of The Nest at Calesa.
This 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, Faregrounds, events, facilities, public safety, and community operations.
Key Responsibilities:
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
- Translate ownership and executive priorities into annual operating plans, budgets, programming objectives, service standards, and measurable performance goals.
- Lead one integrated business strategy across Nest Entertainment, Cow Bird Kitchen, and Faregrounds so every activation builds reputation, serves the community, and converts traffic into sustainable revenue.
- Set expectations for a warm, easy, and consistently welcoming experience across restaurants, public spaces, and events.
- Act as a principal liaison with FAST, Calesa and OTOW/Stone Creek representatives, HOA leadership, community stakeholders, and Colen Built; respond constructively to concerns and protect long-term relationships.
- Ensure programming, marketing, and operating decisions consider the distinct audiences The Nest serves, turning first-time visitors into regular guests.
Financial, Labor & Business Performance
- Own the consolidated operating plan and financial performance of The Nest, including revenue, labor, operating expense, capital stewardship, and cash controls.
- Review forecasts and departmental performance with leaders; identify variances early and require practical recovery plans.
- Evaluate programming and operating decisions through both community-value and commercial lenses, including attendance, restaurant traffic, sponsorship, ticketing, rentals, and event contribution.
- Approve purchasing, contracts, and commitments within delegated authority; maintain disciplined controls for revenue, inventory, payroll, and vendor payments.
- Build staffing plans around restaurant volume, FAST demand, concerts, private events, and community programming; manage labor productivity, overtime, cross-training, and readiness.
Operational Excellence, Safety & Asset Stewardship
- Oversee daily operations across CBK, Faregrounds, events, facilities, and public spaces, aligning the event calendar, staffing, production, facility readiness, traffic, parking, security, and communications. Maintain rigorous standards for food service, alcohol service, accessibility, fire/life safety, crowd management, and workplace safety.
- Lead emergency preparedness, incident command, severe-weather response, business continuity, and post-incident review with appropriate partners and contractors.
- Hold department leaders accountable for preventive maintenance, cleanliness, grounds, work-order completion, readiness inspections, and responsible asset use.
- Lead opening milestones including leadership hiring, training, operating systems, vendor setup, facility readiness, service standards, public-safety coordination, and opening-program execution.
Qualifications
- 8+ years of progressive hospitality, entertainment venue, food and beverage, resort, attraction, or mixed-use operations experience.
- At least 5 years leading managers and complex operating teams in a high-volume, multi-department environment required.
- Demonstrated responsibility for budgets, forecasts, P&L performance, labor planning, safety, guest experience, and business planning.
- Experience coordinating public events, restaurant operations, facilities, and external contractors in an event-driven or mixed-use environment.
- Working knowledge of Florida food service and alcoholic beverage requirements, event risk management, and emergency response strongly preferred.
- Proven ability to build productive community, stakeholder, and partner relationships while protecting brand reputation and operating standards.
- Opening experience strongly preferred.
- Bachelor’s degree in Hospitality, Business, Venue Management, or related field preferred; equivalent progressive experience considered. Valid driver’s license and required manager-level certifications expected.
Leadership Profile
The ideal candidate is:
- Culture-driven, people-focused, and visible in the operation.
- Strategic and practical, with sound enterprise judgment and clear accountability.
- Financially disciplined and data-informed.
- Operationally rigorous with elevated standards for safety, readiness, and service.
- Calm and decisive in high-volume service, outdoor events, and complex operating environments.
- Committed to developing people, resolving problems directly, and building long-term teams.
- Able to work a flexible schedule as necessary, including nights, weekends, and holidays.
This role offers the opportunity to lead one of Ocala’s most distinctive new gathering places and establish a hospitality, entertainment, and community legacy at The Nest at Calesa.
Pay: $80,000.00 - $95,000.00 per year
Benefits:
- 401(k)
- Dental insurance
- Employee assistance program
- Employee discount
- Flexible spending account
- Health insurance
- Health savings account
- Paid time off
- Tuition reimbursement
- Vision insurance
Work Location: In person
