Assistant General Manager / Wine Director

Company Description

Forget About Hospitality invites guests to step away from the everyday pace, leave the noise behind, and enjoy being fully present.

Designed for New York and rooted in Italian hospitality, the concept centers on high-quality Italian cuisine, a warm and sophisticated atmosphere, and a seamless journey from aperitivo through dinner and after-dinner experiences.

The name “Forget About It” reinterprets a classic New York expression as an invitation to let go, savor the moment, and embrace an experience shaped by food, people, and ambiance. Blending Italian identity, an international spirit, and a modern vision of hospitality, Forget About It is an attitude-driven, experience-focused destination.

Role Description

The Assistant General Manager / Wine Director is a full-time, on-site leadership role based in New York City. The position combines responsibility for supporting the restaurant’s daily operations with the development and management of a distinctive and commercially successful wine program.

Working closely with the General Manager, Executive Chef, and Ownership, this individual will help oversee Front of House operations, service standards, team performance, guest relations, scheduling, inventory, and cost control.

The role requires a visible and proactive presence on the floor, leading the team during service, managing the guest experience, addressing operational challenges, and ensuring seamless coordination among the dining room, bar, and kitchen.

As Wine Director, this individual will curate and maintain the restaurant’s wine list, with particular attention to Italian wines, regional diversity, quality, and commercial performance. The role also includes managing supplier relationships, purchasing and pricing, monitoring inventory and beverage costs, organizing tastings, and training the team on wine knowledge, pairings, storytelling, sales techniques, responsible alcohol service, and proper wine service.

The ideal candidate combines strong operational judgment with genuine warmth, refined wine expertise, and the ability to inspire and develop a high-performing hospitality team.

Key Responsibilities

• Support the General Manager in overseeing daily restaurant operations and serve as Manager on Duty when required.

• Maintain a visible leadership presence on the floor and lead Front of House employees throughout service.

• Conduct pre-shift meetings and communicate service priorities, menu updates, wine features, VIP notes, and operational expectations.

• Monitor dining room flow, reservations, table management, service execution, and guest satisfaction.

• Coordinate closely with the Executive Chef, kitchen leadership, and bar team to ensure consistent quality and seamless service.

• Ensure opening, shift-transition, closing, cleanliness, organization, and presentation standards are consistently maintained.

• Support the recruitment, onboarding, training, coaching, scheduling, and development of Front of House employees.

• Foster a culture of accountability, professionalism, respect, collaboration, and genuine hospitality.

• Build meaningful guest relationships, recognize special occasions, and handle feedback or concerns with professionalism and urgency.

• Develop, curate, and continuously refine a distinctive and commercially successful wine list.

• Maintain a strong representation of Italian regions, producers, grape varieties, styles, and price points.

• Build relationships with distributors, importers, producers, and suppliers.

• Negotiate pricing, allocations, purchasing terms, and product availability.

• Manage wine purchasing, pricing, storage, rotation, presentation, and inventory controls.

• Monitor wine costs, margins, sales mix, inventory levels, waste, and product performance.

• Lead tastings and provide ongoing staff education on wine, food pairings, storytelling, sales techniques, and proper service.

• Support budgeting, forecasting, labor management, purchasing, daily sales reporting, and inventory accuracy.

• Ensure compliance with applicable health, safety, sanitation, employment, and alcoholic beverage regulations.

Qualifications

• At least five years of restaurant management experience, including Front of House leadership and daily operational oversight.

• At least three years of experience developing or managing a restaurant wine program.

• Extensive wine knowledge, with a strong understanding of Italian regions, producers, grape varieties, vintages, and food pairings.

• Strong leadership, communication, training, coaching, organizational, and problem-solving skills.

• Proven ability to manage floor operations and maintain consistent service standards in a fast-paced, upscale hospitality environment.

• Excellent guest-relations and conflict-resolution skills, with a commitment to warm, attentive, and highly personalized service.

• Experience with wine purchasing, supplier negotiations, inventory management, pricing, beverage-cost control, and margin analysis.

• Solid understanding of restaurant scheduling, labor management, budgeting, forecasting, and daily financial controls.

• Ability to coordinate effectively among Front of House, kitchen, and bar teams.

• Knowledge of New York City health and safety requirements and New York State alcoholic beverage regulations.

• Availability to work evenings, weekends, and holidays.

• Authorization to work in the United States.

• Sommelier certification through CMS, WSET, or an equivalent organization is strongly preferred.

• Experience opening a new restaurant or working in an upscale casual or fine-dining environment is highly beneficial.

• Knowledge of Italian cuisine, wine, and hospitality culture is strongly preferred. Italian language skills are a plus.

Employment details:

• Full-time, on-site position in New York City.

• Annual base salary: $75,000–$85,000, based on experience and qualifications, with the potential for additional performance-based compensation tied to the restaurant’s results.

• This is a non-tipped management position and is not eligible to participate in an employee tip pool.

• Benefits may include health coverage under the applicable Company plan, paid time off for managers, and staff meals during scheduled shifts.

Specific benefit terms, including eligibility, waiting periods, paid time off, carryover, employee contributions, and coverage, will be established in the successful candidate’s written offer or applicable benefit-plan documents.

The salary range reflects the annual base compensation that Forget About Hospitality reasonably and in good faith expects to offer at the time of posting. Final compensation will be determined based on the successful candidate’s experience, qualifications, wine expertise, and relevant management background.

Employment details:

This position requires prolonged periods of standing and walking, movement throughout all operational areas of the restaurant, and the ability to lift and carry up to 40 pounds. Reasonable accommodations may be provided to enable qualified individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions of the position.

Equal employment opportunity:

Forget About Hospitality is an Equal Opportunity Employer. Employment decisions are made without regard to race, color, religion, creed, sex, pregnancy, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, national origin, age, disability, genetic information, veteran or military status, or any other characteristic protected under applicable federal, New York State, or New York City law.