The Concept
Tucked just off the Royal Mile, Mile Yard and POCCA sit at the heart of StayHush (Crichton House).
We’re close enough to feel the city’s buzz, but tucked away enough to exhale.
POCCA is built around a cool, quality-driven Focaccia pocket concept — simple, bold, done properly. Mile Yard is the bar where it all flows: breakfast coffees, laid-back lunches, easy dinners and late drinks.
We’re looking for a Venue Manager to build that from day one.
The Role
You’ll lead both Mile Yard and POCCA — commercially, culturally, and operationally.
This is a hands-on leadership role. You’ll set the tone, drive performance, and shape the space into somewhere that feels warm, personal and properly local.
You’re not just running shifts. You’re building a scene.
What You’ll Be Doing
Culture & Team
- Recruit, train and inspire a high-energy, grounded team
- Create a culture that remembers names, gets the details right and feels genuinely human
- Lead from the floor — visible, present, supportive
- Develop team members to confidently prep food, serve, host and bartend
- Embed Stay Hush values into daily behaviour
Operations
- Oversee breakfast, lunch and dinner service
- Ensure food quality and consistency
- Manage rotas, labour cost and productivity
- Maintain high standards in cleanliness, compliance and H&S
- Own stock control, GP, wastage and supplier relationships
- Drive service standards without it feeling scripted
- Actively greet and guide guests staying at Stay Hush Apartments, ensuring a seamless connection between the aparthotel and the F&B space
Commercial Performance
- Deliver revenue targets across food and beverage
- Build a local following
- Drive restaurant and bar revenue from guests staying in the Stay Hush apartments by increasing visibility of the offering pre-arrival and in-house
- Collaborate on the creation and promotion of F&B packages, upsells and in-apartment dining experiences
- Introduce events, themed nights and collaborations
- Activate quieter periods creatively
- Monitor KPIs and continuously improve margins without compromising experience
Community & Partnerships
- Work in close collaboration with our Creative & Cultural Lead to shape the venue’s identity and programming
- Support the delivery of cultural moments, partnerships and activations that feel authentic to the neighbourhood
- Build relationships with local brands, creatives and independent businesses
- Introduce pop-ups, tastings, music nights and community-driven events
- Create strong reasons for locals to drop in weekly — not just occasionally
- Ensure guests feel connected to Edinburgh beyond the tourist trail, leaving with stories not just photos
What We’re Looking For
- Proven experience as a Restaurant or Bar Manager
- Strong commercial awareness and P&L understanding
- Hands-on leader who thrives in a start-up style environment
- Confident trainer who builds capable, cross-skilled teams
- Experience launching or repositioning venues is a bonus
And personally:
- Warm but sharp
- Commercial but creative
- Organised but relaxed in energy
- Someone who understands that hospitality is about atmosphere as much as operations
This is a chance to shape something from the ground up — not step into something already defined.
Pay: From £30,000.00 per year
Benefits:
- Company pension
- Discounted or free food
- Employee discount
Work Location: In person
