Restaurant Manager

The President Hotel, Bantry Bay, Cape Town.

Because every great hotel day begins with an exceptional dining experience.

At The President Hotel, breakfast and lunch are about far more than serving great food.

For many of our guests, breakfast is their first meaningful interaction with the hotel each day, and the experience they receive can set the tone for everything that follows.

As we continue our journey toward luxury, we are looking for an accomplished

Restaurant Manager, Breakfast & Lunch Service who understands how to lead a busy restaurant floor, inspire a service team and create an experience that feels warm, polished and effortless, even during the busiest periods.

This is a hands-on leadership opportunity for an experienced hospitality professional who enjoys being visible on the floor, engaging with guests and leading from the front.

The Opportunity

You will take ownership of the hotel's breakfast and lunch restaurant operation, leading the team through high volume services while ensuring that every guest receives the standard of hospitality expected from The President Hotel.

This Is An Opportunity To

• Take ownership of one of the hotel's most important daily guest experiences
• Lead a busy, high volume restaurant operation
• Build, coach and develop a strong front of house team
• Introduce ideas that improve service flow and the overall guest journey
• Work closely with senior Food and Beverage and culinary leadership
• Develop your career within a large, established Cape Town hotel
• Play an important role in The President Hotel's continued journey toward luxury

What You Will Be Doing

• Taking ownership of the entire breakfast and lunch service, from pre service preparation and team briefings through to the completion of service
• Leading from the floor and remaining highly visible and engaged throughout service
• Ensuring guests receive warm, professional and personalised hospitality
• Overseeing reservations, table allocations, seating plans, buffet presentation and service flow
• Monitoring the guest journey and identifying potential service issues before they become complaints
• Personally welcoming guests, recognising returning guests and assisting with VIPs and special occasions
• Coordinating dietary requirements and special guest requests with the culinary team
• Leading, motivating, coaching and developing the front of house team
• Conducting effective daily briefings and ensuring the team understands occupancy, VIPs, special requirements and operational priorities
• Working closely with the Executive Chef and kitchen brigade to ensure seamless communication between front and back of house
• Maintaining exceptional buffet presentation, cleanliness, food quality and service standards throughout service
• Developing the team's food, beverage and product knowledge
• Driving revenue through confident product knowledge, personalised recommendations and appropriate upselling
• Managing team performance, rosters, shift allocations and daily operational requirements
• Ensuring restaurant equipment, service areas and operating supplies are maintained and ready for service
• Maintaining excellent hygiene, food safety and compliance standards
• Handling guest concerns professionally and taking ownership of service recovery
• Identifying opportunities to improve efficiency, service standards and the overall guest experience
• Providing operational feedback and recommendations to the Food and Beverage Manager

Who We Want To Meet

We are looking for a Restaurant Manager who is confident on the floor, operationally strong and genuinely enjoys interacting with guests and leading people.

You Should Have

• Matric or Grade 12
• A relevant Hospitality qualification or Hotel School diploma will be advantageous
• A minimum of approximately 3 years' experience as a Restaurant Manager within a 4 star or 5 star hotel, luxury restaurant or high end dining environment
• Proven experience managing a busy, high volume restaurant service
• Previous breakfast and buffet operational experience will be highly advantageous
• Strong food and beverage knowledge, including buffet service, à la carte dining and beverages
• Experience working with restaurant reservation and POS systems
• Opera PMS experience will be advantageous
• Strong leadership and people management skills
• Proven experience training, coaching and developing front of house employees
• Excellent guest relations and communication skills
• Strong experience managing complaints and service recovery
• Excellent organisation, planning and attention to detail
• The ability to remain calm, professional and solutions focused during extremely busy services
• Flexibility to work weekends, public holidays and shifts according to operational requirements
• Professional grooming and presentation
• South African ID or valid South African work authorisation

The Person Behind the Manager

Experience is important, but how you lead and how you make people feel matters just as much.

We are looking for someone who does not manage the restaurant from the sidelines.

You should enjoy being on the floor, greeting guests, watching the service, supporting your team and noticing the details that others might miss.

You need to know when to step in, when to coach, when to make a decision and how to keep your team focused when the restaurant is at its busiest.

We want a manager who can inspire rather than simply instruct, build accountability within the team and create an environment where exceptional service becomes the standard rather than the exception.

Why Join The President Hotel?

Joining The President Hotel means becoming part of an established Cape Town hotel that is continuing to evolve, grow and raise its hospitality standards.

For the right Restaurant Manager, this is an opportunity to:

• Lead an important hotel operation, taking ownership of one of the most significant daily guest touchpoints
• Make an impact, bring ideas and help shape how the breakfast and lunch experience continues to evolve
• Work in a high volume environment, developing valuable operational leadership experience within a busy hotel
• Build and develop your own team, coach emerging hospitality professionals and create a strong service culture
• Grow with the hotel, playing an important role in The President Hotel's continued journey toward luxury
• Engage with a diverse guest base, creating memorable experiences for both local and international guests
• Develop your leadership career, working closely with senior Food and Beverage and culinary leadership
• Be part of Cape Town's Most Loved Hotel, an established property with a strong presence in the Cape Town hospitality market
• Enjoy employee benefits, including a competitive salary package, company contribution towards medical aid and pension benefits
• Be part of a strong team culture, where warmth, teamwork, accountability, passion and exceptional guest experiences matter

Ready for Your Next Challenge?

If you are an experienced Restaurant Manager who loves the energy of a busy restaurant floor, enjoys developing people and believes that exceptional hospitality is found in the smallest details, we would like to hear from you.

When Applying, Please Submit

• Your fully updated CV
• Contactable references from direct managers