Senior Restaurant Manager - Premium Italian Restaurant (Pre-Opening)

An opportunity has arisen for a polished, hands-on Senior Restaurant Manager to join a premium, high energy contemporary Mediterranean restaurant opening at the V&A Waterfront in Cape Town. The venue is part of an international multi-brand hospitality group with deep South African and Australian roots, and this is a pre-opening appointment - a rare chance to help shape a new restaurant from day one.

Reporting to the General Manager, you will act as second-in-command, deputising fully in their absence and owning day-to-day floor operations, team performance and guest experience across the dining room, bar and private dining. This is a senior floor-leadership role for an operator who thrives during high-volume service, sets the tone for the team on the ground, and takes full ownership of the guest experience and shift-level commercial performance.

Responsibilities

• Lead service from the floor across dining room, bar and private dining, maintaining a highly visible presence during peak periods.
• Deputise for the General Manager, taking full accountability for the restaurant during their absence.
• Anticipate and resolve operational issues before they impact the guest experience.
• Support recruitment, onboarding and training of the front-of-house team ahead of and beyond launch.
• Assist in implementing SOPs, service sequences and readiness checklists ahead of opening.
• Build relationships with regular guests and VIPs, ensuring a personalised and memorable experience.
• Handle guest feedback and service recovery with judgement and professionalism.
• Monitor shift-level sales, labour and cost performance against targets.
• Own and analyse the restaurant's P&L on a regular basis - tracking revenue, cost of sales and labour trends, identifying variances early and supporting the General Manager in driving corrective action.
• Support the General Manager on rostering, productivity and controllable cost management.
• Coach and develop supervisors and team members, embedding the group's Ubuntu culture.
• Manage rosters, briefings and performance standards across shifts.

Requirements

• A minimum of 3–4 years' experience as a Restaurant Manager (or Senior Assistant Manager) within a busy, premium restaurant environment in South Africa.
• Proven ability to lead service from the floor in a high-volume operation.
• Strong understanding of premium dining service standards.
• Demonstrable commercial awareness: comfortable with sales, labour, cost of sales and P&L analysis.
• Strong emotional intelligence and coaching ability, with a track record of developing front-of-house teams.
• Floor-led, energetic and calm under pressure, with a genuine hospitality mindset.
• Fluent English, spoken and written.
• Experience with pre-opening operations is advantageous.
• Must hold the right to work in South Africa.

Benefits

• Salary: ZAR 32,000 – 42,000 gross per month, depending on experience.
• Duty meal provided on shift.
• Uniform provided.
• 30 days annual leave.
• Permanent, full-time contract, 6 days per week.
• The opportunity to open a new premium venue with an international multi-brand group.
• Further benefits to be confirmed during the recruitment process.

Additional Information

The desired start date is 16 September 2026, so candidates who are immediately available or on a short notice

period are strongly preferred. This is an in-country appointment: candidates must already hold the right to work in

South Africa, and must be based in, or able to relocate to, Cape Town.

Disclaimer

We appreciate your interest in this vacancy. Due to the high number of applications we receive, only candidates

selected to move to the next stage of the recruitment process can be contacted. Radiant does not charge any fee to

candidates.