Cafe jobs in Hawthorn

Assistant Front of House Manager

Herb Garden Restaurant – Whitehall Garden Centre, Lacock

Whitehall Garden Centre is a family-run, award-winning business offering a wide range of shopping and dining experiences for our customers.

We are looking for an enthusiastic, organised and customer-focused Assistant Front of House Manager to join our team at the Herb Garden Restaurant.

This is an exciting opportunity for someone with a passion for hospitality who enjoys leading a team, delivering excellent customer service and helping to ensure the smooth day-to-day running of a busy restaurant.

The Role

Working closely with the Catering Operations Manager and wider restaurant management team, you will help oversee the daily operation of the restaurant, ensuring high standards of customer service, presentation, cleanliness and efficiency at all times.

Your responsibilities will include:

• Supporting the Catering Operations Manager with the day-to-day running of the restaurant.
• Supervising, motivating and supporting the front of house team to deliver excellent customer service.
• Leading by example and ensuring customers receive a friendly, welcoming and professional experience.
• Assisting with staff rotas, shift planning and the effective allocation of duties.
• Helping to train, develop and support team members, ensuring they understand their roles and responsibilities.
• Greeting customers, managing enquiries and resolving customer concerns professionally.
• Overseeing table service, food and drink service, restaurant presentation and customer flow.
• Ensuring tables, dining areas and service stations are clean, tidy and well presented.
• Monitoring service standards and helping the team maintain an efficient and consistent service during busy periods.
• Supporting the management of stock, ordering, deliveries and wastage where required.
• Ensuring tills, payments and cash-handling procedures are followed correctly.
• Maintaining high standards of food hygiene, health and safety and cleanliness throughout the restaurant.
• Ensuring all team members follow company policies, procedures and safe working practices.
• Liaising with the kitchen team to ensure smooth communication and timely food service.
• Assisting with the opening and closing of the restaurant and completing relevant checks.
• Supporting the Catering Operations Manager with performance management, staff development and operational improvements.
• Helping to ensure the restaurant meets its customer service, sales and operational objectives.
• Undertaking any other reasonable duties required to support the successful running of the restaurant.

About You

We are looking for someone who is:

• Friendly, approachable and passionate about delivering excellent customer service.
• Experienced in hospitality, ideally within a restaurant, café or similar food service environment.
• Confident supervising, motivating and supporting a team.
• Organised, reliable and able to manage competing priorities.
• Calm and professional when working under pressure in a busy environment.
• Confident dealing with customer enquiries and resolving complaints.
• Able to lead by example and encourage high standards of teamwork and presentation.
• Knowledgeable about food hygiene, health and safety and safe working practices.
• Comfortable working with tills, payments and restaurant service procedures.
• Proactive, flexible and able to use their own initiative.
• A strong communicator who works well with colleagues across the business.
• Flexible and willing to work weekends and during busy seasonal periods.

Previous supervisory or team-leading experience within hospitality is essential, and experience in a restaurant management or assistant management role would be advantageous.

Working Pattern

This is a role within the Herb Garden Restaurant at Whitehall Garden Centre, Lacock.

The position will involve a flexible working pattern, including weekdays, evening, weekends and busy seasonal trading periods. The successful candidate must be able to work as part of a rota and provide support during peak trading times.

What We Offer

• The opportunity to work within a family-run, award-winning business.
• A varied and rewarding role within a busy restaurant environment.
• The opportunity to develop your hospitality and leadership skills.
• Free on-site parking.
• Accrued holiday entitlement.
• Staff discounts, subject to eligibility.
• Pension scheme, subject to eligibility.

If you are passionate about hospitality, enjoy leading a team and take pride in delivering an excellent customer experience, we would love to hear from you.

Only applicants successfully shortlisted for interview will be contacted.

Benefits:

• Employee discount
• Free parking

Work Location: In person