Restaurant jobs in Essex

Assistant Manager

Pret here! We’re proud makers of delicious food, organic coffee and big ideas across 750+ shops in 20+ countries.

Whether you’re making our customers’ days with the perfect latte or leading your team to success, roles in Pret shops come with huge opportunities for growth. Together, we’re doing the right thing and growing fast – it’s an exciting team to hop on board!

Growing Good Things

Pret is where passionate, hardworking, wonderful people (like you!) find the confidence and skills they need to grow and choose their unique paths. And the proof is in the pudding – 80%+ of our Managers and 20% of our Support Centre teams (including our CEO, Pano) started on the shop floor.

What we’re looking for

• As an Assistant Manager at Pret a Manger, you’ll support the General Manager in overseeing daily store operations to ensure everything runs smoothly. You’ll help lead and motivate the team to deliver outstanding customer service and consistently high-quality food, while fostering a positive and inclusive work environment built on teamwork and camaraderie. By leading from the front, you’ll ensure exceptional customer experiences and resolve any issues promptly. You’ll assist in training and developing team members, helping them grow professionally within Pret. Working closely with both front-of-house and back-of-house teams, you’ll contribute to efficient service, uphold health and safety standards, and support stock control through stock ordering, stock takes, and waste reduction.

• Leaders, inspirers, and drivers of their teams, our Managers are our in-shop champions, coaching and mentoring their teams. These wonderful people are the protectors of the things that make Pret, Pret – keeping standards and spirits high, and our teams and customers happy. When the shop gets busy, so do they; it's what makes them, them - whether it's rolling their sleeves up on the coffee machine (with training, of course) or immersed in the figures and spreadsheets. A people person without a doubt, with a passion for helping their shop, and the people in it grow.

About you

• Be kind, honest and generous: bring genuine warmth and your authentic self to work every day.

• Bring your passion: share our passion for exceptional customer service.

• Spread joy every day: small acts of kindness (like giving away a free coffee on the house) are a big part of what makes the Pret experience special.
• Experience: You’ve got experience in retail or hospitality, and you know how to lead a team, drive profit, and deliver great customer experiences—all while keeping energy and standards high.

We offer

• Salary from £34,654

• 15% quarterly bonus

• You’ll get 33 days of annual leave (including flexible Bank Holidays), increasing to 38 days the longer you’re with us.

• Free private medical cover, with the option to add family or partner at an additional cost

• 4% of your pension contribution matched by Pret, rises to 5% after 5 years

• Life assurance at 3x annual salary

• Loyalty award for 5, 10, 15, 20 years’ service

• Flexible Benefits Platform packed with lifestyle discounts

• Season ticket loans

• Healthcare cash plan

• Financial wellbeing provisions

• Free mortgage services

• Sabbatical after 3 years

• Opportunities to support our charity, The Pret Foundation

• Comfy free shoes to wear on shift

We also offer

• Individual ways to grow – We offer lots of opportunities for learning, whether you join us for a short stint or the long game, you’re good to grow with us. Including fully funded professional qualifications – apprenticeships Level 3 and internal transfer opportunities to explore.

• Diversity and belonging – Everyone is welcome at Pret, we want you to feel confident and valued for who you are and to truly belong.

• Pace and variety - Our work is fast paced with lots of variety, you’ll build a diverse skill set and learn a lot!

• Community and purpose - We’re proud to make a difference through The Pret Foundation, from tackling homelessness to reducing food waste and creating positive change for people and communities.

Our values

• Happy Teams Happy Customers

• Amazing Standards Every day

• Never Standing Still

• Doing The Right Thing

The interview journey

• Every interview process at Pret begins with the same two stages. First stage virtual interview on Teams (60min); Second stage shop experience in person (60min)

• Everyone is welcome at Pret. We encourage applications from underrepresented groups, including women, people with disabilities, neurodiversity, ethnic minorities, and the LGBTQ+ community. Please let our recruitment team know if you need any adjustments or support during the recruitment process – your experience matters to us.

We’d love to get to know you, not a robot, so please do not rely on AI to complete your application.