Restaurant Manager

Step back in time to an 1800’s saloon at the Southern Turf building, a spectacular and historic Queen Anne structure built in 1839. Unique 18th century museum quality artifacts and antiques inside the Southern Turf Club include four fireplaces – all over 100 years old, vintage oriental rugs, leather-bound books, apothecary jars, a hand-carved wall from a Scottish pub from the 1700’s, a wooden bench previously owned by 17th century English poet John Milton (the writer of Paradise Lost) and offers curated cigars, a full bar and delectable small bites (along with a $35K display-only bottle of Rip Van Winkle whiskey from 1916). The membership based Southern Turf Club, located at 222 4th Ave. North in downtown Nashville, sits atop the legendary Skull’s Rainbow Room and Sinatra Bar & Lounge. About Icon Entertainment Group Founded by celebrated entrepreneur and real estate investor Bill Miller, Icon Entertainment & Hospitality is a real estate development and hospitality company that owns and operates some of the most popular establishments in Nashville – including the Johnny Cash Museum, Sinatra Bar & Lounge, Patsy Cline Museum, Nudie's Honky Tonk, House of Cards, Johnny Cash's Bar & BBQ and Skull's Rainbow Room – as well as the Southern Turf Lofts and Music City Threads merchandise line. Since opening the Johnny Cash Museum in 2013 – the first component of a presence in downtown Nashville that is now comprised of more than 100,000 square feet of commercial real estate – Icon has welcomed millions of patrons from around the world to its dining and entertainment establishments. USA Today, Forbes, Time, Rolling Stone, Condé Nast Traveler, National Geographic, Southern Living, Marie Claire, AAA and TripAdvisor are just a few of the outlets and organizations that have honored and awarded Icon’s establishments with distinction, solidifying their status as “must-visit” Music City attractions and dining experiences. Restaurant Manager – Front of House Sinatra Bar & Lounge | The Southern Turf Club Nashville, Tennessee Position Summary Sinatra Bar & Lounge and The Southern Turf Club are seeking an experienced, hospitality-driven Restaurant Manager to join our front-of-house leadership team. This position requires more than simply managing a shift. Our Restaurant Managers are responsible for setting the tone of service, developing the team, protecting the guest experience, and maintaining the standards expected of two distinct hospitality concepts operating within the historic Southern Turf Building. Sinatra Bar & Lounge is a high-volume, upscale dining and entertainment destination where polished service, strong operational execution, and attention to detail are essential. The Southern Turf Club is our private members' club, requiring an even greater level of discretion, recognition, personalization, and relationship-driven hospitality. The ideal candidate is confident on the floor, highly organized, comfortable coaching a team in real time, and genuinely passionate about hospitality. Key Responsibilities Leadership & Floor Management Lead front-of-house operations during assigned shifts for Sinatra Bar & Lounge and The Southern Turf Club. Maintain a visible and active presence on the floor throughout service. Conduct effective pre-shift meetings and communicate daily priorities, menu changes, 86'd items, VIPs, events, and service expectations. Assign sections and responsibilities based on business needs, employee strengths, and anticipated volume. Ensure the restaurant is fully prepared before opening and properly closed and secured at the end of service. Anticipate operational challenges and address them before they affect the guest experience. Work collaboratively with culinary leadership, bartenders, servers, hosts, server assistants, barbacks, and fellow managers. Support other managers and departments as necessary rather than operating within departmental silos. Guest Experience Create a warm, polished, and memorable experience from arrival through departure. Actively engage with guests and members throughout service rather than managing exclusively from a host stand, office, or POS terminal. Recognize and appropriately handle VIPs, regular guests, club members, celebrations, and special requests. Resolve guest concerns professionally, quickly, and with sound judgment. Follow up on guest recovery situations to ensure concerns have been fully resolved. Protect the atmosphere and service standards of both Sinatra and The Southern Turf Club. Understand that luxury hospitality is often defined by anticipating what a guest needs before they have to ask. Team Development & Accountability Coach employees continuously during service and provide clear, constructive feedback. Hold team members accountable for attendance, punctuality, appearance, preparedness, service standards, and professional conduct. Participate in training and development of new and existing employees. Identify high-performing team members and opportunities for additional development. Document performance or conduct concerns appropriately and communicate them to senior leadership. Reinforce a culture in which reliability, teamwork, professionalism, and performance matter. Lead by example and maintain composure during high-volume or challenging services. Service Standards Ensure consistent execution of established service standards, including: Proper steps of service Table maintenance and resetting Menu and beverage knowledge Wine and cocktail service Guest recognition Appropriate pacing of courses Professional communication Cleanliness and organization Uniform and appearance standards Spatial awareness and safe movement through narrow service areas Giving right of way to guests and team members carrying food Proper handling of linens, glassware, silverware, and service equipment Managers are expected to correct service deficiencies in the moment while also using those opportunities to develop the employee. Southern Turf Club When assigned to or supporting The Southern Turf Club, the Restaurant Manager will: Understand and protect the private nature of the club. Build genuine relationships with members and learn their preferences. Recognize members and frequent guests whenever possible. Maintain discretion regarding members, their guests, and their activities. Ensure guests entering the club meet established attire and conduct standards. Assist with member reservations, guest experiences, special requests, and events. Coordinate closely with Sinatra leadership to ensure appropriate guest access and escort procedures. Maintain an elevated level of personalized service appropriate for a private club environment. Food & Beverage Operations Develop strong working knowledge of food, wine, spirits, cocktails, and current menu offerings. Reinforce suggestive selling and thoughtful upselling without compromising genuine hospitality. Monitor ticket times, beverage execution, course pacing, and communication between FOH and BOH. Assist with inventory controls, product availability, 86 lists, and operational communication. Ensure POS transactions, comps, voids, discounts, and guest adjustments are accurate and appropriately authorized. Identify opportunities to improve sales while maintaining the integrity of the guest experience. Cleanliness, Safety & Compliance Maintain exceptional standards of cleanliness throughout guest and employee areas. Ensure compliance with health department, EcoSure, alcohol service, food safety, and company requirements. Conduct routine walkthroughs of the restaurant, bars, restrooms, service stations, storage areas, and club. Correct sanitation or safety concerns immediately. Reinforce proper food handling, ice handling, chemical storage, glassware handling, and equipment procedures. Treat cleanliness and organization as continuous responsibilities rather than opening or closing tasks. Administrative Responsibilities Complete manager logs and shift reports accurately. Communicate significant guest, employee, maintenance, safety, and operational issues to senior leadership. Assist with scheduling, training, labor management, inventory, ordering, and other administrative responsibilities as assigned. Review reservations, special events, VIP notes, and anticipated business levels before service. Maintain familiarity with operating systems including Toast POS, OpenTable, scheduling/payroll systems, and company communication platforms. Qualifications Previous restaurant management or substantial supervisory experience in an upscale, fine-dining, luxury hospitality, private-club, hotel, or high-volume restaurant environment preferred. Strong understanding of front-of-house restaurant operations. Excellent communication and interpersonal skills. Proven ability to lead and coach employees. Strong guest-recovery and problem-solving abilities. Ability to remain composed and make sound decisions under pressure. Working knowledge of wine, spirits, cocktails, and elevated food service preferred. Comfortable working nights, weekends, holidays, and high-volume special events. Ability to stand and move throughout extended shifts and perform the physical requirements associated with restaurant operations. What Success Looks Like A successful Restaurant Manager at Sinatra and The Southern Turf Club: Leads from the floor. The team knows where their manager is when they need them. Notices the details. A crooked place setting, empty water glass, delayed cocktail, uncomfortable guest, struggling server, or dirty service station does not go unnoticed. Develops people. Problems are corrected, but employees are also taught how to become better. Protects the guest experience. Operational challenges should rarely become guest problems. Understands the difference between service and hospitality. Completing the steps of service is the minimum. Making people feel recognized, comfortable, and genuinely cared for is the goal. Takes ownership. If something affects the restaurant, the team, a member, or a guest, it matters—regardless of whose department it technically belongs to. Our Standard Sinatra Bar & Lounge and The Southern Turf Club operate in an environment where expectations are high and details matter. We expect our managers to be present, polished, accountable, knowledgeable, composed, and engaged. The objective is not simply to get through service. It is to deliver an experience worthy of the room, every night.