Restaurant Manager

RESTAURANT MANAGER

Alessandro’s Enoteca | Bryn Mawr, PA
Alessandro’s Ventures

Alessandro’s Enoteca, the elevated Italian concept from Alessandro’s Ventures, is seeking an experienced Restaurant Manager to help lead our front-of-house team and deliver an exceptional guest experience.

This is a hands-on, floor-focused leadership role.

We’re looking for someone who understands the rhythm of a great dining room: how to lead a pre-shift, position the team for success, manage the flow of service, recognize problems before they become problems, coach employees in the moment, and make guests feel genuinely taken care of.

The Restaurant Manager should be highly visible throughout service and lead from the floor. You should know what is happening at the host stand, at the bar, in every section, and at the pass without losing sight of the individual guest experience.

The Restaurant Manager is responsible for maintaining the standards, pace, organization, and energy of the dining room throughout service.

Our Restaurant Managers are expected to:

• Lead the floor and actively manage service from beginning to end

• Ensure Alessandro’s established Steps of Service are executed consistently

• Maintain a constant awareness of table progression, ticket times, pacing, reservations, and overall dining-room flow

• Position Servers and Support Staff effectively based on business levels and anticipated needs

• Conduct organized and informative pre-shift meetings

• Ensure the team is properly prepared before doors open

• Observe service and provide real-time coaching when standards are missed

• Coordinate closely with the host stand, bar, kitchen, Servers, and Support Staff

• Communicate with culinary leadership regarding ticket times, pacing, allergies, special requests, and service issues

• Ensure food is delivered promptly, accurately, and with proper presentation

• Maintain exceptional standards for table maintenance, resetting, water service, clearing, marking, and overall dining-room presentation

• Recognize when a Server or section needs assistance and deploy support before service suffers

• Maintain composure, urgency, and professionalism during high-volume periods

• Keep the team focused, positive, and moving with purpose

Exceptional hospitality is the foundation of the role.

The Restaurant Manager should be comfortable engaging with guests throughout the dining room and should understand the difference between simply checking on a table and genuinely managing the guest experience.

• Welcome and engage guests naturally and professionally

• Build relationships with regulars and recognize returning guests

• Monitor guest satisfaction throughout the meal

• Identify potential service issues before a guest needs to bring them to our attention

• Handle complaints and service recovery with professionalism, judgment, and appropriate follow-through

• Communicate special occasions, VIPs, allergies, and guest preferences to the appropriate team members

• Ensure celebrations and special requests are properly acknowledged

• Support the host team in managing reservations, wait times, seating, and guest expectations

• Help create the warm, polished, and attentive hospitality expected from Alessandro’s Enoteca

Great managers make the people around them better.

• Coach Servers, Bartenders, Hosts, Runners, and Bussers throughout service

• Reinforce expectations consistently and fairly

• Hold employees accountable to established service and professional standards

• Recognize strong performance and provide constructive feedback when improvement is needed

• Help train and develop new employees

• Identify team members who are ready for additional responsibility or advancement

• Promote teamwork between FOH and BOH

• Maintain a positive, professional work environment even during challenging services

• Lead by example and never ask the team to do something you are unwilling to do yourself

Managers should be among the most knowledgeable people on the floor.

• Maintain strong knowledge of the restaurant’s food, wine, cocktail, and beverage programs

• Understand ingredients, preparation methods, allergens, and menu terminology

• Confidently discuss wine and beverage selections and basic pairings

• Ensure Servers and Support Staff are properly educated on menu changes and specials

• Participate in tastings, menu education, and ongoing training

• Work with culinary and beverage leadership to continually improve the team's knowledge

• Hold employees accountable for knowing the products they are serving

While the primary responsibility is managing the floor, Restaurant Managers are also expected to execute the daily operational responsibilities necessary to run a successful restaurant.

• Complete opening and closing manager responsibilities

• Conduct pre-service restaurant walkthroughs and correct issues before opening

• Confirm staffing, sections, sidework, and service assignments

• Manage reservations and table flow

• Oversee employee checkouts and cash-handling procedures

• Review comps, voids, discounts, and other shift activity

• Complete manager logs and communicate important information to the leadership team

• Ensure sidework is completed properly before employees are released

• Maintain cleanliness and organization throughout all FOH areas

• Ensure restaurant equipment, furniture, lighting, music, temperature, and overall atmosphere meet established standards

• Communicate maintenance and facility issues promptly

• Maintain proficiency with the restaurant’s POS, reservation, scheduling, and event-management systems

• Assist with private events and large-party execution when required

Great floor managers see things other people miss.

A guest looking around for their Server. An empty water glass. A table that hasn't been cleared. Food sitting in the window. A reservation beginning to back up at the door. A Server becoming overwhelmed. A dirty restroom. A crooked table setting. A guest celebrating something that hasn't been acknowledged.

The Restaurant Manager should constantly scan the restaurant, anticipate what needs to happen next, and take action.

If you see it, own it.

Ideal candidates will have:

• Previous restaurant management experience, preferably in an upscale, fine-dining, or high-volume environment

• Strong understanding of elevated Steps of Service

• Excellent floor-management and organizational skills

• Strong food, wine, and beverage knowledge

• Experience coaching and developing FOH employees

• Excellent guest-relations and service-recovery skills

• Strong communication and problem-solving abilities

• Experience with restaurant POS and reservation systems

• Ability to remain composed and decisive during high-volume service

• Flexible availability, including nights, weekends, and holidays as required by the business

Most importantly, we are looking for someone who is positive, hardworking, detail-oriented, accountable, and genuinely passionate about hospitality.