Assistant Manager

Meaa; Chipping Barnet; On-site; GBP 42,000 - 58,000; Full time

Job summary

MEAA London is seeking an ambitious, experienced Assistant General Manager to join our London restaurant with a clear objective: develop into the General Manager role within approximately 3–6 months. This is not a conventional AGM position.

We are looking for someone capable of running one of our busiest venues, delivering premium service to about 4,000 covers per week and £100k+ weekly revenue. You will work with the existing management team, progressively assuming GM remit, leading front of

Qualifications

• Experience as AGM/Deputy GM in a high-volume operation is essential.
• Strong leadership and guest service focus.
• Comfortable delivering premium service in a busy premium restaurant.

Responsibilities

• Lead front-of-house and management team through high-volume services.
• Maintain consistent standards across up to 4,000 weekly covers and £100k+ weekly revenue.
• Recruit, onboard, train and develop staff; build a strong management team.

Job description

Assistant General Manager — Progression to General Manager

MEAA London

MEAA is looking for an ambitious, experienced Assistant General Manager to join our London restaurant with a clear objective: develop into the General Manager role within approximately 3–6 months.

This is not a conventional AGM position. We are looking for someone capable of becoming the person ultimately responsible for one of our busiest restaurants.

MEAA London is a high-volume operation serving approximately 4,000 covers per week, with around 150 covers and generating approximately £100,000 in weekly revenue. It combines the pace and complexity of a major-volume restaurant with the standards, attention to detail and personal service expected from a premium hospitality business.

The opportunity

You will initially work alongside the existing management team, learning the MEAA operation, culture and standards while progressively taking responsibility for the restaurant.

The 3–6 month development period will cover the full GM remit, including:

• Leading a large FOH and management team through high-volume services
• Maintaining consistently high standards across up to 4,000 weekly covers
• Taking ownership of guest experience and handling issues confidently
• Recruitment, onboarding, training and development
• Building a strong management and supervisory team beneath you
• Rotas, labour deployment and productivity
• Sales performance and commercial decision-making
• Wage and operating cost control
• Restaurant P&L understanding and accountability
• Driving average spend and identifying revenue opportunities
• Maintaining service, presentation, cleanliness and brand standards
• Using guest feedback and operational data to improve performance
• Working closely with the Head Chef and kitchen leadership
• Developing regular customers and ensuring our best guests are recognised
• Leading pre-shifts, management meetings and performance reviews
• Taking increasing responsibility for the entire operation until ready to step into the GM position

Who we’re looking for

We are not looking for someone who simply wants their next AGM job.

We’re looking for somebody who wants to run a substantial restaurant and can demonstrate that they have the potential to do so.

You will probably already be a strong AGM, Deputy GM or experienced senior restaurant manager within a high-volume operation and feel ready for the next step.

You should be comfortable operating in an environment doing £100k+ per week and understand that delivering 4,000 covers requires organisation, pace and strong management rather than simply being visible on the restaurant floor.

You should be:

• A strong and confident leader
• Commercially aware
• Highly organised
• Excellent with guests
• Comfortable managing and developing people
• Calm during extremely busy services
• Able to hold people accountable without creating a negative culture
• Obsessed with consistency and detail
• Comfortable working with numbers and KPIsAble to identify problems before they become problems
• Hands-on when necessary, without becoming trapped in individual sections
• Ambitious enough to want responsibility for the whole business

Experience in a high-volume premium restaurant, busy independent group or quality multi-site restaurant business would be particularly relevant.

What success looks like

This role comes with a genuine progression plan.

During your first months you will be expected to demonstrate that you can progressively take ownership of:

People Service Operations Commercial Performance The Entire Restaurant

The intention is that, once you have demonstrated that you can consistently operate the restaurant to the required standard, you will progress into the General Manager position.

This is therefore an opportunity for someone who is already close to GM level but wants the opportunity, support and scale to make that step.

About MEAA

MEAA is built around excellent food, atmosphere and genuinely warm hospitality.

We want high standards without stiff or scripted service. Our managers are expected to know their teams, know their customers and create an environment where people enjoy working as much as customers enjoy visiting.

As MEAA grows, there will also be opportunities beyond individual restaurant management for the strongest people within the business.

Location: London
Position: Assistant General Manager
Progression: General Manager
Expected development period: approximately 3–6 months
Restaurant volume: approximately 4,000 covers per week