Assistant Restaurant Manager

Dobbies; Lisburn; On-site; GBP 25,000 - 35,000; Full time

Job summary

Dobbies is looking for an Assistant Restaurant Manager to lead its restaurant team in Lisburn. You will ensure a top-notch customer experience, manage operations, and uphold health standards while promoting a positive and engaged team culture. Enjoy generous leave, employee discounts, and continued development opportunities.

Benefits

Generous annual leave

50% discount in restaurants

Access to Wagestream

Employee wellbeing support

Ongoing development through Dobbies Academy

Qualifications

• Proven experience in restaurant management.
• Ability to manage stock controls and adhere to health & safety regulations.
• Experience in coaching and training teams.

Responsibilities

• Oversee the restaurant operation, managing kitchen and front of house.
• Lead a team focused on customer experience.
• Implement stock management to minimize waste.

Skills

Hospitality

Commercial awareness

Stock management

Team coaching

Adaptability

Positivity

Job description

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Our Assistant Restaurant Managers play an essential role in delivering an exceptional experience across our Restaurants – delivering tasty food, maintaining operational standards, smashing commercial targets, and ensuring food hygiene, whilst assisting the Restaurant Manager.

Responsibilities

• Oversee the fast-paced restaurant operation, taking responsibility for both the kitchen and front of house operation.
• Lead an engaged team, focused on delivering a great customer experience and making it work for our customer.
• Ensure strict compliance with health and safety regulations at all times.
• Implement effective stock management controls to minimise wastage and ensure the kitchen has everything it needs to serve customers.
• Support the delivery of in-store events, including seasonal highlights such as Breakfast with Santa, and regular fixtures such as Afternoon Teas.
• Communicate effectively with our central support teams to maintain smooth operations and provide feedback to improve our business.
• Work as part of the overall Garden Centre Management team to deliver a safe working environment, a commercially successful store, and a great place to work for our colleagues.

Who we are looking for

• You’ll bring passion for hospitality with proven experience in restaurant management.
• Commercial awareness and understanding of budgets, profitability from driving sales, and improved ways of working.
• A proven ability to manage stock controls and adhere strictly to health & safety regulations.
• Ability to identify training needs and effectively coach and train all levels, ensuring our teams deliver a first-class customer experience and a safe environment.
• Adaptability—acting quickly and enthusiastically to changing priorities, workloads, and new regulations or requirements.
• Positivity in managing change, leading the team with care and motivation to deliver the best.
• Ability to demonstrate our values at all times — being one team, getting better every day, bringing a smile, living and breathing gardens, and making it work for our customers.

What we offer

• Generous annual leave entitlement, with the flexibility to use holidays when you want, requiring limited statutory days off.
• Uncapped discounts across our stores: 50% off in our Restaurants, 25% off in the Garden Centre, and 10% off in our food halls.
• Access to Wagestream to support your financial wellbeing, including early access to earnings, savings, and financial advice.
• Access to Retail Trust for confidential support, virtual GP, free counselling, and retail rewards through our employee wellbeing platform.
• Access to Dobbies Academy for ongoing development through eLearning and training programmes.
• A thriving culture; our passionate, diverse team is committed to making it work for our customers.

About Us

At Dobbies, we’re proud to have a history dating back to 1865. Founded by James Dobbie, we are the only garden centre retailer with stores in every nation across the UK.

Our passion for gardens and plants makes us unique. We showcase this through our own brand and branded products, concession partners, and services. We champion garden living all year round.

Many of our stores feature a restaurant or coffee shop where customers can enjoy refreshments or meals in a relaxed environment.

We organize events and experiences that bring communities together, and partner with a national charity that our colleagues and customers support.

We’re committed to being a great place to work. We encourage our colleagues to be their best selves every day, share wins, and celebrate success. Together, we make it work for our customers.