Restaurant Manager

Essex Meadows; Centerbrook (CT); On-site; USD 70,000 - 75,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical, dental, and vision insurance

Life insurance

AD&D insurance

Long-term disability insurance

401(k) with company match

Resident scholarships

Generous PTO and holidays

Employee assistance program

Daily Pay Option – Work today, getpaid

Positive work environment

Job summary

Essex Meadows is seeking a Restaurant Manager to oversee daily dining operations, lead front-of-house teams, and ensure exceptional service for residents and guests. You will partner with the Food & Beverage Director to drive operational excellence, staff development, and budget achievement.

Ideal candidates bring 5+ years in high-volume dining, strong leadership, scheduling, payroll, and reporting experience, with excellent communication and customer service skills to thrive in a senior living

Qualifications

• 5+ years of progressive restaurant/ hospitality dining management experience.
• Experience with scheduling, payroll, and operational reporting.
• Strong leadership, coaching, and team-building abilities.
• Excellent communication and customer service skills.

Responsibilities

• Oversee daily dining operations (dining rooms, bars, service stations) and ensure exceptional service.
• Lead, coach, and develop dining room supervisors and service staff; conduct training and performance reviews.
• Coordinate with Food & Beverage leadership to drive operational excellence and budget goals.
• Manage staffing schedules, payroll, inventory controls, and purchasing.
• Ensure compliance with food safety, sanitation, and regulatory standards and maintain safe dining environments.

Skills

Leadership

Team building

Communication

Problem solving

Customer service

Scheduling

Education

Associate’s degree in Hospitality Management

Tools

POS systems

Workforce management software

Microsoft Office

Job description

Annual Salary: $70,000-$75,000, commensurate with experience

Who We Are

Walk through our doors and see the difference in the future with senior living and care. Set against a beautiful 1,000-acre natural preserve and just minutes from the shoreline,Essex Meadowsleads the way in comprehensive senior living in Connecticut. When you work at Essex Meadows, you have a front-row seat to the amazing life stories of the wisest people on earth. What's more, you are part of an extraordinary company-one that's investing in the future of senior living by investing in you. Don't just do a job. Be part of an extraordinary life!

• Medical, dental, and vision insurance
• Life insurance
• AD&D insurance
• Long-term disability insurance
• 401(k) with company match
• Resident sponsored educational scholarships
• Generous PTO and paid holidays
• Employee assistance program
• Daily Pay Option – Work today, get paid today
• An exceptional work environment

What You'll Do

As Restaurant Manager, you will oversee the daily operations of our dining venues and front-of-house service teams while ensuring outstanding service, operational excellence, and resident satisfaction.

Leadership & Team Development

• Lead, coach, and develop dining room supervisors, lead servers, bartenders, hosts, and service staff.
• Conduct training, performance management, and employee development initiatives.
• Foster a positive, accountable, and engaged team culture.
• Participate in recruiting, interviewing, onboarding, and retention efforts.
• Conduct daily pre-shift meetings and ongoing service coaching.

Dining Operations

• Oversee day-to-day operations of dining rooms, bars, service stations, and special events.
• Ensure exceptional service standards and hospitality are consistently delivered.
• Partner with the Food & Beverage Director to drive operational excellence.
• Support special events, resident functions, and community-wide initiatives.
• Serve as the department leader in the absence of the Food & Beverage Director.

Resident & Guest Experience

• Build meaningful relationships with residents and guests.
• Resolve service concerns quickly and professionally.
• Ensure personalized, high-quality dining experiences that exceed expectations.
• Manage staffing schedules and labor utilization.
• Process payroll and monitor staffing efficiency.
• Assist with inventory controls, purchasing, and operational reporting.
• Support departmental budget goals and performance objectives.
• Serve as the primary administrator for dining POS systems.
• Ensure compliance with food safety, sanitation, and regulatory standards.
• Maintain clean, organized, and safe dining environments.
• Support alcohol service compliance and safety initiatives.

What We're Looking For

Required Qualifications

• 3-5+ years of progressive restaurant, hospitality, food service, senior living, hotel, club, or healthcare dining management experience.
• Previous supervisory or management experience.
• Strong leadership, coaching, and team-building abilities.
• Experience with scheduling, payroll, and operational reporting.
• Ability to thrive in a fast-paced hospitality environment.
• Excellent communication, problem-solving, and customer service skills.

Preferred Qualifications

• Associate’s degree in Hospitality Management, Restaurant Management, Business Administration, or a related field preferred. Five (5) years of high-volume restaurant management experience will be considered.
• Experience within senior living, country club, hotel, or upscale dining environments.
• Experience with POS systems, workforce management software, and Microsoft Office.
• Knowledge of food safety and sanitation regulations.

All new hires must be able to pass our preemployment screening process, which includes a fitness for duty physical, criminal background check, drug test and employment references as required by a licensed residential care facility. Some of the roles in our community also require that we ask about your vaccination status.

EEO Employer