Assistant Restaurant Manager

Mama Shelter Group; Cape Town; On-site; ZAR 240,000 - 360,000; Full time

Job summary

Mama Shelter Group is seeking an Assistant Restaurant Manager to energise and structure every service, ensuring the floor runs smoothly and guests have an unmistakably Mama experience.

You’ll be on the floor, leading in real time, solving on the fly, and helping turn each service into a vibrant, social moment with the team and guests alike.

Qualifications

• Solid Food & Beverage experience in hospitality.
• Experience with lifestyle or luxury brands.
• Natural floor leader who leads by example.
• Commercially aware with revenue and cost control.
• Thrives in fast-paced, high-energy environments.
• Operationally strong and present during service.
• Great communicator and team motivator.
• Passionate about guest experience and memorable moments.
• Can juggle multiple priorities.
• Lifestyle or branded restaurant experience is a bonus.

Responsibilities

• Lead and energize the floor during service to ensure a smooth high-energy experience.
• Engage guests, build rapport, reflect Mama's bold personality.
• Coordinate between kitchen, bar and front-of-house to ensure service flow.
• Train, onboard, and coach front-of-house team members.
• Monitor service performance and guest feedback to drive improvements.
• Support activations, promotions and special dining experiences.
• Maintain presentation, cleanliness and service standards across touchpoints.

Skills

Food & Beverage experience

Floor leadership

Revenue and cost control

Fast-paced environments

Communication & motivation

Guest experience

Multi-tasking

Lifestyle or branded restaurant exp

Job description

Founded in 2008 by Serge Trigano and his sons Jérémie and Benjamin (co-founders of Club Med), Mama Shelter is a creator of living spaces and a daily director!

These are atypical places, where everyone feels at home, places born of a blend of influences, freedoms, sensations and emotions. Each Mama tells the story of the city in which it is located, and all influences blend together. We offer our guests a joyful atmosphere and exceptional service at an affordable price.

More than just rooms and restaurants, Mama Shelter is a dynamic, a vibe: they are true urban refuges, not only aesthetically pleasing and modern but also popular, welcoming and sexy.

Whatever your role, we're all here to make the customer experience as unforgettable as possible.

Our mission: to bring little moments of happiness to people.

Our growth has enabled us to offer our teams great career paths through internal development and international mobility, and it's not a question of diplomas or years of experience.

Mama Shelter is part of Ennismore, a creative hotel group rooted in cultures and destinations, with a global portfolio of brands. Ennismore is a joint venture with Accor, founded in 2021.

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Job Description

You are the right hand to the heartbeat of Mama’s restaurant and bar experience

As Assistant Restaurant Manager, you help bring energy, structure, and flow to every service—ensuring the floor runs smoothly, the team feels supported, and every guest experience is unmistakably Mama.

You are present on the floor, not behind a desk, leading in real time, solving in the moment, and helping turn every service into a vibrant, social experience

Here’s what you’ll be responsible for:

• Support the delivery of a consistently high-energy, memorable dining experience across all services
• Engage with guests, build rapport, and ensure every interaction reflects Mama’s bold personality
• Step in to resolve guest feedback quickly, positively, and with personality
• Support daily restaurant operations including service, opening, closing, and floor management
• Ensure smooth coordination between kitchen, bar, and front-of-house teams
• Help maintain strong service flow, cleanliness, and readiness across all areas
• Assist in achieving revenue and profitability targets through strong service execution
• Monitor sales trends, upselling opportunities, and service efficiency
• Support control of labour, wastage, and operational costs in line with targets
• Lead by example on the floor, supporting and energising the team during service
• Assist in training, onboarding, and continuous coaching of front-of-house team members
• Help build a culture of pride, personality, and performance
• Work closely with Culinary, Bar, Events, and Marketing teams to ensure smooth service delivery
• Support execution of activations, promotions, and special dining experiences
• Ensure alignment between brand vision and day-to-day operations
• Support maintenance of Mama’s service standards across all guest touchpoints
• Ensure consistency in presentation, cleanliness, and service delivery
• Help identify and elevate operational gaps quickly and effectively
• Stay highly visible on the floor during service, setting the tone and pace
• Support the atmosphere of the venue through guest engagement and team energy
• Help create a lively, social, and unforgettable dining environment
• A smooth, high-energy restaurant service where the team feels supported and confident
• Consistently strong guest feedback and repeat visitation
• A motivated FOH team delivering personality-led service
• Seamless daily operations with strong alignment between kitchen, bar, and floor

Qualifications

• You have solid Food & Beverage experience in hospitality
• You come from lifestyle, luxury, or high-volume experiential brands
• You are a natural floor leader who leads by example
• You are commercially aware with a good understanding of revenue and cost control
• You thrive in fast-paced, high-energy environments
• You are operationally strong and love being actively present during service
• You are a great communicator and team motivator
• You are passionate about guest experience and creating memorable moments
• You can juggle multiple priorities without losing focus or energy
• Lifestyle or branded restaurant experience? Even better
• You understand how to turn great service into a vibe, not just a process
• You bring energy, structure, and Mama personality every day