Head Bartender

President Hotel; Cape Town; On-site; ZAR 360,000 - 480,000; Full time

Job summary

The President Hotel in Bantry Bay, Cape Town, seeks an experienced Head Bartender with at least 3 years in senior roles within luxury hospitality. You will lead a high-performing bar team, ensure premium beverage service and contribute to cocktail development and seasonal promotions.

Join Cape Town's luxury property and drive guest engagement through exceptional service, strong stock control and accurate beverage costing while upholding HACCP and safety standards.

Qualifications

• Matric certificate required.
• Hospitality or F&B qualification is advantageous.
• Minimum 3 years' experience as Head Bartender, Senior Bartender or Bar Supervisor in luxury or high-volume environments.
• Strong mixology skills and knowledge of cocktails, premium spirits and wines.
• Proven ability to lead, coach and develop a bar team.
• Excellent communication and guest engagement skills.
• Stock control, beverage costing, ordering and wastage management.

Responsibilities

• Lead daily bar operations with a hands-on presence during service.
• Prepare and serve beverages to consistent recipe and presentation standards.
• Coach the team to maintain excellent service, cleanliness and bar presentation.
• Engage guests, upsell and drive beverage sales.
• Contribute to cocktail development and seasonal promotions.
• Manage ordering, stock counts, rotation, portion control and costing.
• Minimise wastage and stock losses.
• Handle guest concerns professionally and coordinate with the F&B team.
• Maintain responsible alcohol service, hygiene and health and safety standards.

Skills

Mixology

Leadership

Upselling

Stock control

Communication

POS systems

Education

Matric Certificate

Hospitality qualification

Tools

Micros Simphony

Job description

At The President Hotel in Bantry Bay, Cape Town, our bar team brings creativity, precision and personality to every guest interaction. As we continue our journey toward luxury, we're looking for an experienced Head Bartender with at least 3 years' experience as a Head Bartender, Senior Bartender or Bar Supervisor within a 4-star or 5-star hotel, luxury restaurant or high-volume hospitality environment.

MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS

• Matric Certificate (Grade 12).
• Hospitality or Food and Beverage qualification is advantageous.
• Minimum 3 years' experience as a Head Bartender, Senior Bartender or Bar Supervisor within a 4-star or 5-star hotel, luxury restaurant or high-volume hospitality environment.
• Strong mixology skills and knowledge of classic and contemporary cocktails, premium spirits, wines, beers and beverage trends.
• Proven ability to lead, coach and develop a bar team.
• Excellent communication, organisation, guest engagement and upselling skills.
• Sound understanding of stock control, beverage costing, ordering, rotation and wastage management.
• Experience using Micros Simphony or a similar POS system is advantageous.
• Knowledge of responsible alcohol service, HACCP, hygiene and food safety standards.
• Ability to remain calm and professional during busy service.
• Availability to work shifts, evenings, weekends and public holidays.
• Professional grooming and presentation.
• South African ID and an updated CV with contactable references.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

• Lead daily bar operations with a visible, hands-on presence during service.
• Prepare and serve beverages to consistent recipe, quality and presentation standards.
• Coach the team and maintain excellent service, cleanliness and bar presentation.
• Engage guests, recommend beverages and drive sales through effective upselling.
• Contribute to cocktail development, beverage menus and seasonal promotions.
• Manage ordering, stock counts, rotation, portion control and beverage costing.
• Minimise wastage, breakages and stock losses.
• Handle guest concerns professionally and coordinate with the wider Food and Beverage team.
• Maintain responsible alcohol service, hygiene, food safety and health and safety standards.

WHY JOIN THE PRESIDENT HOTEL

Join Cape Town's Most Loved Hotel and be part of our journey toward luxury. Take ownership of bar operations while developing your leadership and beverage expertise alongside experienced Food and Beverage professionals.

We offer a competitive salary, company contributions toward benefits and an outstanding team culture where you can contribute, grow and feel part of the team.