Restaurant General Manager

When your industry is hospitality, the people are key.

The Drake has humble beginnings, with a small team of entrepreneurial spirits whose energy has transformed into a growing group of dreamers + doers. As a leading hotel, hospitality + lifestyle brand in Canada, [and winner of Canada’s Top Small + Medium Employers for the past three consecutive years, might we add...] The Drake is an ever-expanding cultural hub that brings communities together around one-of-a-kind experiences that blend food + drink, art + music, meetings + weddings and unforgettable hotel stays, all delivered by some of the best people you’ll ever meet.

About The Role

The Restaurant General Manager role is responsible for the overall success of the Food + Beverage department of The Drake Hotel. They will have a strong focus on operational excellence, outstanding food + beverage service, and an in-depth understanding of events, point of sale, and reservation systems. They will work closely with the Hotel General Manager, Executive Chef, and restaurant teams to create and execute Food + Beverage menus that drive revenue and adhere to the Drake brand.

Strong leadership and team management skills are essential within this position, along with an aptitude for fiscal responsibility. The Restaurant General Manager is responsible for driving topline revenue as well as managing expenses for both FOH and BOH departments. They are an inspired and innovative industry professional who is looking to make their mark in the hospitality world.

Responsibilities

Leadership / Staff Development

Champion a FOH culture of consistent Service Excellence, training, accountability, and feedback

Cultivate and maintain an engaged FOH workforce of hourly employees.

Hire, train, mentor, and continually develop F+B Management team - including the FOH Management team, Executive Chef, BOH Management team and Programming Manager.

Oversee Receiving department, with a keen eye on expense management

Actively engage in performance management and development processes via weekly 1:1 meetings with key team members, performing annual goal setting and review processes.

Guest Satisfaction + Quality Control

Provide a unique, genuine, and elevated guest experience measured by KPIs, Secret Shopper, reviews, and investigating + overseeing complaint response.

Maintain product quality standards through ongoing evaluations and investigating complaints

Empower staff to resolve issues while being a supportive and active leader.

Supervise host team to ensure reservations are input correctly and honored in a timely fashion.

Help ensure that reservation book is properly utilized to maximize sales and guest satisfaction.

Business Development + Community Relations

Create and successfully execute all F+B activations to ensure that business is constantly evolving + maintaining relevance, ensure all activations have positive ROI outcomes.

Responsible for short- and long-term planning and the management of the Food & Beverage operations in the front and back of the house.

Collaborate with Marketing team to create and execute on F+B and Programming initiatives.

Help develop and implement Programming, public and community relations programs.

Evaluate Programming results; identify and track changing demands on F+B operations.

Collaborate with the Executive Chef in menu development, researching + analyzing trends and pricing strategy. Responsible for working with the Executive Chef on the development of all seasonal flips.

Collaborate with Bar Manager on the creation and execution of Wine + Cocktail programs with the goal of being named on industry “Best Of” lists.

Participates in all food and beverage meetings, weekly operations, and strategic planning meetings.

Identify, develop, and secure sponsorships and strategic brand partnerships that generate incremental F+B revenue and support programming. Collaborate with Marketing and relevant operational teams to negotiate mutually beneficial agreements, execute brand-aligned activations, fulfil partnership commitments, and track revenue contributions, cost savings, and return on investment.

Budget + Expense Management

Achieve and/or exceed revenue, labour, and COGs targets.

Create and share reporting on sales, labour, and expense results.

Control purchases and inventory.

Identify challenges with operating expenses against the approved budget and implement controls / solutions.

Closely monitor and adjust labour and food costing, ensuring efficiency and waste reduction.

Collaborate with Executive Chef to implement directives from Corporate, Culinary, and F+B.

Review reports, prepare summaries, and propose areas for improvement with action plans.

Prepare materials for Month End, Quarterly, and Annual Reviews.

Operations Management/Safety/Compliance

Ensure seamless building operations by following and enforcing policies and SOPs.

Maintenance of equipment, facilities, and grounds.

Contribute toward exceptional safety standards, including proper food/liquor handling, storage, service, and emergency/ security procedures.

Maintain adept cleanliness standards, and safety practices.

Liaise with Security to ensure the safety of guests and staff through coordinated crowd management, timely incident response, and consistent application of house policies.

Ensure that AGCO, municipal, and provincial laws are followed.

About You

Minimum of seven years progressive experience, in a fine or casual dining environment

Operations management experience in a high-volume establishment

Significant experience with reservation systems, and event and large party bookings

Strong knowledge of current, relevant culinary trends

Execution of best practices for guest service, food and wine, people management, operations, safety and compliance

Genuine, natural leader who believes in the art of hospitality and is Drake proud

Demonstrated experience of effectively sharing skills and abilities through creating a consistent, service-oriented, efficient FOH team

Experience training and mentoring large staff teams

Demonstrated patience, tact, and diplomacy while leading a diverse team of industry professionals

Ability to multi-task, remain polished, and keep up in a fast-paced environment

Excellent interpersonal and communication skills, both verbal & written

Highly organized, with timely delivery of all required administrative work

Flexible to work evenings and weekends and holidays

Smart Serve certified

Strong preference given to candidates with a minimum ISG, WSET or comparable Level 1 wine training

Experience with Silverware, OpenTable, Push Operations, and Microsoft Office is a strong asset

Benefits

We pride ourselves in providing strong leadership and development opportunities for passionate hospitality professionals who are looking to build rewarding, long-term careers. Drake offers competitive compensation, including 10% bonus eligibility, benefits package, employee discounts, staff meals, training + development support, and many other unique perks as part of joining the Drake team.

The Drake is an equal opportunity employer. We are committed to fostering a positive, supportive, and creative environment at Drake Hotel Properties that promotes equity, inclusiveness and diversity. We welcome job applications from candidates of all backgrounds including, but not limited to, BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, People of Colour); refugees, newcomers and immigrant persons; LGBTQIA2S+ and gender non-binary persons, and persons with disabilities. Please advise us of any accommodations needed to ensure you can access and complete the submissions process.