Restaurant Manager at The Bartolotta Restaurants in Milwaukee, WI

The Bartolotta Restaurants is a nationally recognized restaurant and catering organization co-founded by restaurateur Joe Bartolotta and his brother, two-time James Beard Award-winning Chef Paul Bartolotta. Since 1993, The Bartolotta Restaurants has grown to become the premier culinary brand in the Greater Milwaukee region, offering first-class service and cuisine across a portfolio of 17 one-of-a-kind restaurants and catering facilities. As a forward-thinking and respected company, we also give back to our community through Care-a-lotta, a charitable program that supports numerous nonprofit organizations throughout Milwaukee.

At The Bartolotta Restaurants, we are committed to excellence in every aspect of our business, from the products we source to the food and service we deliver every day in our restaurants and catering venues. Our greatest asset in our company is our team members because, without them, we wouldn't be in business.

We look for people who have what we call a "hospitality heart," characterized by a commitment to providing excellence, a passion for taking care of our guests, and a “can-do” attitude. We're a family-run business, and we consider our team members part of The Bartolotta Restaurants family.

JOB PURPOSE:

The Restaurant Manager is the first level of front of house management and is responsible for supervising daily restaurant operations and ensuring an exceptional guest experience. This role supervises front of house service staff (servers, hosts, etc.) and ensures high service standards. The Restaurant Managers partners closely with the General Manager (GM) and Assistant General Manager (AGM) to hire, train, develop, and performance manage staff.

SUPERVISORY RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Direct and supervise front-of-house team members during service, including assigning sections, adjusting coverage, and ensuring adherence to service and hospitality standards.
• Provide coaching, training, and performance feedback, addressing performance concerns and reinforcing service expectations to develop team members.
• Exercise independent judgment in operational decisions, including resolving guest concerns and prioritizing tasks to maintain an exceptional guest experience.
• Participate in staffing decisions, including hiring recommendations, onboarding, and supporting promotions, transfers, or corrective action.
• Manage staffing levels and labor utilization, making adjustments during shifts based on business volume, service flow, and operational needs.

PRIMARY DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Greets guests, manages high-touch guest interactions, and ensures service flows according to fine dining standards.
• Schedules FOH staff, conducting pre-shift meetings, and training staff on service techniques, menu knowledge, and wine pairings.
• Oversees table turns by monitoring dining room flow and atmosphere, ensuring guests are seated efficiently and service remains smooth throughout the shift.
• Handles customer complaints or service failures immediately and professionally.
• Collaborates with kitchen and bar staff to ensure efficient and seamless service.
• Conducts pre-shift meetings to discuss specials, guest counts, reservations and new menu items.
• Provides ongoing training and communicates performance expectations to ensure staff are informed on service techniques, menu knowledge, and wine pairings, supporting consistent and high quality guest service.
• Supervises the setup and breakdown of dining room events or functions.
• Maintains FOH cleanliness by routinely inspecting the dining room, identifying areas needing attention, and directing staff to uphold sanitation and presentation standards.
• Manages inventory of service ware, including linens and glassware, by monitoring par levels, ensuring items are stocked and in good condition, and coordinating replenishment as needed.
• Enforces safety regulations in the dining area by monitoring staff adherence to policies, identifying potential hazards, and addressing or escalating concerns to maintain a safe environment for guests and employees.
• Collaborates with the management team to ensure organizational resources are used effectively and efficiently and develop and implement service improvement initiatives.
• Ensure the utilization of the safe food handling in the delivery of quality meal service.
• Periodically evaluates restaurant equipment for repairs and maintenance; schedules for service and report unsafe conditions within the work environment.
• Maintains sales records and tracks cash receipts.?

All Other Duties as Assigned

QUALIFICATION REQUIREMENTS:

• Knowledge of restaurant operations and dining room management.
• Understanding of food and beverage service principles.
• Familiarity with health and safety regulations and sanitation practices.
• Proficient in staff scheduling and shift management.
• Knowledge of inventory management and ordering processes.
• Understanding of wine and beverage service.
• Strong supervisory, training, and leadership skills.?
• Knowledge of tableside service techniques and etiquette.
• Understanding of food allergies, dietary restrictions, and special requests.
• Ability to handle customer inquiries, concerns, and complaints.
• Highly organized and self-directed.
• Able to build relationships at all levels of the organization.
• Exceptional interpersonal, oral, presentation and written communication skills.
• Ability to work in fast-paced, changing environment.
• Demonstrated strong performance in analytical, innovative, and critical thinking, strategy and collaboration.
• Excellent time management skills.?
• Exceptional organizational skills and attention to detail.?
• Ability to multitask and work in a fast-paced environment.

EDUCATION and/or EXPERIENCE REQUIREMENTS:

• High school diploma required, degree in hospitality preferred.
• 2–5 years of progressive restaurant experience with at least 1–2 years in a supervisory/lead role.
• Experience with Microsoft Office, POS systems and related restaurant management software.
• ServSafe Food Handler or Manager certification (or ability to obtain within 60 days of hire).
• Bartending License (or ability to apply/obtain a provisional license within 30 days of hire).

PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS:

• While performing the duties of this job, the employee is:??
• Expected to work evenings, weekends, and some holidays.
• Position requires prolonged standing, walking, bending, stooping, twisting, lifting products and supplies weighing 45 pounds, and repetitive hand and wrist motion.
• Regularly required to sit, talk, type, hear, bend, kneel, crouch, climb stairs, and reach overhead.??
• Clear hearing and vision (including close and peripheral) to supervise staff and monitor the environment.
• Work with hot, cold, and hazardous equipment as well as operates phones, computers, copiers, and other office equipment.
• Maintain a professional, well-groomed appearance.

ADA Disclaimer: In developing this job description care was taken to include all competencies needed to successfully perform in this position. However, for Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) purposes, the essential functions of the job may or may not have been described for purposes of ADA reasonable accommodation. All reasonable accommodation requests will be reviewed and evaluated on a case-by-case basis.