Southsea Beach Cafe sits right at the mouth of Portsmouth Harbour, with uninterrupted views across the Solent to the Isle of Wight. We reopened in June 2026 after an extensive renovation, and we're building the venue into one of the standout hospitality destinations on the south coast.
We operate as a premium restaurant through the day, then transform into an event space in the evenings. It's a fast-paced, high-volume site with a strong emphasis on quality, standards and guest experience.
The Role
We're looking for an experienced General Manager to cover maternity leave, starting mid-September 2026. You'll have a full month of handover, working alongside our current General Manager to get to know the site, the team and the way we operate before taking full charge.
Beyond the usual responsibilities of running a busy premium restaurant and event space, we're placing a real emphasis on staff training and mentoring in this role. We want a manager who develops people, builds a strong bench of talent, and creates a culture where staff can be promoted from within and go on to deliver excellent hospitality consistently.
Key Responsibilities
- Take full operational responsibility for the day-to-day running of the restaurant and evening event space
- Lead, motivate and develop the team, with a strong focus on structured training and mentoring
- Build clear development pathways so staff can progress and be promoted into more senior roles
- Manage rotas, staffing levels and labour costs across daytime and evening service
- Maintain and drive high standards of food, drink and guest service throughout the venue
- Oversee stock control, supplier relationships and cost management
- Ensure full compliance with food hygiene, health and safety, and licensing requirements
- Manage the smooth running of evening events alongside day-to-day restaurant service
- Handle guest feedback and resolve issues promptly and professionally
- Report on site performance and work closely with the Director on wider business priorities
What We're Looking For
- Proven experience as a General Manager or senior manager in a busy, high-volume restaurant, bar or hospitality venue
- A genuine track record of training, coaching and developing staff
- Strong leadership skills, with the ability to get a team up to speed quickly during a handover period
- Experience managing both restaurant service and event or function operations
- Solid understanding of food hygiene, health and safety, and licensing compliance
- Confident with rotas, stock control and cost management
- A calm, hands-on approach and the flexibility to work evenings and weekends
- Available to start mid-September 2026 for handover
Contract: Maternity cover, fixed term approx. 12 months, subject to the return date of the substantive post holder
Pay: £38,000 - £42,000
Job Type: Full-time
Southsea Beach Cafe is an equal opportunities employer. We welcome applications from all suitably qualified candidates.
Pay: £38,000.00-£42,000.00 per year
Benefits:
- Company pension
- Discounted or free food
- Employee discount
Work Location: In person
