Restaurant Manager

The Cliff Group is looking for an exceptional hospitality professional to join one of our new ventures as Restaurant Manager.We are building a portfolio of distinctive hospitality concepts in Sri Lanka, with new ventures opening over the next 12 months. This is an opportunity to join at the ground level and play a meaningful role in shaping a restaurant from its opening standards through to its long-term success.THE OPPORTUNITYYou will:Take overall responsibility for the day-to-day operation and performance of the restaurant.Establish and maintain high standards across service, guest experience, cleanliness, presentation and operational discipline.Lead the restaurant team, including recruitment, onboarding, training, coaching and performance management.Build a strong service culture where the team understands both the standards expected and the reasons behind them.Work closely with the kitchen and beverage teams to ensure seamless coordination across the full guest experience.Own service procedures, SOPs, opening and closing standards, shift structures and operational checklists.Monitor sales, average spend, covers, labour costs, food and beverage costs and other key commercial metrics.Take responsibility for stock control, wastage, purchasing and operational efficiency in collaboration with the relevant teams.Handle guest feedback personally and ensure issues are resolved quickly, thoughtfully and professionally.Work closely with the founders and leadership team to continuously improve the concept, menu, service and overall guest experience.Support menu launches, events, collaborations and special experiences.Contribute to pre-opening planning, recruitment, training, supplier coordination and operational readiness where applicable.Represent the restaurant confidently and professionally with guests, suppliers, partners and the wider hospitality community.WHO WE ARE LOOKING FORYou should bring:Strong knowledge of restaurant operations and contemporary hospitality.A track record of leading teams and delivering consistently high service standards.Strong commercial understanding, including sales, margins, labour, food cost, beverage cost and stock control.The ability to build structure and discipline without losing the warmth and personality of hospitality.Excellent guest-facing skills and the confidence to handle both everyday service and challenging situations.Strong attention to detail and a genuine obsession with consistency.The confidence to be hands-on during service and lead from the floor.Strong communication skills and the ability to work collaboratively across kitchen, beverage, marketing and management teams.Experience within a high-end, internationally recognised or independently acclaimed hospitality operation would be highly valued.WHY JOIN THE CLIFF GROUP?You will help build a new concept from the ground up, shape its service culture, develop its team, and set the standards that will define the guest experience. You will work closely with the leadership team, have genuine influence over how the restaurant operates, and play a central role in turning a new venture into a destination guests actively choose to return to.If you are an operator at heart, care deeply about hospitality, and want to build something rather than simply run something, we would like to hear from you.