Head of Restaurants
Department: Hospitality
Employment Type: Permanent
Location: Medlock Square
Reporting To: F&B Operations Director
Description
As Head of Restaurants for Manchester City’s new Entertainment District - Medlock Square, you will play a pivotal role in shaping, and elevating the food and restaurant identity across a diverse portfolio of venues operating 365 days a year.
The restaurant estate will comprise a diverse portfolio of food‑led concepts, including premium destination dining, all‑day restaurants, café/bar formats and a market‑hall environment featuring independent food vendors. It will also include the restaurant in The Medlock Hotel, a 401‑bedroom hotel. These concepts will range from casual, high‑quality daytime dining to premium, destination‑led evening experiences, operating across both event/match days and non‑event/match days.
You will act as the senior restaurant operations lead, working closely with the Director of Restaurants (MCFC), Director of F&B Operations, Culinary and Front of House teams to define the vision, standards, and performance of each concept from pre‑opening through to long‑term operation.
Your role will be critical in ensuring that each restaurant delivers a distinct identity, exceptional guest experience, strong commercial performance, and operational consistency, while operating within a coherent estate‑wide framework for standards, performance and guest experience.
To succeed, you will bring deep experience from multi‑site, multi‑concept hospitality operations, combining creativity and trend awareness with operational rigour, people leadership, and commercial discipline.
Key Responsibilities
Strategic Leadership & Concept Development
* Work in close partnership with the Director of Restaurants (MCFC) and Director of F&B Operations to shape and deliver the overall restaurant strategy and vision across Medlock Square
* Lead the development, evolution, and ongoing refinement of restaurant concepts, ensuring each venue has a clear identity, target guest, and commercial rationale
* Act as a senior voice in food and restaurant‑led decision‑making across the district, balancing creativity, guest experience, and operational reality
Restaurant Operations & Standards
* Oversee restaurant operations across all food‑led venues, ensuring consistently high standards of food quality, service delivery, and guest experience
* Establish and uphold clear operating standards, policies, and procedures across all restaurants
* Ensure effective collaboration between Front of House, Kitchen, and central support teams
* Conduct regular site reviews and performance walk‑throughs to maintain standards and identify improvement opportunities
Pre‑Opening, Launch & Change Delivery
* Lead restaurant planning and operational readiness for new openings, relaunches, and concept changes
* Support commissioning, test services, and soft openings in partnership with culinary and operational teams
* Ensure teams are fully trained, equipped, and confident ahead of launch
* Drive smooth transitions from opening phase into stable, high‑performing operations
Commercial Performance & Financial Control
* Drive commercial performance across restaurant venues, ensuring alignment with budgets, forecasts, and KPIs
* Work with Finance, culinary and operational teams to ensure menus are correctly costed and commercially viable
* Monitor performance metrics including sales, margins, labour efficiency, guest satisfaction, and consistency
* Identify and implement opportunities to optimise revenue, improve efficiency, and enhance guest value
Leadership, Talent & Capability
* Lead, mentor, and develop senior restaurant leaders, including Restaurant Managers and Head Chefs
* Support recruitment, succession planning, and talent development across the restaurant estate
* Promote a strong culture of accountability, collaboration, inclusion, and high performance
* Act as a visible and trusted leader for restaurant teams across the district
Partner & Vendor Management (Market Hall)
* Provide governance, oversight, and support to independent food vendors operating within the market hall
* Ensure vendor compliance with agreed standards covering food quality, safety, brand alignment, and guest experience
* Balance creative independence with consistency, safety, and commercial objectives
* Act as the primary liaison between EVSL, vendors, and internal stakeholders
Compliance, Safety & Governance
* Ensure all restaurant operations comply with food safety, health & safety, allergen, and hygiene regulations
* Work closely with Head Chefs and People teams to ensure strong compliance culture and audit readiness
* Escalate and address operational, safety, or reputational risks swiftly and effectively
Collaboration & Stakeholder Engagement
* Work in close partnership with the Head of Bars, ensuring food and beverage offers are complementary and aligned
* Collaborate with Marketing, Events, Commercial, and People teams to support campaigns, activations, and promotions
* Represent restaurant operations in internal forums and leadership meetings
* Support reporting and insight sharing with the wider Medlock Square leadership team
Skills, Knowledge & Expertise
Essential Requirements
* Extensive experience in a Head of Restaurants, Operations Director, or Group Hospitality leadership role within high‑quality, multi‑site hospitality operations
* Proven track record of leading multiple restaurant concepts with varying formats and service styles
* Strong understanding of restaurant operations, food‑led concepts, and guest experience delivery at scale
* Commercially astute, with experience managing budgets, KPIs, margins, and performance improvement
* Experience launching and stabilising new restaurant concepts or hospitality venues
* Strong people leadership capability, with experience developing senior operational and culinary leaders
* Collaborative leadership style with the ability to work effectively across partners, vendors and internal teams
Desirable Requirements
* Experience working within hospitality districts, destination dining environments, or mixed‑use developments
* Exposure to market hall or vendor‑led food concepts, including governance of independent operators
* Familiarity with Manchester’s hospitality scene and evolving consumer expectations
* Strong network of suppliers, operators, and hospitality partners
* Experience working alongside premium beverage, nightlife, or entertainment‑led venues
* Exposure to international dining trends and the ability to translate them into locally relevant concepts
Job Benefits
* Private Medical Insurance (Vitality) – including Virtual GP access and rewards
* Group Life Assurance – 4x salary paid to your nominated beneficiary
* Birthday Day Off – an extra day to celebrate
* Complimentary Meals on Shift – breakfast, lunch, fruit and hot drinks
* Access to discounted Tickets at Co-op Live subject to availability
* Employee Assistance Programme & Wellbeing Platform – including counselling support
* Employee Discounts Platform (Blackhawk) – cashback and savings across major retailers
* Company Pension Scheme
* Generous Holiday Allowance – plus bank holidays
* Career Development Opportunities – with progression across the campus
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