Cafe/Restaurant Manager– Guillam Coffee House, St James’ (Flagship Brunch / All-Day Dining)
Role Description:
At Guillam Coffee House, we are dedicated to delivering a coffee experience like no other. We are not a typical coffee shop - we are an innovative café pushing the boundaries of what a Coffee House can be.
We work with some of the best roasters in the world to source exceptional beans from diverse farms and origins, offering 9 single-origin coffees at any given time. Each one has a story, a place, and a flavour that is completely its own.
With our new flagship brunch and all-day dining location in St James’s, we are creating a food-forward destination. We want to build the first Michelin-star cafe! This site will feature rare and unique coffees that will not be served at any other Guillam store, paired with a refined brunch and dining menu designed to elevate the entire experience.
Our core values revolve around quality, service, and continuous growth. Every cup and every plate matters. We craft with care, serve with intention, and strive to create a place where people feel part of something ambitious and exciting.
We are seeking an experienced Restaurant Manager to join our team – someone with strong leadership skills, deep hospitality expertise, and a genuine love for speciality coffee who wants to grow within an independent brand that is redefining the category.
Responsibilities:
- Oversee all daily operations of the café and restaurant, ensuring smooth, high-quality service.
- Lead, train, and inspire the team.
- Work closely with the Head Chef to develop and deliver an outstanding all-day menu and guest experience.
- Develop and implement strategies to drive sales, profitability, and customer satisfaction.
- Manage inventory, cost control, and budgeting to maintain efficiency and profitability.
- Monitor and maintain health, safety, and hygiene standards.
- Handle staff scheduling, rota creation, and labour cost management.
- Conduct team meetings, performance reviews, and ongoing development plans.
- Uphold and evolve Guillam’s service standards, ensuring an exceptional guest experience at all times.
- Stay current with industry trends and contribute to menu innovation.
- Build and maintain strong relationships with suppliers, vendors, and customers.
- Address and resolve customer feedback with professionalism and care.
Requirements:
- Proven experience as a Restaurant Manager, experience in speciality coffee is a plus.
- Strong understanding of both front-of-house and back-of-house operations.
- Hands-on knowledge of financials, KPIs, and cost management.
- Excellent leadership, communication, and organisational skills.
- Strong business acumen with the ability to make informed operational decisions.
- Experience in recruitment, training, and team development.
- Ability to manage high-volume service without compromising quality.
- A genuine interest in café culture, bakeries, and casual high-end dining is highly desirable.
Benefits:
- Free staff meals and unlimited speciality coffee during shifts – enjoy the menu you help bring to life.
- Generous staff discounts on retail coffee and merchandise.
- Structured training and development with leading roasters, suppliers, and industry professionals – continuous learning is a core part of our culture.
- Significant career growth opportunities across a rapidly expanding brand – we promote from within.
- Competitive and attractive pay package.
- The chance to work at our flagship St James’s location – one of the most ambitious projects in the speciality coffee space.
- Be part of a high-performance environment where innovation, creativity, and excellence are genuinely valued.
- Access to the Cycle to Work scheme.
Job Type: Permanent, Full-time – 45 hours per week.
Work Location:
Guillam Coffee House, Smithson Tower, Smithson Plaza, St James’s Street, London SW1A 1HA.
💡 To stand out: send your CV and a short note on why you’d be excited to join to afathalla@guillam.co.uk
