Restaurant Area Manager

A casual dining franchise group, passionate about creating, crafting and delivering authentic experiences is seeking a permanent Area Manager to drive operational excellence across a portfolio of KZN-based restaurants. This role is pivotal for an established hospitality group focused on delivering authentic guest experiences. You will provide strategic leadership to General Managers, ensuring consistent brand standards, financial profitability, and high-performance culture across all assigned sites. Key Responsibilities: Operational Excellence: Oversee daily restaurant operations to ensure strict adherence to group procedures and health and safety regulations. Financial Management: Monitor restaurant P&Ls, analyse variances, and implement corrective action plans to improve low-profitability sites and achieve budgeted results. Audit & Compliance: Conduct routine inspections and safe audits (including petty cash) while liaising with internal audit teams to maintain high compliance scores. Leadership & Development: Provide coaching and strategic direction to management teams, overseeing employee relations, morale, and succession planning. Strategic Reporting: Identify financial and operational risks, providing comprehensive daily, weekly, and monthly reports to executive leadership. Performance Monitoring: Conduct maintenance walkthroughs and waste analyses while facilitating weekly GM meetings to address challenges and opportunities. Requirements Proven experience in multi-site management within the hospitality or casual dining sector. Relevant tertiary qualification in Hospitality Management or Business Administration. Previous experience within a franchise group environment. Strong financial acumen with the ability to interpret P&Ls and manage expenditure against financial plans. In-depth knowledge of South African occupational health and safety regulations. Ability to work flexible hours, including evenings and weekends, to support peak trade periods. Exceptional leadership skills with a track record of improving restaurant operating standards. Proficiency in MS Office and POS systems.