Hospitality Manager

Job Description

Hospitality Manager

Position: Hospitality Manager
Department: Hospitality & Food Services
Reports To: Unit Manager
Location: Hartland Lifestyle Estate, Hartenbos, Mossel Bay, Western Cape
Employment Type: Full-Time
Start Date: 2026 (Pre-opening Planning & Setup)
Facility Opening: April 2027

About Hartland Lifestyle Estate

Hartland Lifestyle Estate is one of South Africa's premier luxury lifestyle developments situated in Hartenbos on the Garden Route. Designed as a unique three-generation estate, Hartland will comprise approximately 3,000 homes, offering an exceptional lifestyle where families of all ages can live, work and enjoy world-class amenities.

Within the estate is the exclusive Hartland Retirement Estate, consisting of approximately 500 luxury retirement homes centred around an impressive Lifestyle Centre.

The Lifestyle Centre will include:

• A 200-seat restaurant
• Coffee bar
• Heated indoor swimming pool
• Gymnasium
• Hair salon and nail bar
• Medical consulting rooms and allied healthcare professionals
• A 30-bed Sub-Acute Hospital
• A 60-bed Frail Care Centre

This is an exciting opportunity to become part of the founding management team responsible for creating one of the Garden Route's leading hospitality and healthcare dining experiences.

Position Summary

We are seeking an exceptional Hospitality Manager who combines strong commercial restaurant management with genuine warmth, energy and a passion for customer service.

This role is the General Manager of a premium restaurant, coffee bar and healthcare hospitality operation within one of South Africa's most prestigious retirement lifestyle estates. The successful candidate will oversee the daily operation of the restaurant, coffee bar, hospitality services within the Lifestyle Centre, and catering services for both the Sub-Acute Hospital and Frail Care Centre.

This is far more than a traditional catering role. We are looking for a hospitality professional who thrives on building relationships, creating memorable dining experiences and leading high-performing teams in a luxury environment.

The successful candidate will become a familiar face within the Lifestyle Centre, spending significant time engaging with residents, hospital patients, families and visitors to understand their preferences and continuously enhance the dining experience.

The successful candidate will join the management team during 2026 to assist with planning, procurement, recruitment, menu development and operational setup ahead of the official opening in April 2027.

Key Responsibilities

Leadership & Operations

• Lead and manage all hospitality and food service operations across the Lifestyle Centre.
• Oversee the restaurant, coffee bar, hospital catering and frail care catering services.
• Build, motivate and develop a high-performing hospitality team.
• Recruit, train and mentor chefs, cooks, kitchen staff, baristas and front-of-house personnel.
• Establish service standards that reflect a luxury hospitality environment.
• Foster a culture of professionalism, warmth, teamwork and exceptional customer care.

Customer Experience

• Be highly visible and present in the restaurant during service periods.
• Spend time engaging with residents, patients, families and visitors daily.
• Build meaningful relationships with patrons and understand their dining preferences.
• Ensure the restaurant becomes the social heart of the Lifestyle Centre.
• Respond personally to compliments, concerns and suggestions.
• Continuously identify opportunities to improve the customer experience.

Food & Menu Management

• Develop menus that appeal to retirement residents, hospital patients, frail care residents, visitors and the wider estate community.
• Work closely with the Company's Dietician to ensure menus are nutritionally balanced and clinically appropriate where required.
• Develop seasonal menus, daily specials and promotional offerings.
• Ensure menu pricing aligns with customer expectations while achieving commercial objectives.
• Balance quality, nutrition, affordability and profitability across all hospitality offerings.

Commercial Management

• Manage all food costing, budgets and financial performance.
• Price menu items appropriately while maintaining profitability and value for money.
• Analyse sales trends and customer purchasing behaviour.
• Drive restaurant utilisation through creative promotions, themed events and seasonal campaigns.
• Increase patronage from residents, families and the broader Hartland community.
• Oversee Point of Sale (POS) systems and integrated stock management systems.
• Ensure effective stock control, purchasing and waste management.

Healthcare Hospitality

• Ensure exceptional meal services for the Sub-Acute Hospital and Frail Care Centre.
• Work closely with nursing staff and the Company Dietician to accommodate therapeutic diets and specialised nutritional requirements.
• Maintain the highest standards of food safety, hygiene and compassionate service for healthcare residents and patients.

Pre-Opening Responsibilities

As a founding member of the management team, responsibilities during 2026 will include:

• Operational planning and setup
• Kitchen design input and equipment commissioning
• Supplier selection and procurement
• Menu development
• Recruitment and onboarding of hospitality staff
• Development of operating procedures and service standards
• Budget preparation
• Staff training
• Opening readiness planning

Qualifications & Experience

Essential

• Proven experience managing a successful restaurant, hotel, boutique hospitality venue or premium hospitality operation.
• Demonstrated leadership experience within the hospitality industry.
• Experience managing restaurant operations, front-of-house teams and customer service excellence.
• Strong financial management, food costing and menu pricing experience.
• Experience using Point of Sale (POS) systems and integrated stock management systems is essential.
• Strong understanding of food safety and hygiene legislation.
• Excellent leadership, communication and organisational skills.
• Computer literacy.
• Comfortable conversing confidently and professionally in both Afrikaans and English, as regular interaction with residents, families, suppliers and staff will take place in both languages.

Preferred

• Experience within retirement living, healthcare hospitality or luxury lifestyle environments.
• Hospitality Management, Hotel Management or Food Service Management qualification.
• Experience opening or commissioning a new hospitality operation.

Personal Attributes

The successful candidate will be:

• Warm, approachable and genuinely people-orientated.
• Highly energetic with a positive attitude.
• Passionate about hospitality and creating memorable customer experiences.
• Confident interacting with residents, families and visitors.
• Commercially astute with strong business acumen.
• Creative and innovative.
• Hands-on and willing to lead by example.
• Highly organised with excellent attention to detail.
• Calm under pressure.
• Professional in appearance and conduct.
• Passionate about building a hospitality destination that residents are proud to call their own.

Remuneration

• A market-related salary, commensurate with qualifications and experience, will be offered.
• Accommodation is available for the successful candidate should relocation be required.

Why Join Us?

This is a rare opportunity to help create one of South Africa's premier hospitality destinations within a luxury retirement lifestyle estate.

As a founding member of the management team, you will have the unique opportunity to shape every aspect of the hospitality offering before opening, creating a premium restaurant, coffee bar and healthcare dining experience that becomes the socia