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Restaurant Manager

Restaurant Manager: Teopolina Reyher

A career as a restaurant manager may appeal to you if you enjoy working in a lively, fast-paced environment.
Restaurant managers ensure that restaurants operate efficiently and profitably while maintaining their reputation and ethos. They must coordinate a variety of activities, whatever the size or type of the outlet and are responsible for the business performance, quality standards and health and safety of the restaurant.
Combining strategic planning and day-to-day management activities, the role is both business-like and creative, particularly in terms of marketing and business development.
After failing her grade 12, Teopolina Reyher was determined to make something out of herself. With a passion for meeting different people every day, she started waitressing and worked her way up to a restaurant manager.
“My job includes making sure all of our clients are served with the right attitude. I am basically the hostess of an establishment. I also make sure that any complaints a customer has about a certain waiter or the service delivery is handled with care,” she explains.
Her other responsibilities include hiring new staff, ordering and making sure there is enough stock, staff scheduling and checking that all shifts are covered, event planning and bookkeeping. “It is very important that all my staff are well trained. I want them to have superb customer service and make sure that customers leave the restaurant happy,” she says.
Although it is challenging when it comes to dealing with difficult customers, she says the benefit is meeting new people. “I always come to work never expecting the same thing. I love working with people so my job comes very easily,” she adds.
“If you do not succeed from the start, it should not discourage you. We all need to work hard to make sure we all achieve our dreams to live the life you have always wanted.”