Senior Reservations Manager - Premium Italian Restaurant (Pre-Opening)

We are looking for a highly organised, guest-obsessed Senior Reservations Manager to own the reservations function for a new premium dining destination opening at the V&A Waterfront in Cape Town. The venue is part of an established international restaurant group with South African and Australian roots, and this is a rare chance to build a reservations operation from the ground up rather than inherit one.

Reporting directly to the General Manager, you will take full ownership of the reservations system, booking policies, VIP handling and table management. This is a commercial role as much as a guest-facing one: how you pace the diary, manage the waitlist and control no-shows directly shapes covers, revenue and guest satisfaction. You will also set the very first impression of the brand. Every call, every email and every VIP recognition moment begins with your team - and you will recruit, train and lead that team to a standard that matches the restaurant itself.

Responsibilities

• Own the reservations system, booking policies and diary management end to end.
• Optimise table utilisation and pacing to balance guest experience with revenue (RevPASH).
• Manage waitlists, cancellations and last-minute requests efficiently and gracefully.
• Maintain a detailed VIP and regular-guest database, ensuring recognition and personalisation at every visit.
• Liaise with hotel concierges, corporate contacts and lifestyle partners to manage priority bookings.
• Recruit, train and lead the reservations and reception team.
• Set and uphold standards for phone, email and in-person guest communication.
• Provide covers forecasting and booking reports to support planning and rostering.
• Coordinate with the floor team on large parties, events and private dining bookings.
• Maintain a strong understanding of the restaurant's P&L - particularly how covers, table utilisation and no-show/cancellation rates impact revenue - and work with the General Manager to optimise reservations strategy against commercial targets.

Requirements

• Minimum 3-4 years' experience as a Reservations Manager within a busy, premium restaurant environment in South Africa.
• Proven experience in a reservations, front office or guest relations leadership role within premium hospitality.
• Experience with reservations platforms such as SevenRooms, OpenTable or similar (preferred).
• Demonstrable commercial understanding of covers, table utilisation, pacing and the revenue impact of no-shows and cancellations.
• Experience recruiting, training and leading a reservations or reception team.
• Exceptionally organised, with strong attention to detail.
• Warm, professional and articulate communicator, in writing and on the phone.
• Calm and effective under pressure during high-demand periods.
• Fluent professional English.
• Pre-opening experience is advantageous.
• An established Cape Town network of hotel concierge, corporate and lifestyle contacts is an advantage.

Benefits

• Salary: ZAR 25,000 - 35,000 per month gross, depending on experience.
• 30 days annual leave.
• Duty meal provided on shift.
• The opportunity to build a reservations function from scratch for a new premium venue at one of Africa's leading destinations.
• Bonus and incentive schemes to be confirmed.
• Further benefits to be confirmed during the recruitment process.

Additional Information

• Permanent, full-time position, working 6 days per week.
• Reports to the General Manager.
• Desired start date: 16 September 2026. Candidates who are immediately available or on short notice are strongly encouraged to apply.
• Candidates must hold the right to work in South Africa and be based in, or able to work from, Cape Town. This role is not open to candidates requiring relocation or work-visa sponsorship.

Disclaimer

We appreciate your interest in this vacancy. Due to the high number of applications we receive, only candidates selected to move to the next stage of the recruitment process can be contacted. Radiant does not charge any fee to candidates.