Bar Manager

Role overview

Join a Galway hospitality group behind a 69-bedroom property that brings together a lively bar, a design-focused restaurant, and a relaxed café, each with its own entrance and regular following. This is not a hotel bar in the usual sense; it is positioned as a standalone destination where people meet friends, start their evening, celebrate, or stay longer for brunch and drinks. The business is seeking an experienced Bar Manager to take charge of service, team leadership, and product standards, and to help strengthen its position as one of Galway’s most visited venues.

The setting is energetic and busy, with contemporary cocktails, a chef-led menu, music, and guests who may arrive for a quick drink and stay well into the night. The role is about making that experience feel smooth, welcoming, and well-managed at all times.

What the role involves

• Lead one of Galway’s most visible and high-profile bar operations.
• Define what excellent service should look and feel like in an ambitious venue.
• Manage and develop a lively, guest-focused team across Hyde & Jekyll bars.
• Work closely with a creative management team and owners to keep refining the offer.
• Help build a venue that people actively recommend when visiting Galway.

Main responsibilities

• Take full ownership of the guest journey across Hyde & Jekyll bars, from the drinks offering through to overall service quality.
• Recruit, train, coach, and develop the bar team, placing equal emphasis on attitude, skill, and accountability.
• Maintain service that is polished yet relaxed, with a warm and genuine tone rather than a scripted one.
• Guide the team in developing a modern drinks programme covering cocktails, wines, beers, and non-alcoholic options that match the food ambition.
• Influence the feel of the room, including service pace, lighting, music, and table movement.
• Grow revenue through thoughtful upselling, menu planning, reservation handling, and event delivery while protecting guest satisfaction.
• Oversee cleanliness, health and safety, licensing, stock management, and cash-handling procedures.
• Review performance indicators such as covers, spend per head, guest comments, and online reviews, then use those insights to improve operations.
• Coordinate with marketing and management on promotions, events, partnerships, and social content that raise the venue’s profile.

Candidate profile

• Someone who naturally hosts well, reads the room, remembers guests, and makes people feel comfortable quickly.
• Genuinely interested in drinks culture and current bar and restaurant trends.
• Experienced in managing busy, style-led bar operations, ideally in a city or destination environment.
• A visible, practical leader who coaches on the floor and sets the tone through action.
• Composed under pressure and able to solve problems quickly when service becomes intense.
• Commercially aware, with a solid grasp of gross profit, labour, rota planning, stock, and margins.
• Strong at communication and collaboration across teams and leadership.
• Motivated by the opportunity to shape a flagship Galway venue rather than simply maintain it.

Experience and requirements

• Demonstrated experience as a Bar Manager in a busy, quality-driven bar or restaurant.
• Proven success in leading teams, training staff, and supporting development.
• Strong focus on guest experience, detail, and high standards.
• Good knowledge of bar operations, cocktail service, and wine service.
• Comfortable handling stock control, rota preparation, and reporting.
• Familiarity with licensing rules, health and safety, and food hygiene requirements.
• Hotel experience is welcome, but it is not essential; the key requirement is the ability to run a characterful destination venue with accuracy and personality.

Benefits and offer

• Opportunity to oversee the full bar experience in a major Galway venue rather than a single outlet.
• Competitive pay with performance-based incentives.
• Direct input into the concept, drinks development, product range, and service style.
• A supportive team environment with the resources needed to operate properly.
• Room for long-term career growth within an expanding hospitality group.

Additional information

This role is based in Galway, County Galway, Ireland and is a full-time, onsite position. The venue is described as a destination bar, restaurant, and café with a strong identity and a focus on high standards, atmosphere, and commercial performance.