Bar Manager

Bar Manager – Destination Bar, Restaurant & Cafe Galway City

Lead the team behind one of Galway’s most talked‑about rooms.

We’re a Galway‑based hospitality group with a 69‑bedroom property that’s home to a high‑energy bar, design‑led restaurant and laid‑back café – each with its own entrance, its own vibe and its own loyal crowd.

Locals don’t think of us as “the hotel bar”. We’re a standalone destination: the place you meet friends, start your night, celebrate, or linger over brunch. We’re now looking for an exceptional Bar Manager to take the reins of service, people and product – and help make this the go‑to spot in Galway.

Think: busy, buzzy room; confident, trend‑aware cocktails; a creative, chef‑driven menu; great music; guests who arrive for one drink and end up staying all night. Your job is to make sure it all feels effortless.

The Opportunity

This role is for someone who wants to be front and centre of the action. You will:

• Lead one of Galway’s most exciting and high profile bars
• Shape what great service looks and feels like in a venue that aims high.
• Build and lead a vibrant, guest‑obsessed team across Hyde & Jekyll bars
• Partner with a creative management team and ambitious owners to keep evolving our offer.
• Put your name to a place people recommend when they say, “You have to go here when you’re in Galway.”

If you love energy, atmosphere and standards in equal measure, this is your stage.

What You’ll Be Doing

As Bar Manager, you will:

• Own the guest experience across Hyde & Jekyll bars, renowned for our gin collection to our high end signature cocktails
• Lead, inspire and develop the Bar team: recruiting the right personalities, training for skill and attitude, and creating a culture of pride and accountability.
• Drive impeccable yet relaxed service standards – warm, genuine, efficient, never stiff or scripted.
• Lead our bar team to develop and refine a cutting‑edge drinks programme – cocktails, wines, beers, non‑alcoholic – that matches the ambition of the food.
• Shape the atmosphere: pace of service, lighting, music, table flow – the details that make a room feel alive.
• Maximise revenue through smart upselling, menu engineering, reservations management and events, while always protecting the guest experience.
• Take ownership of standards and compliance: cleanliness, health & safety, licensing, stock controls and cash procedures.
• Analyse performance – covers, average spend, guest feedback, online reviews – and use the numbers to drive continuous improvement.
• Collaborate with marketing and management on promotions, events, collaborations and social media moments that build our profile as a must‑visit venue.

Who You Are

You’ll fit this role if you are:

• A natural host – you light up the room, remember names, read the floor and make people feel instantly at ease.
• Passionate about drink culture: you follow bars, restaurant trends and love bringing fresh ideas to the table.
• Experienced in running busy, style‑driven bar operations, ideally in a city or destination setting.
• A hands‑on leader who is visible on the floor, coaching in real time, supporting the team and setting the pace.
• Calm under pressure, with a solutions‑focused mindset – when the room is full and the bar is three deep, you’re at your best.
• Commercially sharp: you understand GP, labour, rotas, stock and margins, and know how to hit targets without sacrificing quality.
• An excellent communicator and collaborator, comfortable working across departments and with ownership to push the venue forward.
• Excited by the chance to help define a flagship Galway venue, not just maintain the status quo.

Experience & Requirements

• Proven experience as Bar Manager in a busy, quality‑focused bar/restaurant environment.
• Demonstrable track record in team leadership, training and people development.
• Strong background in guest‑centric service, with a clear eye for detail and standards.
• Solid understanding of bar operations, cocktail culture and wine service.
• Confident with stock control, rota planning and reporting.
• Knowledge of licensing, health & safety and food hygiene regulations.

Hotel experience is welcome but not essential – what matters most is your ability to run a destination venue with personality and precision.

What You’ll Get

• A chance to lead the full Bar experience in one of Galway’s most exciting venues, not just a single outlet.
• Competitive salary and performance‑linked incentives.
• Real influence on concept, cocktail development, product offering and service style, working alongside passionate team of people
• A strong, supportive team culture and the resources to do things properly.
• Genuine career progression within a growing hospitality group – this is a role to grow your reputation and your future from.