Overview:

Lead the exceptional guest experiences at The Ridley, Charlottesville's destination for high-quality American fare, local beer, and craft cocktails. Located within The Draftsman Boutique Hotel near The University of Virginia, The Ridley is not just a restaurant but a tribute to Dr. Walter Ridley, the first Black student to graduate from UVA and receive a graduate degree from any major historically white public university in the South. As the Restaurant Manager, you will be the driving force behind the front-of-house operations, overseeing the service team and ensuring that every guest receives outstanding hospitality. Your leadership, attention to detail, and passion for delivering exceptional service will uphold the spirit of inclusivity that defines The Ridley and contribute to our guests' unforgettable dining experiences.

Competitive Benefits:

Health/Dental/Vision coverage

Paid Time Off

401(k) with company match

Short and Long-Term Disability

Tuition Reimbursement

Employee Referral Program

Pet Insurance

Discounts: Hotels, Travel, Tickets, Restaurants • Eligibility for discounted meal plan at HBCU client locations

Responsibilities:

Oversee the day-to-day restaurant operations, ensuring seamless service and guest satisfaction.

Lead, train, and mentor the front-of-house team, empowering them to deliver exceptional hospitality.

Manage reservation systems and coordinate table arrangements to optimize guest flow.

Collaborate with the culinary team to maintain menu knowledge and enhance the dining experience.

Monitor and maintain high standards of cleanliness, safety, and compliance with health regulations.

Qualifications:

Restaurant Experience

Leadership Experience

A great attitude and work ethic

Who We Are:

The Ridley is a Charlottesville-based restaurant located within The Draftsman Boutique Hotel near The University of Virginia. As part of Thompson Hospitality, the nation's largest minority-owned food and facilities management company, we take pride in being one of Charlottesville's Black-owned restaurants, paying homage to Dr. Walter Ridley, a trailblazer in education. Our menu is designed with inclusivity in mind, offering a modern Southern dining experience that celebrates diversity and brings people together through food. As part of our team, you'll be joining a community of dedicated professionals committed to delivering outstanding hospitality and creating lasting memories for our guests.

Thompson Hospitality is the nation’s largest minority-owned food and facilities management company. Our services include hospitality, full dining and quick service restaurants, campus dining, diversity consultation, facility operations and maintenance management. We are a family-run organization with more than twenty-five years providing services built on our core mission to provide a positive experience to every relationship we are involved in: one guest, one client, one team member at a time. As a fast growing company, we have a growth plan to more than double in size over the next three years. We are looking for team members who are interested in developing their careers to the next level while joining our team of over 4,000 employees, serving clients in over 40 states to include more than 1.9 million guests each year. Thompson Hospitality focuses on three core areas in everything we do:

Purpose

Give back to our communities

Celebrate diversity

PeopleDo the right thing

Treat people the way you want to be treated

Always do your best

Be accountable for our actions

PerformanceServe the highest quality food

Provide world-class service

Maintain flexibility to better serve our clients

We provide equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment and prohibits discrimination and harassment of any type without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin, disability status, genetics, protected veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local laws.

This policy applies to all terms and conditions of employment, including recruiting, hiring, placement, promotion, termination, layoff, recall, transfer, leaves of absence, compensation and training.