Restaurant Manager

About Casa Palestina

Casa Palestina is the first permanent Palestinian cultural institution in Portugal, based in Alcântara, Lisbon. Women-led and rooted in bringing Palestinian culture to life through food, live music, art and film screenings. The house exists to protect memory, deepen public literacy, and sustain Palestinian presence.

Role summary

The Restaurant Manager is responsible for the day-to-day running of the restaurant: front-of-house service, staff management, supplier and stock coordination, and full compliance with Portuguese food hygiene, health and safety, and licensing law. You will work closely with the Operations and Finance Director and the kitchen leads to open, staff and run the restaurant to a consistent standard, from pre-launch through to ongoing operations.

Key responsibilities

Operations and service

• Oversee daily front-of-house and bar operations, ensuring smooth, high-quality service.
• Manage opening and closing procedures, floor management, reservations, and event-night service alongside Casa Palestina programming.
• Coordinate with kitchen leadership on menu execution, timing, and quality control.
• Manage supplier relationships, ordering, stock control, and inventory management to minimise waste and cost.

Team leadership

• Help recruit, train, schedule, and manage wait and bar staff.
• Set service standards and lead ongoing staff training, including mandatory food safety and hygiene training.
• Handle staff performance, conflict resolution, and day-to-day HR issues in line with Portuguese labour law.

Financial and administrative

• Manage restaurant budgets, cash handling, POS reconciliation, and reporting to the Operations and Finance Director.
• Track food, beverage and labour costs against targets and identify efficiencies.
• Maintain accurate records required for tax, labour, and food safety compliance.

Guest experience

• Resolve guest issues and complaints promptly and professionally.
• Uphold service standards consistent with Casa Palestina's values as a warm, welcoming host space.
• Manage the mandatory Livro de Reclamações process, including timely submission of complaints to the competent authority.

Food hygiene, safety and legal compliance

This role carries direct legal responsibility for compliance with Portuguese and EU food safety law. You are expected to hold current qualifications and to enforce the following as standard practice.

• HACCP system. Maintain and apply a HACCP-based food safety management system as required under Regulation (EC) No. 852/2004 on the hygiene of food. This includes hazard analysis, critical control points, monitoring procedures, and corrective actions across all food handling stages.
• ASAE compliance. Ensure the restaurant is inspection-ready at all times for the Autoridade de Segurança Alimentar e Económica. This covers work surface conditions, equipment including refrigeration temperature logs, separation of raw and cooked food areas, storage conditions, and full documentation on request.
• Mandatory food handler training. Ensure every staff member who handles food completes food hygiene and safety training (formação em higiene e segurança alimentar) and holds a valid certificate on file at the establishment, per Regulation (EC) 852/2004 Annex II, Chapter XII. Maintain training records and renewal schedules.
• Livro de Reclamações. Ensure the Complaints Book is available on request at all times (Decree-Law 156/2005, as amended by Decree-Law 74/2017) and that any complaint is forwarded to the relevant authority within ten to fifteen business days.
• Licensing and alvará. Understand and help maintain the operating licence, health and safety certificates, and posted opening-hours and licensing documentation required for food and beverage establishments in Lisbon.
• Fire safety and general health and safety. Maintain fire safety procedures, evacuation plans, and general workplace health and safety standards, including manual handling practices for staff.
• First aid. Maintain basic first-aid readiness and ensure at least one trained first-aider is available during service.

Requirements and qualifications

• Proven experience managing restaurant, bar, or food and beverage operations, ideally in Lisbon or Portugal.
• Qualification or equivalent experience in Food and Beverage Management, Hospitality, or Management.
• Food safety experience: HACCP experience supervising food safety, or the Portuguese equivalent, preferred.
• Certified or willing to certify in Basic Food Hygiene, First Aid, and general Health and Safety covering fire and manual handling.
• Working knowledge of ASAE requirements and Portuguese food service regulation.
• Strong leadership, staff training, and team management skills.
• Comfortable with budgeting, stock control, and supplier management.
• Fluent Portuguese and English required.
• Alignment with Casa Palestina's mission and values, and comfort working within a culturally and politically engaged space.

How to apply

Send a short note about your experience and your CV to careers@casapalestina.pt, with the role in the subject line. We would rather read a few honest paragraphs about why this house than a formal cover letter.

Apply by email