Restaurant Sales Manager

RESTAURANT SALES MANAGER

Birmingham & Manchester

At Sticks’n’Sushi we serve high-quality, fresh food based on a unique combination of classic and creative sushi along with sticks from the grill. But we're not just in the restaurant business - we're in the business of birthdays, first dates, client wins, celebrations, reunions and memorable nights that people talk about long after the bill has been paid.

That's where you come in. We're looking for a Restaurant Sales Manager to help make our new Sticks’n’Sushi restaurants in Birmingham and Manchester two of the cities' most sought-after destinations for events, private dining, corporate entertaining and group occasions.

This isn't a role where you'll be handed a list of clients and told to keep the enquiries coming. We're looking for someone who creates opportunities. Someone who loves meeting people, building relationships and opening doors. Someone who gets a buzz from turning a conversation into a booking, a booking into a great experience, and a great experience into a loyal guest. You'll have the opportunity to build relationships and a sales pipeline across two exciting new restaurant openings - getting out into the cities, connecting with local businesses, agencies, hotels and hospitality partners, finding the people who need to know about us.

Attracting both families and trendsetters, amazing service in beautiful restaurants is driven by our amazing team - our 'Strange Fish'. Fish are like us: we all swim together. But 'Strange Fish' are bold, curious and unapologetically themselves. People with big smiles and small egos. People who think "we" before "I". Sound like you?

Are you...

• A natural relationship builder who enjoys getting out into the city and meeting people?
• Commercially minded and motivated by winning new business and growing revenue?
• Confident speaking with everyone from office managers to CEOs, event agencies and hospitality partners?
• Someone who spots opportunities before everyone else does and isn't afraid to go after them?
• Organised enough to juggle multiple enquiries, proposals, meetings and events across two locations?
• Curious, proactive and comfortable creating your own pipeline rather than waiting for opportunities to come to you?
• Excited by the challenge of helping build something from the ground up?

What you'll be doing at Sticks’n’Sushi:

• Acting as the external face of Sticks’n’Sushi within the Birmingham & Manchester business and hospitality communities
• Building relationships with local businesses, event agencies, hotels, concierges and other partners who can introduce new guests to the brand
• Proactively prospecting, networking and creating new business opportunities rather than waiting for enquiries to land
• Building and maintaining a strong pipeline of corporate, social, group and repeat business across both locations
• Hosting venue tours, tastings & show-rounds and creating tailored proposals that turn opportunities into bookings
• Driving private dining, exclusive hires, large group dining and corporate entertaining opportunities
• Taking ownership of the entire sales journey - from identifying a prospect and making the first connection through to confirmation and a seamless handover to the restaurant team
• Working with Marketing to create excitement around launches, campaigns and local moments in Birmingham and Manchester
• Working closely with Operations and the restaurant General Managers to ensure every event is commercially successful and delivered brilliantly
• Identifying opportunities to maximise spend through pre-ordering, drinks packages and bespoke experiences
• Building repeat-booking opportunities with corporate clients and local businesses
• Helping maximise key trading periods including Christmas parties, summer events, client entertaining, celebrations and other group occasions
• Keeping a close eye on your pipeline, conversion, revenue and future opportunities, using sales data and insight to continuously improve performance
• Planning your diary around the activities that will have the biggest impact - whether that's prospecting, client meetings, networking, venue tours or events

About you:

• Experience within hospitality sales, events sales or business development - whether that's restaurants, bars, hotels, events spaces or something else
• A strong track record of generating revenue and converting opportunities into business
• Knowledge of the Birmingham and/or Manchester market, with an understanding of the local corporate and hospitality scene
• Ideally, a little black book of contacts - but we're more interested in your ability to build one
• A natural relationship builder who genuinely enjoys connecting with people
• Commercially minded, with a proactive, hunter mentality
• Confident networking and communicating with people at all levels
• Highly organised, with the ability to manage a diverse pipeline across two locations
• Comfortable working independently, taking ownership and making things happen
• Bring energy, positivity and curiosity to everything you do

How we'll support your journey with us:

We want you to grow with us. You'll work closely with our Head of Sales, Marketing and Operations teams, alongside the General Managers of our Birmingham and Manchester restaurants.

You'll have genuine freedom to create opportunities and build relationships across two exciting new restaurant openings. This is a role where you'll be out in the cities, meeting people, opening doors and making a visible impact on the success of both restaurants. Your ideas won't disappear into a spreadsheet: they'll turn into guests through the door. And because you'll be helping us build our presence in two new markets, there'll be plenty of opportunity to learn, experiment and make your mark along the way.

The benefits that go beyond the day-to-day:

Yes, we work hard. But we laugh, learn and enjoy the ride too. As part of Sticks’n’Sushi you'll enjoy:

• 50% discount across all Sticks’n’Sushi restaurants including across the EU
• Access to great restaurants, bars and hotels through CODE
• Employee assistance and wellbeing support through Hospitality Action
• Financial wellbeing support through Wagestream
• Team events, unforgettable parties and annual awards
• Industry events and networking opportunities
• Exceptional learning and development opportunities

Ready to jump in? Click apply and tell us about the Strange Fish that you are. If your spark lights ours, we'll invite you for a chat; if it feels right, we'll dive straight in together.

That's us.