Restaurant Sales Manager

Ruth's Chris Steak House•Knoxville, TN

1d•Hybrid

About The Position

Ruth’s Chris Steak House is seeking a motivated Restaurant Sales Manager to drive top-line sales across all revenue centers, with a special emphasis on private dining. This role involves proactive outreach, lead generation, marketing efforts, and responding to inbound inquiries. The Sales Manager will be responsible for understanding client needs, tailoring solutions, upselling, generating Banquet Event Orders, and ensuring seamless event execution. Key activities include developing and implementing sales strategies, identifying prospects, monitoring effectiveness, engaging with guests and prospects outside the restaurant, closing sales, nurturing client relationships, and supporting event execution. Success in this role requires a deep understanding of the market through research and competitive analysis, as well as building strategic local relationships. The Sales Manager will collaborate with the General Manager and Executive Chef to develop sales strategies and achieve sales targets. Performance metrics, including response times and sales objectives, are critical. Additionally, the Sales Manager will support restaurant operations as needed, potentially covering floor shifts, conducting walkthroughs, and assisting with operational support.

Requirements

Thorough understanding of the market through conducting in-market research and on-going competitive analysis
Ability to develop strategic local relationships
Ability to work closely with the General Manager and Executive Chef in their restaurant to develop the sales strategy for the restaurant and achieve or exceed sales and margin targets
Ability to meet or exceed performance metrics including response times and sales objectives
Ability to occasionally work floor shifts as a Restaurant Manager
Ability to conduct facility walkthroughs and line checks
Ability to cover Restaurant Manager shifts while other managers are on vacation
Ability to generally support the operations of the restaurant
Ability to create quarterly sales and marketing plan and competitive analysis
Ability to fill the sales pipeline by utilizing prospecting tactics
Ability to present, negotiate, and successfully book private dining events
Ability to provide Legendary Service to develop Guest rapport, and book repeat Guests throughout the year
Ability to remain fully engaged through internal maximization of table touching, networking in bar/lounge, greeting Guests, and interacting with regulars and dining room VIPs
Ability to maintain active memberships with meeting planner associations and attend networking events to increase private dining and catering awareness
Ability to actively pursue preferred caterer status at local venues
Ability to understand and utilize booking software TripleSeat to track all incoming leads and events
Ability to respond to Guest inquiries promptly, obtain all relevant information from the Guest to send appropriate menu pricing information and secure business
Ability to generate a Banquet Event Order, contracting the event specifications and follow-up with the host to secure an executed/signed contract and deposit
Ability to communicate all event details to the local management team, ensuring 100% clarity of details and expectations, validating information and menu, and answering questions
Ability to develop and execute local events/wine dinners as needed driving additional sales
Ability to keep record of Guest contact information, interactions and transactions in our reservation system
Ability to maximize private dining revenue center profitability through responsible sales techniques and utilization of approved menus with adherence to established program SOP
Ability to periodically prepare and report results, status of accounts, and leads to leadership

Nice To Haves

Experience in hospitality sales
Experience with private dining and event sales
Proficiency in booking software like TripleSeat

Responsibilities

Grow top line restaurant sales in all Revenue Centers (Bar, Dining Room, Private Dining, and Off-Premises)
Focus on growing Private Dining sales through proactive outreach, continual prospecting, driving local marketing efforts, and responding to inbound leads
Answer questions about private dining, understand event objectives, tailor solutions, and upsell
Generate Banquet Event Orders and communicate all event details to the Restaurant Management Team
Develop and implement strategies to identify social and business prospects
Monitor the effectiveness of sales strategies
Engage with Guests and prospects outside of the restaurant
Close sales and nurture past client relationships
Support the execution of events in the restaurant by greeting Guests and ensuring Total Guest Indulgence
Actively manage the sales pipeline through prospecting, cold calls, referrals, and internal maximization of resources
Conduct in-market research and on-going competitive analysis
Develop strategic local relationships
Work closely with the General Manager and Executive Chef to develop the sales strategy for the restaurant and achieve or exceed sales and margin targets
Meet or exceed performance metrics including response times and sales objectives
Support restaurant operations as needed, including occasionally working floor shifts as a Restaurant Manager, conducting facility walkthroughs and line checks, covering Restaurant Manager shifts, and generally supporting restaurant operations
Create quarterly sales and marketing plan and competitive analysis
Fill the sales pipeline by utilizing prospecting tactics
Present, negotiate, and successfully book private dining events
Provide Legendary Service to develop Guest rapport, and book repeat Guests throughout the year
Remain fully engaged through internal maximization of table touching, networking in bar/lounge, greeting Guests, and interacting with regulars and dining room VIPs
Maintain active memberships with meeting planner associations and attend networking events to increase private dining and catering awareness
Actively pursue preferred caterer status at local venues
Understand and utilize booking software TripleSeat to track all incoming leads and events
Respond to Guest inquiries promptly, obtain all relevant information from the Guest to send appropriate menu pricing information and secure business
Generate a Banquet Event Order, contracting the event specifications and follow-up with the host to secure an executed/signed contract and deposit
Communicate all event details to the local management team, ensuring 100% clarity of details and expectations, validating information and menu, and answering questions
Develop and execute local events/wine dinners as needed driving additional sales
Keep record of Guest contact information, interactions and transactions in our reservation system
Maximize private dining revenue center profitability through responsible sales techniques and utilization of approved menus with adherence to established program SOP
Periodically prepares and reports results, status of accounts, and leads to leadership
Additional duties as assigned