Emma Hewitt’s career at Mitch Tonks’ mini-empire started where so many hospitality careers do: on the restaurant floor. Eight years later, she’s overseeing multiple Rockfish sites across Dorset and Devon, with another opening imminent, as Regional Manager for the fast-growing group.
It’s the kind of career trajectory hospitality still makes possible: start on the floor, prove yourself in service, and before you know it you’re shaping the strategy. For those willing to keep learning, stepping up and expanding their remit, the path from apron to leadership can move fast.
And outside London, that momentum can be even stronger. Regional hospitality often means bigger responsibility earlier on, closer relationships with your community, and the chance to grow alongside the businesses you help build.
In this Career Spotlight, Emma reflects on the jump from running one restaurant to leading several, the opportunities that regional hospitality can unlock, and why — behind the spreadsheets, staffing plans and site openings — it’s still the people around you who make the job worth doing.
What was the journey that led you to your current role?
I joined Rockfish in 2017 as a server. Before that I’d worked in hospitality management in Australia and New Zealand and run an events company in Plymouth. When I moved to Devon there wasn’t a management role going, so I started on the floor. From there I became a trainer, then Assistant Manager, then GM of Exmouth. Over time I moved into Senior GM, Multi-Site Operator, Area Manager and now Regional Manager.
It’s a lot more about empowering the general managers to have more analytical thinking about how to manage their site. What’s special about doing that outside London is the breadth of it... you’re not just managing numbers, you’re really helping to shape communities. You know your guests, your team, your suppliers and you really grow with the business.
What’s been the hardest thing about your career journey so far, and how did you get through it?
The hardest shift was going from being a confident, experienced GM (aka knowing your restaurant inside out) to stepping up into multi-site leadership and realising you’re not the best at it anymore. Suddenly you’re a people manager, spinning plates, reacting rather than controlling.
As hospitality workers, we get our kicks from making people happy and doing a great job. Moving up means learning new skills, taking feedback, changing how you operate, and swallowing your pride a bit. I got through it by talking. Leaning on brilliant people around me, asking for advice (and definitely venting when needed) - because ultimately, as cheesy as it sounds, it’s never about doing it alone. Even when it comes to ‘leadership’ roles, it’s still always about working together. The people around you are what creates the magic, and honestly, what makes the job FUN.
What’s the realistic salary range for a role like yours?
Out-of-London hospitality salaries look very different to London, and that's important context. A GM role in the South West might start around the low-to-mid £30Ks, moving into £40Ks with experience and performance. As you step into multi-site, area or regional roles, you’re looking more towards £50–60K+ depending on remit and company size.
London can skew higher, but cost of living shifts that picture. Down here, you’re trading a bit of headline salary for coastal lifestyle, community and longevity. There's good money to be made in hospitality outside the capital (especially as responsibility and accountability grow) but it’s linked to geography (and the scale of the business).
How has your earning potential changed over time?
It’s steadily increased alongside responsibility. Every time the remit expanded (like more sites, bigger teams, more accountability etc) earning potential followed.
There are plateaus though - when the business is in a steady phase, growth slows and so do jumps. Expansion or restructuring tends to create opportunity. Outside London, those jumps are often tied to genuine progression rather than job-hopping for bigger pay cheques.
I’ve found the increases come when you move from operational excellence into strategic thinking, like when you’re influencing performance across multiple sites rather than just running one brilliantly. The more impact you can have on the bigger picture, the more your value — and earning potential — grows.
What’s the most unexpected part of your role?
How deeply involved you become in people’s lives. You start out thinking you’ll manage shifts and P&Ls, and suddenly you’re supporting someone through a breakup, celebrating their promotion, helping them move house. You get really invested in the people you train and develop.
And then there are the truly random bits — like tracking down a specific paint colour for a supplier because someone needs to match a wall in a restaurant. No one tells you that regional hospitality leadership involves interior design detective work. The job is far more varied than it looks from the outside.
What’s the best part of the job?
The people. Always the people. Great hospitality businesses tend to attract brilliant characters, often grounded, loyal, hardworking. I’ve watched a lot of people who start as a waiter grow into a manager, or move into the kitchen and rise through the ranks to become a head chef. It’s incredibly rewarding.
You get to build teams and see confidence grow as people realise what they’re capable of. That is magic.
Out of the big cities, there’s a real sense of community too — you’re not just running a restaurant, but you feel part of the town. That connection makes the wins feel bigger and more meaningful.
What’s the hardest or most draining part?
Also… the people. The irony isn’t lost on me! The best and hardest parts are the same thing. HR challenges, recruitment struggles, especially with chefs at the moment, as I’m sure everyone in the hospitality industry is feeling, can be draining. You work hard to build a full, happy team and just when it feels stable, the cycle begins again.
In smaller towns, recruitment pools can be tighter, so it requires resilience and creativity. The repetition is the tiring bit. But it’s part of the rhythm of hospitality. When you nail it and the team is firing, it makes the hard stretches worth it.
What skills matter most in your role, beyond the obvious ones?
Communication and listening. It sounds simple, but it’s everything. Clear expectations, honest feedback, really hearing what your team needs, that’s the foundation.
Time management is huge too, especially in multi-site roles. You’re constantly choosing where your attention is most needed.
And beyond that, humility. The willingness to admit you don’t know something yet. The ability to evolve. The higher you go, the less it’s about technical skill and the more it’s about influencing, coaching and creating alignment across different personalities and locations.
What did you have to learn the hard way?
That being great at running one restaurant doesn’t automatically make you great at leading several. I had to learn to let go and stop trying to fix everything myself. It’s about empowering GMs to take full ownership rather than stepping in too quickly!
It’s definitely a bit uncomfortable at first, because you want to be the best in the room (we’re all human) and then you realise leadership isn’t about that anymore. It’s about creating other people who are brilliant at what they do.
What advice would you give to someone trying to break into this role today?
Don’t wait for the perfect title. Start where there’s opportunity and prove yourself. Out-of-London hospitality can offer faster progression because businesses are smaller and growth is more visible. Be curious, ask for feedback, and volunteer for projects outside your remit (aka all the good stuff in any job).
Understanding people as well as process is really key, plus learning the numbers and P&L as well as the floor – vital for anyone wanting to progress, and see the business side of it.
Tell yourself that hospitality isn’t just a stopgap. It’s a serious career with serious opportunities, even outside the capital. If you’re willing to grow with it, it will grow with you.
What’s the best piece of advice that YOU were given?
Early on, I was reminded that leadership isn’t about having all the answers — it’s about asking better questions and bringing people with you. We all know hospitality can be intense. The teams are tight-knit and the stakes feel personal, so it’s easy to feel responsible for everything.
The best advice I was given was to use the people around me. To talk things through, get perspective, and trust the strength of the team. When you stop trying to be the superhero and start building something together, the pressure lifts, and the job becomes a lot more enjoyable.
