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Your Story
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Fatima Villanos
General Manager at Mackenzie’s.
From bussing tables to running the operations of one of Dublin's busiest restaurants.
Fatima moved to Ireland during the winter of 2001 and began her job search. As fate would have it, she spotted the neon sign of Captain Americas on Grafton Street and decided to climb the stairs to enquire about vacancies.
A few days later she got a call from then GM Colm Dowling to come in for an interview and was offered the role of busser, an essential part of the team to keep the very busy restaurant running smoothly. The then slightly shy Fatima had to get to grips with the Irish accent and general chaos of hospitality, but within a few weeks had earned the title of ‘Speedy Gonzales’ because of how quickly and perfectly she cleared tables. Fatima stepped up into the position of waitress and by January was one of Captain America’s two Head Waitresses.
Having studied a Bachelor of Science in Education and taught at one of the biggest Universities in the Philippines, Fatima adapted her skills in managing people, being observant and imparting knowledge to others to her new role in Captain Americas, becoming the glue that brought the front of house team together.
Captain America’s sponsored Fatima’s work permit for five years until she got her residency, and could freely choose another job. However, her heart told her to stay and so she did. Subsequent promotions to Duty Manager and finally General Manager meant that Fatima ran the entire operation of Captain Americas, one of the city’s busiest restaurants. Within the 18 and a half years at Captain Americas, Fatima saw the ups and downs of economic recessions, the highs and lows of all that comes with a role at the helm of a restaurant.
When Press Up Hospitality Group opened Mackenzie’s Restaurant in 2019, Fatima was the natural choice to take on the position of General Manager, to build a team of hospitality legends and instil the same passion as she had for so many years in Captains. Fatima has trained so many of Press Up’s top waiters and managers, and truly embodies the Press Up Group’s values. We are so lucky and proud to have Fatima as part of our team!
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