Ann Smith has been the manager at Conto's restaurant since 2002. Conto's is a popular restaurant and often has as many as 400 customers in one evening. It is a big business to run but Smith says she can't imagine doing anything else.

Restaurant work was not what she intended to do. She started studying music at university but then left to work in a restaurant. "My family didn’t agree with my choice but it was very clear to me that that was what I wanted to do." She did a bit of everything and learnt quickly. She started training as a chef but soon realized she was better at restaurant management.

Smith now divides her time between the restaurant floor and the office. She sometimes regrets spending so much time in the office and misses being with customers. "I have to arrive at the office very early. There are always a lot of kitchen supplies to order and bills to pay before meeting staff. If I have a really busy day in the office, I leave around 6, just before people arrive in the restaurant."

Smith manages about 120 staff and knows how important they are to the business. "I don’t have happy customers without good staff." She sometimes employs the wrong people but believes that making mistakes is the only way to learn. "I’ve succeeded in building up a good team." However, staff sometimes leave Conto's to work in other restaurants or travel abroad. Smith accepts that she cannot always keep staff. "If they've already made their decision, there's no point saying anything. But if they come back at a later date, I'm happy to reemploy them."