Promoted to assistant manager for Bolero Brasserie at the age of only 21, Coles Diel is known for his sunny disposition.

His nickname “Sunshine” was bestowed on him by the first table he ever served at the popular Front Street restaurant: a bachelorettes’ party.

“Those types of parties are always fun,” said Coles, acknowledging that the nickname — immediately taken up by fellow staff — could have been worse.

Friendliness and courtesy are the name of the game in hospitality, especially for Bolero, which cultivates repeat visits.

Major business decisions are made in the restaurant, where “meetings are our bread and butter all year round”, Coles said.

“As much as we want to get tourists in every day, these are the people we need to keep coming back.”

Coles, from Warwick, found himself drawn to the service industry in part because it made him less reserved.

“It’s forced interaction — you’ve got to talk to your customers, ask how they are,” he explained. “It helped me open up.”

He also found himself warming to the task.

Coles started out at a summer job at Café Amici in Dockyard, unsure of what he wanted to do with himself.

Although he liked his first job, he decided to move on and develop his career in hospitality.

His uncle, a regular at Bolero, suggested Coles when he heard that management were seeking Bermudian staff.

“As soon as I looked at the menu, I knew this was where I wanted to work,” Coles said. “It’s really good food, they’re constantly doing different things with it — they change the menu every week.”

He started out green, unable to open a bottle of wine by himself, but impressed management with his willingness to learn quickly and work alongside others.

“There’s nothing I won’t do,” Coles said.

“I became the chef’s best friend. Mostly I handle front of house. I started out as a runner and got used to how the restaurant runs, but then I got quickly thrust into serving tables.”

Two years on, he was tipped for assistant manager because he had been doing so many of the logistical tasks that come with the position.

“Obviously I still have things to learn,” added Coles, who picked up new skills by paying attention while others were being taught. “I’d be a fool to say I don’t.”

Bermudians are much in demand in hospitality, and Coles’s advice is to expect hard work — including on holidays, when people go out to dine.

“I don’t think a lot of people realise how far you have to walk in this job,” he said. “It sneaks up on you. At the end of the night, you’ve probably walked miles.”

Working with a smile is key, he added, and the hours are frequently irregular.

Coles’s father Adam put in some time working at the five-star Romanoff restaurant, and offered his son some sage words.

“My dad always warned me that this job will change the way you eat in restaurants for the rest of your life,” Coles said.

“It’s true. I can’t eat without noticing everything the waiters are doing. I’d love to sit there and enjoy my dinner but now I always look around and notice the little things.”