What is a Restaurant Management Job?
In an age where restaurants are defined not only by their food but by the very essence of the hospitality industry, which includes the way a restaurant is run, how it caters to its customers, and what it has to offer to the potential customer, so they come back for more, restaurant management jobs are now an indispensable part of the business. Something owners of restaurants did back in the olden days; restaurant management has come a long way from just issuing cooks and chefs orders from behind a counter at the entrance of the hotel.
A restaurant manager is responsible for all day-to-day operations revolving around cost management without compromising the quality of experience set. These “daily goals” involve personnel management, coordinating between cooks/chefs and waiting staff, and inventory management.
Although most restaurants hiring restaurant managers look for experience in the respective field over education, a restaurant manager is expected to at least have a diploma. Some employers who cater to high-end customers expect someone with at least an undergraduate degree, a Masters being an added bonus over the years of experience the potential candidate brings in.
What does a Restaurant Manager do?
Restaurant managers are the backbone of any restaurant. Be it fast-food chains, casual dine-ins, or fine-dining joints, restaurant managers handle day-to-day operations, so the restaurant operates like a well-oiled machine. Combining strategic planning with management activities, this role involves a lot of creative-driven.
A restaurant manager is expected to be a people person considering every department reports to the manager. Restaurant managers are crucial to the workflow of any restaurant. They serve as the bridge between the kitchen staff and the waiting staff, the management, and the customer.
A definitive list of roles and responsibilities makes restaurant management a straightforward job role with straightforward goals and expectations.
Also Read: Receptionist Job Description: Role & Responsibilities
Restaurant Management Job types:
There are quite a few different types of catering and restaurant genres to choose from out there. Although the method of working differs from one to the other, the ultimate goal will always remain the same.
Some of these restaurant management job types are
- Fast food restaurant chains.
- Casual dining restaurants.
- Gourmet and family sit-downs.
- Fine-dining.
- Gastropubs.
Restaurant management job duties include:
A liaison of sorts, restaurant managers employ their management skills to not only plan out minute everyday details to ensure smooth functioning, but they are responsible for a variety of in-job duties like training staff, handling complaints, workforce management, and making sure food comes out on time.
In the simplest of terms, the roles and responsibilities of a restaurant manager entail:
- Taking care of the business aspect of the restaurant.
- Training and supervising allotted staff.
- Ensure food safety measures are always adhered to. This includes sanitary regulations set by the State and National governments.
- Scheduling workforce to ensure the restaurant always has enough bandwidth to accommodate customers.
- Taking ownership of budgets to maximize profits without compromising on quality.
- Addressing customer feedback and complaints.
- Payroll management.
- Inventory management.
- Preparing efficiency reports that will throw light on the age-old questions of “what is good, what is bad, and what can be better” aspects of the business.
Restaurant management jobs are highly sought after as the parallels are only exponential, culminating in roles such as the General Manager.
Job brief for Restaurant Management jobs:
A restaurant manager’s duties span across a variety of disciplines that include payroll management, staff management, and maintaining a positive consumer experience. Candidates displaying the following skills are a sureshot inclusion in any restaurant’s payroll as an employee.
- Ability to manage staff, including staff scheduling, payroll management, complaint resolutions, and dispute dissuasion.
- Establish SOPs in his/her own capacities to ensure maximized output without compromising quality.
- Host daily catch-ups to ensure no stone is left unturned from the start of the day to end of day operations.
- Generating efficiency and attrition reports.
- Ensuring costing is controlled to ensure maximized profits.
- Handling customer complaints and discussing them with the concerned department to ensure conflict resolution.
Responsibilities of a Restaurant Manager
- Taking complete ownership of day-to-day operations.
- Create weekly schedules to ensure maximized workforce attendance.
- Generate daily, weekly, and monthly reports to display anomalies, highlight issues, and monitor efficiency in terms of safety protocols, attendance, sanitary precautions, and sales.
- Create strategies to maximize sales, profits, and workforce development.
- Coordinating between the kitchen staff, the bar, and the waiting staff to ensure smooth operations.
- Greet walk-in customers, handle reservations, and offer advice in terms of menu and wine pairings (Applicable for restaurants that also host a bar).
- Manage inventory and hold weekly/monthly stock audits to ensure timely re-stocking.
- Manage licensing and comply with legal requirements levied, if any,
Requirements for a Restaurant Management job.
- Experience in the relevant field as a restaurant manager.
- Strong communication skills.
- Hands-on knowledge of Microsoft office and workforce management software like CRM, if applicable.
- Marketing and people management skills.
- Charming personality, goal-achievement oriented a knack for producing desirable results.
- Adaptability and flexibility.
Average Salary for a Restaurant Management Job:
Restaurant Managers Key Skills
- Determined and nimble.
- Perseverance
- Flexibility and adaptability in adverse situations.
- People management and workforce management.
- Patience
- Affinity for problem-solving.
- Coordination and communication.
To keep in mind, requirements change depending on what type of restaurant one sees a career in. Where one might need to be spontaneous and be able to improvise on the spot for a fast-food chain, he/she might need to be planned and calculated in a fine-dining layout. This, in no way, endorses on or the other as restaurant management jobs allow for one to be rigid and flexible at the same time.
Having said that, degrees do not matter. A potential restaurant manager has to have a knack for management. Many restaurants do not impose this criterion and are usually on the hunt for someone who has the drive to manage a steady restaurant and take it to the next level. Ultimately, this is not a job for freshers. The ones who do manage to bag a managerial role as a fresher usually start with the minimal salary set by the restaurant’s owners/payroll department.
Why pursue a career in Restaurant Management?
The business, in itself, is a demanding, people-oriented field. Goes without saying, the profession is as demanding as the field. In an era where hospitality and service speak volumes of one’s business, and reviews make or break a restaurant, restaurant managers are highly sought after to ensure presentation and efficiency are both on point and go hand in hand.
Given that you have to be naturally charming for a role like this, degrees do not really highlight personality traits. Will customers speak to someone who seems disinterested? Will staff respond positively to someone who is callous?
The vibe a restaurant manager sets are the vibe that draws in customers.
How to Become a Restaurant Manager?
Becoming a restaurant manager can only be achieved through two means, really. Either by earning a regular diploma/degree in hotel management courses or through experience.
Some other factors that one should work on or try to inculcate to become a restaurant manager are:
- A degree or a diploma in hotel management.
- Relevant experience in the field.
- A charming personality who can empathize with customers and staff.
- On-point presentation and communication.
- Problem-solving attitude.
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