Restaurant manager: Job description, resume skills, salary expectations

Most of a restaurant manager’s duties involve behind-the-scenes administrative work. What does a restaurant manager do? They’re responsible for all the operational organization and planning necessary to keep the restaurant running smoothly. Here’s what you need to know if you want to learn how to become a restaurant manager.

Restaurant managers’ duties and responsibilities

There may be a single manager or several who report to a general manager. Employees in restaurant manager positions may be responsible for some or all of the following:

• Conducting regular inventory counts, tracking actual usage against projections
• Placing regular orders for back-of-house and front-of-house supplies, including food
• Identifying and addressing causes of inventory discrepancies
• Managing payroll, accounts payable and receivable, and tracking costs against budgets (or managing accounting staff)
• Managing employees, including recruitment, hiring, training, performance, development, conflict resolution, and separation
• Ensuring that all staff have the necessary training and licensure for food handling per federal, state, and local requirements
• Coordinating inspection and licensure of food and beverage facilities and equipment
• Working with kitchen, bar, and service leads to plan regular and special event menus and service plans
• Creating and maintaining front- and back-of-house staff schedules
• Resolving customer complaints and vendor issues
• Greeting and soliciting feedback from customers and staff
• Serving as a team, department, or company leader, responsible for morale, communication, and group culture

A restaurant manager must also be ready to step into any role, from cooking and serving to washing dishes.

Work environment

Restaurants are high-pressure, fast-paced environments, so you must be comfortable in that setting. Staff work front of house, which includes customer-facing positions such as hosts, bartenders, servers, and bussers, and back of house, which includes chefs and cooks, dishwashers, and other kitchen staff. Managers may be responsible for both areas or designated to a specific area, such as a bar manager.

Kitchens can be challenging workplaces. Tempers can flare, especially when problems arise or during a busy service. There’s a high employee turnover in the hospitality industry — it was 84.9% as of 2021. As a result, managers can spend a lot of time managing team dynamics.

Schedule

As a restaurant manager, your schedule will vary depending on which meals the restaurant serves and how many managers are available to cover each shift. Restaurant managers should expect to work frequent nights, weekends, and holidays. Managers also arrive early to oversee preparation for service and/or stay late to ensure all closing tasks are completed properly. It’s a demanding schedule and even high-level restaurant managers commonly work long hours with little time off.

“A career in restaurant management is a good choice for people who love food, enjoy a fast-paced, high-pressure work environment, and love the thought of facing new challenges every day.”

Qualifications

A restaurant manager’s job description typically includes the following qualifications.

Education

Most restaurant manager positions require at least a high school diploma. There may be no additional educational requirements, though a degree in a related field may give you an edge in hiring. Some restaurant manager jobs call for candidates with a two- or four-year degree. Common degrees for people working in this position include:

• Business administration/management
• Culinary arts
• Accounting
• Hospitality administration/management

Experience

Job experience is vital for restaurant manager candidates. It’s typical for restaurant managers to work their way up through entry- and mid-level restaurant jobs instead of more formal education. Having at least some experience in several front- and back-of-house roles is helpful because you’ll have many operational responsibilities and must step into any role as needed.

Skills

The specific skills you may need for a restaurant manager job vary. If you work for a small restaurant with a single location, you may need a broad skill set but manage a relatively low-volume establishment. If you work for a national or multinational organization, you may have a more narrowly defined area of focus but have larger-scale responsibilities.

Here are some of the common skills restaurant managers need:

• Software skills: Managers often work with point-of-sale systems, track inventory with inventory management systems, and use accounting software to track restaurant finances.
• Customer service: This includes assisting with customer issues and complaints and interacting with vendors and third-party partners.
• Sales and marketing: You may manage marketing initiatives and/or find ways to attract new business.
• Retail management: Some restaurants have a retail component, selling branded clothing, food products, and other merchandise.
• Staffing and human resources: Hiring, training, and managing employees is a large part of a restaurant manager’s job.
• Financial management: Restaurants operate on narrow profit margins — an estimated 60% of restaurants fail in their first year. Managers must thoroughly understand how to manage a restaurant’s finances to ensure its success.
• Leadership: Managers play a key role in developing a positive team culture and employee morale.
• Food safety: Restaurant managers should obtain certification to ensure that all kitchen and service staff work per food safety standards.

Salary expectations

The median wage for this position is $63,060 per year. However, your salary may depend largely on the city you work in. Competitive markets with busy restaurant scenes, such as New York, Chicago, and Dallas, are more likely to offer higher salaries. Restaurant managers may also earn bonuses and often receive health, retirement, and other benefits associated with full-time employment.

Job outlook for restaurant managers

The United States Bureau of Labor Statistics projects that employment for food service managers will grow at a rate of about 2% between 2023 and 2033, which is 2% slower than the average growth for all industries. This relatively slow growth rate is due to improved industry efficiency and low success rates for new restaurants. For this reason, restaurant owners are likely to recruit managers from within the industry, and candidates with a degree may have an edge.

When restaurant managers are ready to change jobs, they could go in one of several directions. Those working for large companies or franchises may advance to regional or corporate positions. Some feel the logical next step is to open their own restaurant. Others may choose to move to a similar position in a different restaurant.

A career in restaurant management is a good choice for people who love food, enjoy a fast-paced, high-pressure work environment, and love the thought of facing new challenges every day. If you’re ready to take charge of your restaurant manager career, upload your resume to CareerBuilder so your next job finds you fast.

More tips for working in the food industry

Fast food technology keeps evolving, meaning restaurant managers need to evolve with it.

Many managers find their next role by networking, making networking strategies essential to landing your next restaurant manager position.