A Role of Restaurant Manager

Specific duties and the amount of customer/staff contact vary according to the size of employer: managers in larger organization's may be mostly office-based, whereas managers of smaller establishments often have frequent contact with both customers and employees.

Typical job responsibilities include:

·         Recruiting, training and supervising staff.

·         agreeing and managing budgets

·         planning menus

·         ensuring compliance with licensing, hygiene and health and safety legislation/guidelines

·         promoting and marketing the business

·         overseeing stock levels

·         ordering supplies

·         producing staff rotas.

·         handling customer enquiries and complaints

·         taking reservations

·         greeting and advising customers

·         problem solving

·         preparing and presenting staffing/sales reports

·         keeping statistical and financial records

·         assessing and improving profitability

·         setting targets

·         handling administration and paperwork

·         liaising with customers, employees, suppliers, licensing authorities and sales representatives

·         Making improvements to the running of the business and developing the restaurant.

Typical employers of restaurant managers

·         National, regional and international restaurant chains

·         Large hotel restaurants

·         Independent restaurants

·         Themed restaurants

·         Café bars

·         Brasseries

·         Hotel/leisure groups

Vacancies are advertised online, by careers services, specialist recruitment agencies and in local and national newspapers. More information can be found in publications such as The Caterer and on the Institute of Hospitality website. Networking and speculative approaches to employers are advisable, particularly for graduate training schemes with larger restaurants.

Qualifications and training required

Employers may favor candidates with a relevant degree or HND in business studies, management, hospitality management or hotel and catering. However, it is also possible to work your way up to a management position without a degree, and there are apprenticeships available in the industry at a range of levels.

Appropriate personal qualities, practical experience and business acumen are generally regarded as being just as important as academic qualifications. Gaining practical hotel, catering, restaurant, waitressing or customer service work experience is essential.

Key skills for restaurant managers

·         Excellent customer service skills

·         Commercial awareness

·         Flexibility

·         Good interpersonal skills

·         Communication skills

·         Problem-solving skills

·         Organizational skills

·         Teamwork skills.