Restaurant manager

Restaurant managers are in charge of managing food and beverage operations in the kitchen and other food and beverage outlets or units in a hospitality establishment.

The following job titles also refer to restaurant manager:

bar manager
beverage supervisor
restaurant food and beverage manager
catering manager
food and drinks manager
cafe manager
food and beverages manager
F & B manager
food & beverage supervisor

Bachelor’s degree is generally required to work as restaurant manager. However, this requirement may differ in some countries.

ISCO skill level is defined as a function of the complexity and range of tasks and duties to be performed in an occupation. It is measured on a scale from 1 to 4, with 1 the lowest level and 4 the highest, by considering:

• the nature of the work performed in an occupation in relation to the characteristic tasks and duties
• the level of formal education required for competent performance of the tasks and duties involved and
• the amount of informal on-the-job training and/or previous experience in a related occupation required for competent performance of these tasks and duties.

Restaurant manager is a Skill level 3 occupation.

These occupations, although different, require a lot of knowledge and skills similar to restaurant manager.

venue director
head chef
pastry chef
rooms division manager
head pastry chef

These occupations require some skills and knowledge of restaurant manager. They also require other skills and knowledge, but at a higher ISCO skill level, meaning these occupations are accessible from a position of restaurant manager with a significant experience and/or extensive training.

hospitality revenue manager
tourist animator
customer experience manager
destination manager
front of house manager

This knowledge should be acquired through learning to fulfill the role of restaurant manager.

Hazard analysis and critical control points: The field of hazard analysis in order to ensure maximal safety conditions.
Quality assurance methodologies: Quality assurance principles, standard requirements, and the set of processes and activities used for measuring, controlling and ensuring the quality of products and processes.

These skills are necessary for the role of restaurant manager.

Comply with food safety and hygiene: Respect optimal food safety and hygiene during preparation, manufacturing, processing, storage, distribution and delivery of food products.
Ensure tableware is ready for use: Guarantee that plates, cutlery and glassware are clean, polished and in good condition.
Identify suppliers: Determine potential suppliers for further negotiation. Take into consideration aspects such as product quality, sustainability, local sourcing, seasonality and coverage of the area. Evaluate the likelihood of obtaining beneficial contracts and agreements with them.
Ensure portion control: Guarantee appropriate serving sizes in line with the style of the menu, customer expectations and cost considerations.
Order supplies: Command products from relevant suppliers to get convenient and profitable products to purchase.
Handle customer complaints: Administer complaints and negative feedback from customers in order to address concerns and where applicable provide a quick service recovery.
Monitor financial accounts: Handle financial administration of your department, keep the costs down to only necessary expenses and maximise the revenues of your organisation.
Manage staff: Manage employees and subordinates, working in a team or individually, to maximise their performance and contribution. Schedule their work and activities, give instructions, motivate and direct the workers to meet the company objectives. Monitor and measure how an employee undertakes their responsibilities and how well these activities are executed. Identify areas for improvement and make suggestions to achieve this. Lead a group of people to help them achieve goals and maintain an effective working relationship among staff.
Ensure regular maintenance of kitchen equipment: Guarantee coordination and supervision of cleaning and maintenance of kitchen equipment.
Set prices of menu items: Fix the prices of main course dishes and other items on the menu. Ensure that they remain affordable within the organisation’s budget.
Supervise the work of staff on different shifts: Oversee the activities of the employees working in shifts in order to ensure continuous operations.
Manage health and safety standards: Oversee all personnel and processes to comply with health, safety and hygiene standards. Communicate and support alignment of these requirements with the company’s health and safety programmes.
Recruit employees: Hire new employees by scoping the job role, advertising, performing interviews and selecting staff in line with company policy and legislation.
Manage the customer experience: Monitor, create and oversee customer experience and perception of brand and service. Ensure pleasant customer experience, treat customers in a cordial and courteous manner.
Plan menus: Organise menus taking into account the nature and style of the establishment, client feedback, cost and the seasonality of ingredients.
Identify customer’s needs: Use appropriate questions and active listening in order to identify customer expectations, desires and requirements according to product and services.
Maintain customer service: Keep the highest possible customer service and make sure that the customer service is at all times performed in a professional way. Help customers or participants feel at ease and support special requirements.
Supervise food quality: Oversee the quality and safety of food served to visitors and customers according to food standards.
Maximise sales revenues: Increase possible sales volumes and avoid losses through cross-selling, upselling or promotion of additional services.
Arrange special events: Organise the necessary preparations for catering at special events such as conferences, large parties or banquets.
Manage restaurant service: Oversee the entire process of running the restaurant establishment such as managing employees and the mise-en-place.
Monitor work for special events: Oversee activities during special events taking into account specific objectives, schedule, timetable, agenda, cultural limitations, account rules and legislation.
Control of expenses: Monitoring and maintaining effective cost controls, in regards to efficiencies, waste, overtime and staffing. Assessing excesses and strives for efficiency and productivity.
Train employees: Lead and guide employees through a process in which they are taught the necessary skills for the perspective job. Organise activities aimed at introducing the work and systems or improving the performance of individuals and groups in organisational settings.
Manage stock rotation: Oversee stock levels, paying attention to expiry dates to diminish stock loss.
Monitor customer service: Ensure all employees are providing excellent customer service in accordance to company policy.
Devise special promotions: Develop promotion activities to stimulate sales.

This knowledge is sometimes, but not always, required for the role of restaurant manager. However, mastering this knowledge allows you to have more opportunities for career development.

These skills and competences are sometimes, but not always, required for the role of restaurant manager. However, mastering these skills and competences allows you to have more opportunities for career development.

Inspect table settings: Control table settings in order to ensure a correct table setup, including cutlery and glassware.
Monitor the process of wine production: Based on a large understanding and experience in the production of wine; he/she has the ability to oversee the whole process. This helicopter vision allows him/her to take decisions, and to lead employees to work towards the achievement of an excellent wine.
Think creatively about food and beverages: Generate innovative and creative ideas to come up with new recipes, preparations of food and beverages and new ways to present the products.
Keep up with trends in eating out: Follow trends in cooking and eating out by monitoring a range of sources.
Enforce alcohol drinking laws: Implement local legislation surrounding the selling of alcoholic beverages, including its sale to minors.
Create event-specific menus: Develop menu items for special events and occasions such as banquets, conventions and catered business meetings.
Mould chocolate: Mould chocolate to make chocolate pieces that are of a certain shape. Pour liquid chocolate into a mould and let it harden.
Compile wine lists: Create and update wine lists ensuring it complements the food menu and brand characteristics.
Develop working procedures: Create standardised series of actions of a certain order to support the organisation.
Monitor sugar uniformity: Monitor that the sugar and centrifuged products are uniform and comply with quality standards.
Apply foreign languages in hospitality: Use the mastery of foreign languages orally or written in the hospitality sector in order to communicate with colleagues, customers or guests.
Create decorative food displays: Design decorative food displays by determining how food is presented in the most attractive way and realising food displays in order to maximise revenue.
Seek innovation in current practices: Search for improvements and present innovative solutions, creativity and alternative thinking to develop new technologies, methods or ideas for and answers to work-related problems.

1412 – Restaurant managers

 

 

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References

1. Restaurant manager – ESCO