How To Hire The Right Restaurant Manager

Are you looking for the right restaurant manager for your growing business needs? If yes, then this blog is for you to understand how you can hire the right restaurant manager! Hiring the right restaurant manager is crucial because the person will manage all the restaurant operations when you’re out of place. Particularly if you’re running a restaurant chain, then it can’t be possible for you to physically visit each outlet at the same time, and that’s where a restaurant manager plays a crucial role.

Restaurant managers can help you scale up your business sales, train restaurant employees, and make a lasting impression that brings repeated customers. So, how do you hire a restaurant manager? In this article, we will try to understand the role of restaurant managers and how to hire the right personnel.

Understanding the Role of a Restaurant Manager

Restaurant managers can be a mainstay who will ensure your restaurant runs smoothly and effectively. Restaurant managers can oversee the day-to-day restaurant operations from the front-of-house (FOH) to the back-of-house (BOH). That implies a restaurant manager can create an ideal work environment for employees as well as customers. Their primary responsibility is to provide customers with pleasant dining experiences that increase brand visibility. Here are some other responsibilities of restaurant managers:

• They coordinate daily FOH and BOH restaurant management operations.
• They should deliver top-notch service and maximize customer satisfaction.
• They must respond quickly and efficiently to customer complaints.
• They should review product quality and find out new vendors regularly.
• They are responsible for organizing and supervising staff shifts.
• They appreciate their staff’s performance and provide accurate feedback to improve productivity.
• They are responsible for the restaurant’s needs for goods, kitchen utensils, and cleaning products.
• They should ensure safety, compliance, and sanitation regularly.
• Establish the restaurant’s good reputation and suggest new ideas to improve it.
• They must create revenue and expense reports weekly, monthly, and annually and control operational costs by identifying waste management.
• Hire and train the restaurant’s new and current employees on how to provide proper customer service and inform them about the restaurant’s policies and protocols.

There are different types of restaurant managers, and thier roles and responsibilities change as per their designation.

Different Types of Restaurant Managers

When you’re hiring a restaurant manager, it’s crucial to understand what kind of manager your restaurant needs. There are several types of restaurant managers available. Here, we have discussed the most crucial ones that will give you a better idea of who you should hire for your business. 

1. General Manager

The general manager handles the day-to-day operations of the restaurant, from hiring and training employees to creating staff schedules. In exceptional cases, the general manager is also responsible for handling payroll and approving overtime. Another important part of their job is to implement advertising and marketing campaigns. This will help increase the brand visibility ensuring that the business gets more customers over time.

2. Assistant Manager

There may be more than one assistant manager working at your restaurant. They assist general managers in various day-to-day operations, like scheduling, inventory, customer service, workforce management, and maintaining employee engagement.

3. Kitchen Manager

The executive chef, also known as the kitchen manager, creates menus, prepares food, handles kitchen items, and maintains proper health and safety standards. They usually need special training through a culinary institute. These experts then understand your customer requirements and specialize in providing solutions that exceed customer expectations.

 4. Front-of-House Manager

FOH managers are responsible for managing front-house staff, such as hosts, servers, sommeliers, bartenders, and baristas. Their primary responsibility is to ensure the staff is accountable and the customers have a positive experience at the restaurant.

These managers need to be chosen with utmost care as they help your restaurant achieve its visibility among the increasing competition.

Essential Qualifications and Skills

There is no doubt every business has different needs. That’s why looking for some skills and qualifications of restaurant managers can help you find the best-fit candidates. Here, we have curated a list of both required and preferred skills and qualifications for a restaurant manager:

Required Skills and Qualifications

• They should have some experience in the restaurant or hospitality industry.
• They should have excellent command of verbal communication and interpersonal skills.
• They should be able to solve restaurant-related problems quickly.
• They must understand food and sanitation safety protocols.
• They must have financial management experience and skills.
• They must have the ability to coordinate daily restaurant operations and strong customer service skills.

Preferred Skills and Qualifications

• Their ability to manage teams (leadership quality) and employee motivation skills.
• Their familiarity with restaurant management software (RMS), with strong organizational skills.
• Those who have experience in managerial positions and are willing to work flexible hours, including weekends and weeknights.

Now, the question arises where you can find such qualified candidates. Here are some ways to source and hire qualified candidates.

Where to Find Qualified Candidates

Once you understand the basic requirements that you must look into for your restaurant manager, your next step should be where you should hire them. To find the right restaurant managers for your business, be sure to try some new ways to get them. Below, we have provided some of them:

• Internal Promotion: Consider promoting skilled servers, hosts, or chefs to management roles.
• Network referrals: Ask colleagues and employees for recommendations.
• Window Advertising: Post a “Now Hiring” sign in your restaurant window.
• Online Job Posting: Use social media, job portals, and newspapers to advertise your restaurant manager position.

Screening and Shortlisting Candidates

After shortlisting top restaurant manager applicants, now it’s time to schedule interviews to understand if they are the right fit. Remember, before conducting an interview, you should have a set of questions handy. Here are some of the questions that you can ask. 

• Check their experience. Is this sufficient for your restaurant’s needs? Ask them about their daily responsibilities and duties at their previous job.
• Ask them to share their experience handling difficult scenarios with customers with an example from their previous job.
• Give them a situation to solve, like a customer having a complaint at a restaurant, and ask them how they would fix it.
• Don’t forget to cross-check their educational and job background and ask for a reference from a previous employer.
• Since the role and responsibilities of a restaurant manager require working in a high-pressure environment, clearly mention all the job requirements and working hours.
• Always ask important questions such as about creating an effective menu, promoting events, managing staff, and developing a budget.

Interview Process

Once the interview is completed, provide your contact details to the candidates so they can connect and ask any queries. No matter if you select the candidate or not; you should always follow up with the candidate. 

When you officially create a list of hiring candidates, follow up with phone calls. Follow up via email or leave a voice message requesting they call back as soon as possible if they don’t respond to your call. Once they reply to your call, congratulate them and inform them about their position and key responsibilities. You should specify their pay, expected hours, and other employee benefits and ask them if they still have any queries and how to move forward.

Send the offer letter via email, including important aspects of the job such as pay, benefits, expected hours, employment and termination terms, the date they need to accept by, start date, next steps, and a welcome note about the team they’re joining if everything works well and the candidate accepts your job offer. 

The Bottom Line

A restaurant manager ensures day-to-day restaurant operations run seamlessly and efficiently. They perform many responsibilities, including effective recruiting, managing staff, handling customer complaints, and maintaining safety regulations.

Moreover, hiring a restaurant manager will help business create an outshining image that attracts more customers and increases revenue.Remember, when you find the best fit for your restaurant manager position, it’s equally important to train them to help them understand your restaurant needs.

Frequently Asked Questions

What should a restaurant manager wear?

Dress codes vary by restaurant. Generally, restaurant managers should dress professionally, reflecting the restaurant’s brand. For instance, a fast-food manager might wear a branded uniform, while an upscale restaurant manager would wear more formal attire.

When should I hire a restaurant manager?

Consider hiring a restaurant manager when you need an experience personal to achieve the results you desire. Look for a restaurant manager when any of the following conditions are true:

• You’re overwhelmed with day-to-day operations.
• Your staff has grown, or you’ve expanded your menu.
• You need help with inventory or budgeting.
• Your restaurant is becoming popular, or you are running chain restaurants.

Who does a restaurant manager work with?

A restaurant manager usually works with general managers, cooks, wait staff, and bartenders. However, they can also work in different environments, such as with local restaurants, large chains, and resorts whenever needed. They specialize in understanding the needs of the business and ensure the restaurant exceeds customer expectations.