The right Restaurant Manager can help you save costs, improve operational efficiency and boost profitability. Read on to learn the key steps to finding an ideal candidate who can lead your restaurant to success.
Know What Type of Restaurant Manager You Need
Depending on your business setup, you may need a Restaurant Manager with specific expertise. Each type brings unique skills and knowledge for managing distinct areas of restaurant operations.
Here’s a breakdown of the most common types of Restaurant Managers.
Front-Of-House Manager
As the name suggests, the Front-of-House Manager supervises all customer-facing personnel, such as Hosts, Bussers and Food Runners. They ensure tables are managed effectively, staff levels are adequate and customers receive excellent service.
Back-Of-House Manager
The Back-of-House Manager oversees behind-the-scenes operations, including kitchen staff, timely food preparation and adherence to food safety standards. They coordinate with the Front-of-House Manager to provide customers with a seamless dining experience.
Bar Manager
Bar Managers are responsible for all activities in the bar area, including supervising Bartenders and Barbacks, ensuring compliance with local and state alcohol laws safety and providing timely drink service.
General Manager
General Managers work in larger restaurants, where they supervise other managers and manage overall operations. They’re responsible for smooth coordination between front-of-house and back-of-house staff, handling customer complaints and collaborating with suppliers.
Regardless of the type of Restaurant Manager you need, make sure that the candidate will work well with your Assistant Restaurant Manager (if applicable) and Executive Chef.
Learn How To Write a Good Restaurant Manager Job Description
Start by describing your restaurant’s concept — is it fine dining, casual or high-volume? You’ll likely get culture-fit applicants if your restaurant’s qualities resonate with them, whether that’s an energetic and fast-paced environment or the service-focused atmosphere of fine dining.
Next, list the skills, education and experience requirements. While a bachelor’s degree and extensive experience may be ideal, being overly specific can limit your candidate pool.
Here’s a list of skills you might want to reference when writing your job description.
| Hard Skills | Soft Skills |
|---|---|
| Cost of Goods Sold (COGS) management | Inspiring and motivating team members |
| Proficiency in Profit & Loss (P&L) analysis | Providing feedback and performance reviews |
| Budgeting and financial forecasting | Clear verbal and written communication |
| Stock level tracking and waste control | Conflict resolution |
| Proficiency in POS systems, scheduling tools and booking software | Customer service |
| Menu pricing and profitability analysis | Adaptability |
| Knowledge of local marketing strategies | Time management and task prioritization |
| Knowledge of food safety and sanitation regulations | Teamwork and collaboration |
PRO TIP: If formal education and specific certifications are really important, consider having a “preferred qualifications” section to avoid discouraging other strong candidates who may lack specific credentials.
Where To Find an Experienced Manager
Leadership positions aren’t just more challenging to fill than entry-level roles like Servers, they’re also more expensive. According to the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM), recruitment costs can be 2 to 3 times the salary for the position.
To help reduce costs and improve your chances of finding the right candidate, we’re sharing the top places where you can find qualified Restaurant Managers.
1. Hire from within
You may have a Waiter who’s been working with you for years and has become a familiar face for your customers, or a Cook who works really well with the rest of the back-of-house team and has established good relationships with your suppliers. Why not consider promoting someone from within your team?
This saves you money and time because you already know that they’re culturally fit and are equipped with the required soft skills. They just need to learn other technical aspects required to be an excellent Restaurant Manager. You can have them attend workshops and training to learn these skills.
Promoting someone from your team also helps build a strong reputation with current staff and future applicants, demonstrating a clear career pathway and fostering loyalty and commitment.
2. Online
If internal promotion isn’t possible, post a job on hospitality-focused sites. While general job boards like ZipRecruiter can be effective, industry-specific platforms such as OysterLink attract candidates who are already familiar with the demands and challenges of the restaurant environment.
On OysterLink you can post a job completely free of charge. The best thing? There’s no limit to the amount of jobs you can post, so you can list all of the vacant positions you need to fill.
You can also use social media to reach potential candidates. Platforms like Facebook and LinkedIn have specific features for job postings that you can use to target local candidates.
3. Referrals
Encourage your restaurant staff to refer candidates for open positions. Offer incentives, such as a bonus or an additional vacation day, to entice them to help fill your Restaurant Manager vacancy.
Referred candidates can reduce hiring time by 40%. However, be mindful of potential biases in employee referrals. Staff may recommend friends without considering whether they have the necessary qualifications and skills. It’s important to ensure that the referral process remains objective and that the candidates meet the requirements for the role.
4. Staffing agencies
If you have the resources to work with an agency, consider hiring a staffing company to help fill your Restaurant Manager position. Staffing companies specialize in filling roles across different job types, whether seasonal, permanent or temporary.
According to statistics, 69% of global companies struggle to find professionals who have the perfect mix of technical and soft skills. So, hiring an agency can streamline the recruitment process as they have access to a wider talent pool and expertise in identifying well-rounded candidates.
Why You Have to Assemble a Hiring Team
Instead of relying on just one person to evaluate candidates, having a team involved offers several benefits, including reducing hiring bias, promoting diversity and ensuring a well-rounded assessment.
When hiring a Restaurant Manager, consider including the Recruiter, Executive Chef, Assistant Restaurant Manager and the owner (if applicable).
These are the key team members who understand the role’s demands, know the ins and outs of the job and will work directly with the new hire. They’ll also be responsible for onboarding the candidate, making their input valuable for long-term success. Another benefit of a hiring team is that it gives the candidate insights into your company’s dynamics, communication style and culture helping them determine if it’s a good fit.
How To Prepare Interview Questions for Your Restaurant Manager
Interviews should feel like conversations. Remember, it’s a two-way process — candidates are also evaluating you. Your goal as the Recruiter is to make the interviewee feel relaxed so they feel comfortable sharing openly.
The key to a relaxed interview is asking the right questions. This process starts with researching the applicant. Go beyond what’s on their resume or social media to encourage them to reveal something new and relevant for the role.
Second, avoid yes or no questions. Use open-ended questions to allow candidates to keep the conversation flowing smoothly.
Third, don’t be afraid to ask what might seem like dull or funny questions. Ask them how they got into hospitality or leadership. If they mention something technical that you’re not familiar with, encourage them to walk you through it. This helps them feel at ease and gives them an opportunity to share their knowledge and experience.
Finally, make sure you have a good mix of behavioral, situational and technical questions to gain a comprehensive view of the candidate.
For additional support, OysterLink offers interview questions specifically designed for Restaurant Manager roles. These questions cover essential skills, experience and qualifications, allowing you to focus more on researching the candidate and asking follow-up questions without spending too much time writing questions.
What Will Make a Job Offer for a Restaurant Manager Enticing
Once you’ve completed background checks and the candidate meets all requirements, make the offer by phone to show excitement and address any specific requests they may have, such as additional paid time off, flexible scheduling or bonuses.
Every candidate has different motivations, so tailor your offer to their unique interests. You should have gained insights from the interview about their passions, career goals and what they value most. Job offers don’t have to be one-size-fits-all, especially for roles like Restaurant Managers.
When it comes to salary, aim to offer above the market rate. The average salary for Restaurant Managers in the U.S. is $69,580 per year, so consider this benchmark when making your offer.
Frequently Asked Questions About Hiring a Restaurant Manager
Ask questions about their leadership style, approach to teamwork and commitment to excellent customer service.
Prioritize service-industry experience, leadership skills, financial expertise, food safety knowledge and familiarity with state labor laws.
Restaurant Supervisors focus on day-to-day operations, while Restaurant Managers handle strategic planning. The procedures that Restaurant Supervisors enforce are often set by the Restaurant Managers.
Written by Rea Gierran
With a background in Communication Arts, Rea’s expertise lies in content marketing and copywriting. Her published works can be seen on online news websites such as Rappler and Adobo magazine. Outside of her work, Rea takes on the role of a “momager” for Shiro, a TikTok dogfluencer.
Reviewed by Stefan Petrov
With over 10 years of experience as a writer and editor, Stefan has worked in the automotive, IT, health and hospitality industries. Familiar with Google Search Console and other SEO tools like Ahrefs and Semrush, Stefan uses his experience to create content that’s visually appealing to the user but also ranks in the SERPs.
