A Restaurant Manager is responsible for overseeing the daily operations of a restaurant. They manage staff, handle the restaurant’s financials and ensure guests’ satisfaction by maintaining high standards of food quality and service.
Wondering what you can do to find the best Restaurant Managers?
You can start by using our Restaurant Manager job description template! This template lays out the job duties and qualifications needed for this role in a clear and simple way, helping you attract top candidates who are a good fit for the role.
Restaurant Manager Job Description Template
If you’re too busy to write a Restaurant Manager job description by yourself, just copy the template below to your job listing and adjust it to your needs.
We are looking for an experienced Restaurant Manager with exceptional leadership skills to join our team at [Restaurant Name]. Your duties will include overseeing daily operations, ensuring high standards of food quality and service, managing and training staff and handling customer inquiries and complaints.
The ideal candidate for this Restaurant Manager role possesses excellent leadership, analytical and communication skills, has a proven track record of successfully managing restaurant operations and is strongly committed to customer satisfaction.
Salary: $65,000–$75,000/year
Benefits and perks: Quarterly bonus, dining discounts, reserved parking slot, health insurance, 401(k), paid holidays, flexible spending account
Schedule: Full-time (40 hours per week), including weekends, holidays and evenings
Restaurant Manager Duties & Responsibilities
- Oversee daily operations of the restaurant
- Manage and train restaurant staff
- Maintain high standards of food quality and service
- Handle customer inquiries and resolve complaints
- Ensure compliance with health and safety regulations
- Maintain inventory and order supplies
- Monitor the financial performance of the restaurant and prepare reports
- Develop and implement marketing strategies to attract customers
Restaurant Manager Experience Requirements & Skills
- Previous experience in a supervisory role within the hospitality industry
- Exceptional leadership and managerial skills
- Excellent customer service skills with a friendly and courteous demeanor
- Strong organizational skills and analytical skills
- Ability to handle high-stress situations and resolve conflicts
- Knowledge of food safety regulations and standards
- Experience with financial management and budgeting
- Familiarity with restaurant management software
- Physical stamina to stand for extended periods
- Ability to lift up to 50 pounds
Restaurant Manager Qualifications & Education Requirements
- High school diploma or GED
- Bachelor’s degree in hospitality management or a related field is preferred.
- ServSafe certification
Step-by-Step Guide to Writing a Restaurant Manager Job Description
If, for some reason, you’d still prefer to write a Restaurant Manager job description from scratch, follow these steps:
1. Describe the Restaurant Manager’s role in your establishment
In the introduction or overview, mention the skills, qualities and personality traits you’re looking for in Restaurant Manager candidates. You may briefly mention some of their key duties and responsibilities but it’s best to go into further detail about those in a later section.
Also, don’t forget to specify the salary, benefits and schedule because providing this information upfront makes your job ad more transparent and compelling.
- Salary: The salary for the Restaurant Manager position can be an estimate (e.g., $70,000/year) or a range (e.g., $65,000–$75,000/year).
- Benefits: List all the employee benefits you offer to your employees, such as bonuses, healthcare coverage, free meals, paid parental leave, 401(k), paid time off, commuter benefits and any additional perks.
- Schedule: Clarify whether the position offers a full-time or part-time schedule and specify work hours if possible.
2. List key duties and responsibilities
Provide a list of Restaurant Manager duties and responsibilities in your establishment, such as training and managing staff, resolving guests’ complaints and maintaining inventory.
3. Specify the experience requirements and skills
When it comes to Restaurant Managers, it’s highly recommended to hire candidates with previous experience in a supervisory role within the hospitality industry. You might also want to indicate a minimum number of years of experience and a preferred type of establishment.
Also, make sure to include both soft and hard skills required for the role. Examples of soft skills for Restaurant Managers are leadership and problem-solving skills, whereas hard skills can include knowledge of food safety regulations and familiarity with restaurant management software.
4. State qualifications and education requirements
This Restaurant Manager job description section covers the qualifications and level of educational attainment. When writing this section, be clear about which items are a must and which are highly preferred for the role.
Qualifications typically include certifications and training courses, such as ServSafe Manager. As for education requirements, many restaurants ask only for a high school diploma or equivalent, while some might also require a bachelor’s degree.
5. Add contact and company information
Allow Restaurant Manager candidates to reach out with questions or submit applications by sharing the following information in your Restaurant Manager job ad:
- Contact person
- Contact email address
- Contact phone number
Also, provide some background information about your company to give potential candidates a better understanding of your restaurant’s culture, values and mission.
You can effectively convey the company culture in your Restaurant Manager job description by briefly mentioning your company’s core values and mission statement.
Here’s an example:
At [Restaurant Name], we believe in more than just exceptional cuisine. Our mission is to create memorable dining experiences through genuine hospitality, culinary excellence and a commitment to community.
5 Tips for Writing an Effective Restaurant Manager Job Description
When writing your Restaurant Manager job description, pay attention to the following things:
- Don’t overwhelm candidates with an extensive list of duties and responsibilities — focus on key qualifications and skills. You want your job description to be as clear and concise as possible.
- Provide an insight into your workplace culture and the type of clientele you serve. The latter is especially important for Restaurant Managers as they will be interacting with customers on a daily basis.
- Mention some cool perks such as employee discounts and company events. This could increase your chances of having more Restaurant Manager applicants.
- Bring up opportunities for career advancement to attract candidates focused on professional growth.
- Make sure your language is inclusive so it appeals to a diverse range of applicants.
For more tips and guidelines, check out our comprehensive guide on how to write a job description.
Restaurant Manager Job Description FAQ
Typical issues with any job description, including one for a Restaurant Manager, are:
- Putting an overwhelmingly long list of responsibilities and duties
- Using technical jargon that is difficult to understand for some applicants
- Forgetting to mention attractive benefits and perks
Here are the three main types of interview questions you should ask a Restaurant Manager applicant in a job interview:
- General questions: Ask about their approach to managing staff, availability to work evenings and weekends, etc.
- Customer service questions: Ask questions like “Describe a situation where you successfully handled a difficult customer in a previous role.” or “How do you ensure your staff delivers excellent customer service consistently?”
- Situational questions: Come up with real-life scenarios Restaurant Managers might find themselves in and ask how they’d handle them. For example, “How would you handle a situation where a customer expresses dissatisfaction with their meal due to a dietary restriction not being accommodated properly, despite prior communication with the Waiter?”)
You can make sure your Restaurant Manager job description complies with legal and ethical standards by:
- Avoiding language that could be seen as discriminatory based on factors like race, religion, color, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, age, disability status and marital status
- Mentioning if the position is exempt or non-exempt under the FLSA. This helps clarify overtime eligibility for the role.
- Addressing the importance of adhering to labor laws and equal employment opportunity guidelines
To decide if a candidate is better suited for a Restaurant Manager or Assistant Manager role, assess their experience, skill set and career goals.
Candidates with considerable leadership experience and strong decision-making skills are better suited for the Manager role, while those with experience in support roles and operational skills fit the Assistant Manager position.
Discussing their career aspirations can also provide insight into the best fit.
