Restaurant managers make sure their premises run smoothly and that customers are satisfied. They have responsibilities both ‘front of house’ (the part of the restaurant used by customers) and ‘back of house’ (the parts that customers don’t see, such as kitchens and storage areas).
The amount of customer/staff contact varies according to the size of employer: managers in larger organisations may be mostly office-based, whereas managers of smaller establishments often have frequent contact with both customers and employees.
Typical duties include:
- Recruiting, training and supervising staff.
- Agreeing and managing budgets.
- Creating staffing rotas.
- Planning menus.
- Ensuring compliance with licensing, hygiene and health and safety legislation.
- Promoting and marketing the business.
- Overseeing stock levels and ordering supplies.
- 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.
- Liaising with customers, employees, suppliers, licensing authorities and sales representatives.
- Making improvements to the running of the business and developing the restaurant.
Working hours are likely to be long and irregular, particularly if you work for a smaller or specialist restaurant. You may also need to work shifts and to cover other roles from time to time.
