The restaurant assistant manager does work that is very similar to that of the manager, but under the manager’s supervision and direction. Depending on the needs of the manager and the type of restaurant in which someone works, this job can be variable. Still, the assistant manager may be involved in a variety of activities, and listing them gives a good idea of the job’s typical responsibilities.
Restaurant assistant managers can have a lot of interaction with their employees. They may be able to hire or fire employees, participate in training, and oversee employee work to determine if it is of acceptable quality or if it requires improvement. A restaurant assistant manager may also be in charge of conducting employee reviews, rescheduling shifts, or serving as a liaison between employees and upper management or owners.
The day-to-day management of a restaurant entails a variety of responsibilities. Receiving or purchasing food is one of these options. Chefs are in charge of purchasing and evaluating the quality of food ordered in some restaurants, but a restaurant assistant manager may also be involved. They may conduct due diligence on potential suppliers, such as linen, flatware, glassware, or china, or they may simply interact with these vendors when they make deliveries or when additional items are required. This job could also belong to the manager, or it could be done the assistant manager on occasion when the manager is unavailable.
The assistant manager may also be responsible for handling daily receipts. He or she could do a nightly bookkeeping check to ensure that the amounts received match the amounts charged. After that, some assistant managers may make daily deposits. Paying employees is another financial matter in which the assistant manager may be involved, though some restaurants use a payroll service.
A regular restaurant inspection may be another important job of the restaurant assistant manager. If restaurants break any kind of health code, they risk losing their good reputation and possibly being shut down. It’s critical to ensure that everyone follows the rules and that the property is free of evidence of violations, such as the presence of rodents or improper food storage. Any proof of these things would be brought to the attention of the manager.
Being a restaurant assistant manager entails taking care of customers, and customer satisfaction is, of course, critical to keeping a restaurant open and afloat. Interacting with diners to assess customer approval, supporting servers on the floor or hosts during busy times, and assisting patrons with complaints are all jobs related to improving customer satisfaction. When a customer is dissatisfied, assistant managers are usually given the authority to comp meals or offer discounts, and they must make judgment calls about whether the customer has legitimate complaints or if the complaint appears to be an attempt to get a free meal. Assistant managers, in general, err on the side of caution to maintain the restaurant’s reputation as a customer-friendly establishment.