A restaurant manager wears a variety of hats throughout the day, depending on the size and scope of the operation. Although some of these responsibilities may be delegated to assistant managers or trusted employees, the manager still has a large number of responsibilities and obligations.
In a large commercial restaurant, a person in this position is likely to work at least 60 hours per week, if not more.
A restaurant manager serves as the “face” of the company to customers and vendors. He or she is usually in charge of handling any complaints about food quality, customer service, or maintenance. Food vendors and service providers deal with the manager on a regular basis to acknowledge receipt of goods and services, as well as to make changes to future orders. Inventories of current supplies are frequently conducted the manager, who then calculates the next food and supply orders accordingly.
Being a restaurant manager also comes with a slew of administrative responsibilities. Employees must be scheduled to ensure that the restaurant has enough staff available during peak hours. This person is also responsible for scheduling breaks and vacations to avoid paying overtime wages or understaffing good employees. Although payroll may be handled a third party, the manager may still need to review employee time cards to ensure accuracy. He or she may also be required to hire new employees on a regular basis or, in some cases, dismiss employees who break rules or provide poor service.
Although a restaurant manager must devote a significant amount of time to the company, there are some advantages to the job. Because these employees rarely have time to leave the premises during working hours, meals are usually provided for free. Benefit packages for managers can include health insurance, 401k retirement plans, stock options, and paid vacations. They may even be entitled to a portion of the restaurant’s profits, which can be a powerful motivator to work harder and improve the overall operation.
While a restaurant manager’s work is mostly behind the scenes, he or she may be called upon to fill in for absent or fired employees. This means that a good manager must be familiar with all aspects of the business and be able to demonstrate competence in all of them. A manager is frequently promoted from within, so he or she may have prior experience in the kitchen, sanitation, or customer service departments. A restaurant owner may hire the person from outside because of his or her administrative or accounting skills, but most of the time, promising employees will be promoted from the trenches to supervisory positions. Promotion to management is frequently the ultimate reward for an employee’s hard work and dedication.