Food Service Manager
A Food Service Manager oversees the daily operations of establishments that serve food and beverages, such as restaurants, cafeterias, and resorts. This role includes hiring, training, and supervising staff, while also making key decisions about menu items, pricing, and inventory management. Food service managers play a critical role in ensuring customer satisfaction by responding to inquiries and complaints and maintaining service standards. The work environment for these managers can be fast-paced and demanding, often requiring long and irregular hours, especially in fine dining venues or during special events. Candidates typically need a high school diploma, with many employers preferring postsecondary training in hospitality management. In addition to interpersonal skills, successful food service managers must be resilient, organized, and adept at multitasking under pressure. Their responsibilities also extend to administrative tasks, including budgeting and payroll management, which are essential for effective establishment operation. Overall, a career as a food service manager can be rewarding for those who enjoy dynamic, customer-focused environments.
Food Service Manager
Snapshot
Career Cluster(s): Business, Management & Administration, Hospitality & Tourism
Interests: Managing others, organizing tasks, customer service
Earnings (Yearly Median): $60,060 per year $30.32 per hour
Employment & Outlook: 0% (Little or no change)
Entry-Level Education High school diploma or equivalent
Related Work Experience Less than five years
On-the-job-Training Short-term on the job training
Overview
Sphere of Work. Food service managers are responsible for overseeing the daily operations of various establishments that serve food and beverages to patrons. They recruit, hire, and train restaurant and cafeteria employees and commonly supervise assistant managers, waitstaff, cooks, and other administrative personnel. They make decisions regarding pricing and selection of menu items, order food and supplies, and ensure the proper upkeep of the establishments they run. In addition to their managerial tasks, food service managers usually handle most administrative and human resource-related activities of the business.
Work Environment. Most food service managers work indoors and spend a good deal of time on their feet, moving from the dining room to the kitchen, the bar, and other areas. They usually have their own office within the establishment. Working environments range from small, independent restaurants to large resorts, country clubs, or nightclubs. Food service managers may also work for school districts where they are in charge of one or many cafeterias. Food service managers generally work long and irregular hours that include weekends and holidays, especially those in fine dining, and rarely follow a standard forty-hour work week. Those who work in schools, cafeterias, or factories usually hold a more regular schedule.
Occupation Interest. Food service managers constantly deal with customers and, therefore, must demonstrate a pleasant, positive attitude at all times. Those interested in becoming food service managers must be highly motivated, as the job can be all-consuming, often requiring managers to work seven days a week with little time off. Restaurant environments can be stressful and unpredictable, so potential managers should be calm, resilient, and able to work well under pressure.
A Day in the Life—Duties and Responsibilities. Food service managers rely heavily on their waitstaff and employees to provide excellent service and to present and maintain a satisfactory dining experience for customers. To this end, managers put a significant amount of energy into finding reliable, hardworking waiters, waitresses, and cafeteria staff. They interview and hire dining room staff, whom they then must instruct in their particular establishment’s policies and procedures, as well as the fundamentals of working in a restaurant if necessary. Occasionally, food service managers must lay off or fire employees and then replace them on short notice. Managers create work schedules for staff members, plan menus with cooks or chefs, and prepare the restaurant for service. They also explain performance and customer service standards to the waitstaff and other personnel. Managers must ensure workers understand and comply with safe food-handling practices.
During service, food service managers ensure the satisfaction of patrons and respond to any questions, complaints, or comments customers may have. During busy shifts or special events, managers often take orders, clear tables, serve drinks, and assist in the kitchen. They also review and approve food preparation, portion sizes, and presentation. At the end of service, managers tally and report earnings and often make bank deposits on behalf of the establishment.
During non-service hours or the off-season, food service managers handle numerous administrative details. They continuously evaluate the amount and cost of food and beverages needed, calculate budgets and payroll records, monitor inventory, and make equipment and food purchases. They also oversee the cleaning of the kitchen, dining room, and other areas and report any maintenance problems that arise.
Liquor Establishment Managers (187.167-126). Liquor establishment managers coordinate the activities of workers who sell and serve alcoholic beverages to patrons in taverns, cocktail lounges, and nightclubs.
Work Environment
Immediate Physical Environment. Food service managers work in both small and large restaurants, usually indoors. Some work in school cafeterias. Work environments can be noisy and hectic. Dining rooms are normally clean, well-lit, and well-ventilated, while kitchens and other back-of-house sections can be hot, dark, and cluttered.
Human Environment. Food service managers work with and supervise a wide array of restaurant personnel, including assistant managers, purchasing agents, cashiers, waitstaff, cooks, bartenders, dishwashers, bus people, and office administrators. They often report to restaurant or club owners, school administration, or, in some cases, a panel of trustees, and regularly interact with customers.
Technological Environment. Food service managers use computers on a daily basis to place orders, monitor inventory, plan menus, schedule events, and coordinate staff hours. They commonly handle large- and small-scale kitchen equipment, as well as cash registers and point-of-sale software.
Education, Training, and Advancement
High School\Secondary. High school students who are interested in becoming food service managers should begin by taking courses in food and nutrition, economics, and communications. In addition, they should enroll in classes that focus on business management and administration. During summer and holiday vacations, students can apply for employment at local restaurants, country clubs, or resorts. Students normally start out working as bus people, hosts, dishwashers, or waitstaff and quickly become familiar with the daily operations of a food and beverage establishment. In this setting, they can observe food service managers in action.
Postsecondary. Most food service managers have a high school diploma or its equivalent, and are not required to possess a bachelor’s degree to run a restaurant or cafeteria. However, an increasing number of employers expect prospective managers to have some kind of postsecondary training. Many colleges and universities across the country offer four-year programs in restaurant or food service management. Alternatively, many community colleges, junior colleges, and technical institutes offer two-year associate’s degree programs in hospitality. All postsecondary programs in hospitality teach students the fundamentals of food preparation, nutrition, sanitation, management, computer science, and accounting.
Related Occupations
− Food and Beverage Service Worker
Bibliography
"The Food and Beverage Trends Shaping Our World." The Insider, 21 Feb. 2024, www.glion.edu/magazine/food-beverage-trends/. Accessed 22 Aug. 2024.
“Food Service Managers.” Occupational Outlook Handbook. Bureau of Labor Statistics, US Department of Labor, 17 Apr. 2024, www.bls.gov/ooh/management/food-service-managers.htm. Accessed 22 Aug. 2024.
"Occupational Employment and Wages, May 2023 11-9051 Food Service Managers." US Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, 3 Apr. 2024, www.bls.gov/oes/current/oes119051.htm. Accessed 22 Aug. 2024.