Let me start by saying that this post is dedicated to those people working in the restaurant industry. I do so because these people deserve a big round of applause thanks to the work they do. Most of us become impatient when we order food in a restaurant and a waiter delays serving us. If we only knew what restaurant workers go through, we wouldn’t be quick to lose patience. Today, I’m going to focus on a restaurant manager.
What a Restaurant Manager Does
If there is one person who wears many hats in their career, it is a restaurant manager. Aspiring to become one? It is an interesting yet an engaging job. Yes, you won’t work like a robot, but the fact remains that you will need to oversee the entire operation of the restaurant. Most restaurant managers report on the job before anyone else, and they leave last. There are times when you will be sitting in your office to answer calls and go through some paperwork, but there comes a time when you have to be in the kitchen checking on hygiene and correct food measurement.
Senior most employee
As the senior most employee and the overall overseer of the restaurant operation, your duties and responsibilities may include the following:
- Regular employee performance evaluation
- Employee recruitment and dismissal
- Procurement of restaurant equipment
- Staff scheduling
Kitchen operation
When it comes to kitchen management, the responsibilities of a restaurant manager are stretched even further to include the following:
- Creation of restaurant menu in consultation with the chief chef
- Stock organisation and rotation
- Food procurement
- Occasional serving of food, especially during peak hours when all the employees are engaged or overwhelmed
Business activities
Most restaurant owners entrust managers with the overall running of their business. All they do is make important decisions and leave them for managers to implement. As such, restaurant owners expect their managers to carry out the following duties:
- Payroll preparation
- Business marketing and branding
- Business expansion strategy formulation
- Payment of suppliers
How Many Hours Do Restaurant Managers Work in a Day?
While this may vary by country or restaurant, we could easily guess that restaurant managers work for long hours. That’s correct. Restaurants serve customers up to very late at night (unless there are restrictions from the authorities). Remember, customers want to eat dinners, and that happens mostly late in the evening. You can’t close the restaurant at this time given that it is one of the peak hours of the business. Thus, the manager may have to be present until the last guest is served.
Thankfully, most restaurants have assistant managers, who may work in shifts with managers. This helps to ease the burden on the latter. If you are a manager in such a restaurant, then you have your boss to thank as not all restaurant managers will do that.