What Does A Restaurant Manager Do?

We’ve all visited those restaurants where you walk in, you’re attended to immediately without a second to spare. They have been expecting you, you are welcome, and you are sitting at a table within moments. As you relax into your seat you notice how everything is flowing around you with precision and a sense of calm. There is a buzz, but it’s not frenetic. These are the establishments that have an experienced and proficient restaurant manager at the helm. But what does a restaurant manager do? Let’s dig in to find out.

Restaurant Manager – The Core Of Operations

At the center of all restaurant operations is your restaurant manager. He or she is the central cog that enables the consistent serving of meals and the turning of tables with smooth, efficient grace. The question is not what does a restaurant manager do, but rather… what doesn’t he or she do? The restaurant manager wears many hats, including:

• Customer service
• Employee management
• General management
• Procurement management
• Health and safety compliance
• Marketing and promotion

At the beginning and end of every responsibility, the restaurant manager is checking boxes and giving nods of approval. Everything circles back to the restaurant manager, which makes it essential that the right person is chosen for the job.

Customer Service

The primary, publicly visible function of a restaurant manager is the role of customer service. Customers must be attended to by the concierge or waiters, and where that isn’t possible, the restaurant manager will take this on themselves. A customer need only raise a hand and the restaurant manager will have someone attending to their needs.

Employee Management

A restaurant manager worth their salt will be both a role model and superior to employees. They will lead by example and ensure that everyone is aware of their responsibilities at every moment of a given shift. Where employees are slipping, they are offering words of encouragement. If employees are messing up, they are giving them firm and constructive criticism. The moment employees are excelling, the model restaurant manager is cheering them on.

General Management Of The Restaurant

The general running of the restaurant will fall into the restaurant manager’s lap, coming part and parcel with administrative responsibilities. Ensuring cash-up is done correctly, coordinating front of house and back of house operations, managing shift scheduling, overseeing costs and profits, even taking reservations when there is no one available to do so. 

Procurement Management

When stocks run low, the restaurant manager will be the one ordering from suppliers and vendors. Any new and exciting dishes will be run past the restaurant manager and the sourcing of ingredients will fall to them and the head chefs. Quality of supplies needs to be consistently managed, and if products received are not of the original quality expected, this will need to be addressed. 

Health And Safety Compliance

The restaurant needs to be 100% compliant with health and safety regulations at all times. All healthy and safety concerns will be addressed and managed by the restaurant manager. This includes ensuring that the restaurant has COVID-friendly protocols in place and that the appropriate hygiene products are available for patrons at the doors and in the restrooms. Any risks posed within the establishment, such as slippery floors, improper storage of foods, loose nails, etc. are all an ongoing concern and kept under a watchful eye. 

Restaurant Marketing And Promotion

The restaurant manager is the image of the restaurant, and their personality is a representation of the brand. At all times they are marketing the restaurant and will ensure that all traditional and digital marketing responsibilities are running optimally and being managed effectively by the marketing departments.

As we said… instead of asking what does a restaurant manager do… consider that there is very little that he or she does not do. Remember that when you next visit one of those memorable eateries where everything is functioning like a well-oiled ship. Scan the periphery and you’ll see the restaurant manager keeping a close eye on things. 

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