| SO YOU WANT A CAREER AS A RESTAURANT | | | | Managing the Menu and Supplies |
| MANAGER? | | | | It is a restaurant manager's job to determine |
| Even if you're currently a restaurant's resident | | | | menu items. This is often doen with the help of |
| dishwasher, it is still very possible for you to climb | | | | the executive chef and will be decided on based |
| the ladder to the very top with hard work, | | | | on the past popularity of certain meals and the |
| persistence and the right set of skills. A lot of | | | | likely number of customers who will patronize it. |
| restaurant operators seek people who already | | | | Sometimes, a new dish is introduced in order to |
| have ample experience in nearly all restaurant | | | | accommodate and avoid the wastage of |
| duties, so if you've been rotating on different | | | | unserved food. How the menu is arranged also |
| tasks for the past months or years, you already | | | | depends on what raw ingredients are in season or |
| have one foot in the door. | | | | simply for the sake of variety and novelty. |
| However, given the present times, most owners | | | | Managers also review each dish to find out how |
| are eyeing potential candidates who have formal | | | | much it costs to prepare them, taking into |
| qualifications to fill supervisory and managerial | | | | consideration certain overhead expenses, to know |
| roles in the company. While experience also | | | | what price best represents its value. Items on the |
| carries a lot of weight, job opportunities are likely | | | | meu should also be done ahead of time so |
| to be more open and better if you have an | | | | managers can estimate what supplies are needed |
| associate or bachelor's degree to your name, | | | | and when these should be bought and delivered. |
| particularly those that have something to do with | | | | Upon delivery, it is the manager's duty to check |
| restaurant and institutional food service | | | | the content and evaluate their quality, particularly |
| management. | | | | the meats, fruits, vegetables, fish, baked items |
| Understanding Your Work Conditions | | | | and poultry. |
| A restaurant manager's daily life is often very | | | | Grocery items are not the only supplies that |
| hectic and subject to high levels of pressure. | | | | should be monitored. Tableware, linens, cooking |
| Thus, a considerable amount of resilience, stamina | | | | supplies, furniture and cleaning materials should |
| and physical, mental and emotional endurance is | | | | also be checked regularly. Waste disposal and pest |
| required of you. Since evenings and weekends are | | | | control should be addressed, as well. |
| the most busy times for restaurants, you should | | | | Hiring the Right People |
| be prepared to work during late nights and | | | | How smoothly a restaurant runs depends a lot on |
| weekends. It is not uncommon for restaurant | | | | the people who work there. That's why it is |
| managers to work for around 50 to 60 hours per | | | | important that managers hire the right people for |
| week, and you will most likely be the first to | | | | the job. It is the manager's responsibility to explain |
| arrive and the last to leave everyday. | | | | the company's rules and regulations to all staff |
| A restaurant manager's work hours and job | | | | members and to provide the training necessary. |
| nature are also highly intermittent, as you might | | | | Employee work schedules are also under his |
| have to fill in for an absent employee, no matter | | | | jurisdiction. |
| what his job designation is, at the last minute. | | | | Because restaurants at peak hours are |
| Hence, it is very important that you know all the | | | | considered one of the most stressful working |
| restaurant's operations inside out and from top to | | | | environments in the business world, managers |
| bottom, as being a restaurant manager does not | | | | should be able to exercise maximum grace under |
| just mean sitting behind a nice desk and making | | | | pressure and handle problems with the least |
| chitchat with customers. There will be times that | | | | disturbance. |
| you will have to perform all sorts of "dirty work". | | | | Administrative Duties |
| The pressures of making sure everything is in | | | | While majority of administrative functions are |
| order almost always happen simultaneously with a | | | | handled by the bookkeeper, managers should also |
| number of other responsibilities. Whenever there | | | | know how there are run, particularly for smaller |
| are problems, it will be your duty as restaurant | | | | restaurants where he might have to do the job |
| manager to seek a solution with the least possible | | | | himself. Issue like work hours and staff wages, |
| disruptions to other operations, particularly in the | | | | tax and licensing paperwork, payroll, supply and |
| serving of customers. This can be further | | | | equipment purchases and other disbursements fall |
| aggravated by uncooperative and stubborn staff, | | | | under this category. Given a highly technological |
| as well as irate clients. You have to have a lot of | | | | business environment today, managers will also |
| patience for this job if you want to pull through | | | | need to learn how to operate computerized point |
| sanely and in one piece. | | | | of sale systems to increase productivity and |
| Duties of a Restaurant Manager | | | | efficiency. POS systems can help minimize the |
| A restaurant manager's daily duties are not to be | | | | workload by automatically talling sales, supplies and |
| underestimated. Apart from the usual tasks of | | | | ranking which dishes on the menu are the most |
| selecting what to place on the menu and | | | | popular among clients. |
| determining each of their prices, ensuring quality | | | | Training to be a Restaurant Manager |
| service and proper food preparation and the | | | | Given the multitude of responsibilities managers |
| efficient utilization of supplies, taking responsibility | | | | face each day, it is important that he is well |
| for the rising number of human resource and | | | | equipped to handle the job. Colleges and |
| administrative tasks are also part of the job | | | | universities offer two to four-year programs on |
| description. | | | | restaurant related subjects like food technology, |
| Typically, the management team is composed of | | | | nutrition, food planning and preparation, accounting, |
| a general manager, one or two assistant | | | | even restaurant and hotel management itself. |
| managers (depending on the size of the place) | | | | The demands of the times today do not only call |
| and one executive chef, who takes charged of all | | | | for a vast experience on the business, but also |
| kitchen operations. Often, in the case of small | | | | the adequate formal and technical know-how in |
| restaurants, the manager and the executive chef | | | | order to grow safely with the changes and |
| is just one person. In the case of major fast food | | | | industry advances. |
| chains, there are a number of assistant managers | | | | To further bolster you chances of becoming a |
| to supervise the different shifts. | | | | restaurant manager, you might want to acquire a |
| All of the members of the managerial team | | | | certification as a Foodservice Management |
| should expect to be working from the moment | | | | Professional from the Educational Foundation of |
| the restaurant opens until it closes at all days of | | | | the National Restaurant Association. This can be |
| operation. Because a manager is responsible for | | | | obtained after you've successfully completed a |
| all, he does not have the liberty to just skip work | | | | series of food service management related |
| because he doesn't feel like going. Restaurant | | | | courses, passed a written test, and met certain |
| management, though accompanied by | | | | minimum requirements pertaining to performance |
| considerable perks, is a full service job that | | | | and experience. |
| requires full time commitment. | | | | |