Updated on: February 8, 2025
So, you work in a restaurant. You get along with your coworkers. You even enjoy your career so far, but you’re ready for a change of pace and a bit more responsibility. Have you ever considered a restaurant manager position? If so, you’re probably asking yourself where to start.
First, you need to know the duties of a restaurant manager to determine if it’s something you want to do. Next (assuming you’re still interested), you’ll want to build up qualities that will help you in your desired new role. Then, you need to know what skills to hone and list them on your resume.
What does a restaurant manager do?
Managers have one of the more difficult roles in a restaurant because they check on everything and everyone, everywhere. Great restaurant managers handle all restaurant operations so that the rest of the staff can focus on their jobs, such as serving customers or food presentation.
Restaurant managers oversee the staff hiring process, including both customer-facing and behind-the-scenes crew members. They ensure staff receive enough training, manage schedules and payroll, and enforce company rules and policies. This likely includes keeping everything legal, ethical, and up to code. They also keep the restaurant stocked from top to bottom, mediate between customers and staff as necessary, and may even help revamp menus (with the aid of their chefs, of course).
In short, a successful restaurant manager will keep the business running smoothly and profitably. Be prepared for a challenging but rewarding experience if this is what you’re after.
What qualities or traits do I need to be a restaurant manager?
Most important of all, a successful manager must want to be one. Otherwise, you, your team, your customers, and your restaurant will suffer. All staff members and customers rely on the restaurant manager to run the day-to-day operations. Customer service skills and other soft skills are also key to those in the foodservice and hospitality industry. Here are a few important traits restaurant managers need:
1. Positive attitude
2. Stamina and endurance
3. Humility
4. Proactivity
5. Consistency
Positive Attitude
This one relates to the desire actually to serve as a restaurant manager. The restaurant industry is brutal by nature. Being resilient and maintaining a positive attitude in such a demanding environment is hard. No one can do so 100% of the time. Yet the more positive you can be, the better experiences you, your customers, and your staff will share.
Stamina and Endurance
A successful restaurant manager is always on their toes, ready at a pin drop to be wherever they’re needed. This requires a great deal of physical ability, day in and day out. Often, restaurants have hard, carpet-less floors to walk across and stand on for long periods. Managers balance multiple tasks all day. This can be both physically and emotionally draining. On longer or busier days, it gets even worse.
Humility
Humility is particularly helpful because it enables powerful leadership and communication skills. When you’re humble, people recognize that you want to help them. In turn, they reflect respect and humility back to you (in most cases, anyway). Being humble also fosters a culture of willingness to be vulnerable, ask for help, and admit mistakes. People who learn from mistakes are constantly learning, which can only consistently drive better results and customer satisfaction.
Proactivity
An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. No one can predict or prevent all problems. It’s impossible. That said, proactivity is not just good for preventing problems. It also helps you set higher standards for your team. When customers are more satisfied, stress is only reduced for everyone.
Consistency
You’re always being watched. As the adage goes, people pay attention more to what you do than what you say. If you say one thing, do another thing, and your team and customers will pick up on it. If you cut corners, your team likely will, too. The more consistent you are with standards of excellence, the better it will go for everyone.
What skills should I list on my restaurant manager resume?
When developing your restaurant skills for your resume, focus on the job description. The hiring manager listed specific desired skills and traits for a restaurant manager. Make sure you showcase verifiable experience and use those skills wherever possible.
We have compiled two lists of restaurant manager skills for you. One lists the more common, preferred skills, while the other lists less obvious skills that will give you a competitive advantage.
Common Restaurant Manager Skills
Although far from exhaustive, this list includes some of the most important:
1. Experience (especially management/restaurant industry related)
2. Communication
3. Interpersonal Skills
4. Creativity and diplomacy
5. Leadership
6. Flexibility and adaptability
7. Organization
Experience, informal or formal
Employers first look for a candidate’s experience level, whether it’s actual on-the-job experience, related experience, or a formal industry-related degree. Proven experience of successful customer interactions in a restaurant will often trump a degree, but it doesn’t hurt to have both.
Communication
Verbal, non-verbal, and interpersonal communication skills are crucial in a restaurant. I could write an entire article on this. There will be times when either saying the wrong thing or saying something in the wrong way can blow up in your face. Orders, platters, and customers come and go non-stop. You need to communicate well with your team, or someone may get the wrong order and not be happy about it. Then there’s communication with vendors and third parties. One misstep and your cook doesn’t have the ingredients you need for the day. On the flip side of all these, you can provide an above-and-beyond dining experience by having excellent communication skills.
Interpersonal Skills
Interpersonal skills are critical for managing a diverse team and creating a welcoming customer environment. Managers must build strong relationships with staff, resolve conflicts, and motivate employees to perform at their best.
Key interpersonal skills include:
Empathy: Understanding employees’ and customers’ perspectives.
Conflict Resolution: Navigating disputes between team members or with customers calmly and effectively.
Team Building: Fostering a sense of collaboration and camaraderie among employees.
Creativity and diplomacy
Creativity and diplomacy are not just a bonus in today’s world—they’re a must. One restaurant faced severe consequences for not emphasizing these skills. On the flip side, one local Domino’s saved a loyal customer’s life. How staff handle problems says volumes about the restaurant itself—not to mention the manager running it. Cancel culture will tenderize a restaurant’s reputation faster than a chef can tenderize meat. There are bound to be conflicts in such a fast-paced, high-stress environment. Managers must be ready to respond diplomatically.
Leadership
You know a good leader when you see one. The best leaders are active listeners. They’re positive, reliable, likable, teachable, persuasive, charismatic, optimistic, open, inclusive, and so much more. They have vision. They care about their teams, and it shows. High-quality leadership skills take time and practice but are well worth your while.
Flexibility and adaptability
No one likes to work under an excessively dogmatic manager. You delight customers and staff when you are open, willing to adapt, and embrace innovation. Also, you can improve the restaurant’s bottom line more when you listen to and sift through ideas, suggestions, and complaints.
Organization
Whether it’s project management, time management, or record-keeping, managers cannot afford to waste resources with poor organization. Everything must be tracked and tracked well, or profits will go out the window. Likewise, customers weigh in on every detail, moment, and decision concerning their dining experience. Established procedures allow staff to handle problems smoothly and in the moment. Keeping inventory full and books balanced helps bring in measurable profit. You can’t serve what you don’t have, after all. Owners need to be able to see what is going on immediately at all times. Organized business practices and resources facilitate that. It may seem small, but the more organized you are, the better your restaurant performs and the better you look to your boss.
Bonus restaurant manager skills that will give you the edge:
These skills are sometimes overlooked, but equally important:
1. Sales and profit-minded
2. Business sense
3. Relationship building
4. Tech-savviness
Sales-Minded and Profitable Thinking
These go hand in hand. More sales means more revenue and profit (as long as the restaurant is running well, that is. Under your leadership, it will be). It may seem counterintuitive, but restaurants are all about sales. Yes, having more customers helps, but upselling can drive profits upward when done right. If you can show a potential employer how you will increase their bottom line, you could be hired on the spot.
Business sense
Knowing how business works is great because that’s essentially what you’re doing as a restaurant manager. Business sense means you understand how markets work. It means you observe potential customers in your market. It means you should also be aware of and observe your competitors. It means you are knowledgeable about marketing and can attract more business. If you constantly evaluate your business and that of your competitors, you can bring in more customers and enhance profitability.
Relationship building
People love it when others they see often remember their names and things about them. If you can easily build customer relationships, they will likely be repeat customers and referrers.
Tech-savviness
Nowadays, technology is everywhere. Customers love interacting with their favorite restaurants via apps, websites, and other technology. Companies that don’t implement as much technology are missing out on extra business. Let’s just say your restaurant already uses technology. Your future boss will love you if you already understand how to use it or can learn quickly.
Closing thoughts on restaurant management skills
Restaurant management does require a lot, but when done right, it is a rewarding role. If you think you’ve got the restaurant manager skills you need, go for it! And if you’re looking for technology help along the way, we have a solution that’s perfect for you. Best of luck in your quest! We know you’ll be a smashing success!
