Whatever your reason, you need to prepare a professional resume and cover letter suitable for a restaurant manager. That’s why we created some restaurant manager resume examples you can check.
In this guide, we will go through each resume section, explain what to put in them, give you guidelines, and help you secure that restaurant manager job you’re eyeing.
The General Look
Restaurant management personnel are typically busy people. Even dedicated hiring managers have to go through several resumes in a day, sometimes even a hundred. As such, you should write and format your resume and cover letter that ensures it is easy to read.
For example, if the vacancy is for a restaurant general manager, you should focus your experience on tasks and achievements directly related to managing an independent outlet. But if you’re applying at hotel-based operations, you should frame your history to fit your desired job better.
Finally, avoid wall-to-wall text and typographical errors . Having these in your resume could signal a poor eye for detail and inconsideration to the reader. While this may be forgivable for first-time job applicants, it’s not a good form for a would-be restaurant manager.
Typical Resume Format
Unless you’re applying for a position that requires creativity, it’s best to stick to clean and modern resume designs. While you can use a resume builder, you should know what hiring managers and restaurant management expect from your restaurant manager resume.
Your Personal Information
This should be the first thing every resume, including yours, should contain. This is where you detail your name, contact number, email, and professional social media profile. Ensure that it’s updated because if management cannot reach you, they will not go to lengths to contact you.
Also, be sure that you have a professional email address. Avoid using personal emails like redh0tfatb0y@gmail.com – it’s best to stick to your name. This applies to your professional social media profile too.
The Professional Summary
This section is the short and sweet of your resume. It should summarize your capabilities and achievements so that the restaurant staff get interested in your application. This section should only be, at most, three to four lines long.
That’s why you should try to pack as much information here as you can. There’s no need for you to use flowery words and elegant sentence constructions. Focus on your accomplishments and be specific!
Here’s an excellent example for restaurant managers applying at a restaurant chain:
On the other hand, if you’re eyeing a position in a hotel restaurant, you can frame your summary this way:
As you can see, you don’t have to detail all the job responsibilities to get the job interview. Chefs and restaurant managers will perceive them with just knowing your achievements.
Experience Matters
In the food service industry, experience is probably the most crucial metric for getting hired. If you have successfully worked for several years in a restaurant, you’re more likely to be employed than a fresh-grad applicant.
When listing down your work history in food and beverage, it’s best to arrange them chronologically – starting with your most recent position. Also, if you worked in other industries unrelated to food service, it’s best to leave them out.
As you list each position you’ve previously held, be sure to include the name and location of your restaurant, your length of tenure, responsibilities, and significant accomplishments. When detailing your experience, include keywords that are in place in the job description. That’s how you get closer to a job interview.
This makes your file more appealing to the restaurant management, as you specifically include the skills and experience they desire. Also, be specific. It’s the key to impressing the hiring manager and let you secure an interview in your chosen company.
For example, the Herberry Farm Fresh Restaurant is looking for a restaurant manager with the following responsibilities and qualifications:
Responsibilities
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- Ensure smooth front and back of house operations
- Implement a continuous training program to improve employee performance
- Manage inventory levels and ensure availability of all menu items 95% of the time
- Improve budget managemen t at branch level to minimize overhead costs
- Ensure compliance with all regulatory requirements
- Maintain positive guest experience
- Handle guest complaints
- Constant communication with management to update branch performance
Qualifications
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- At least five years of experience in the food beverage industry
- At least two years of experience in a supervisor or manager position
- Minimum of a high school diploma
- Excellent communication skills
- Superb interpersonal skills
- Able to work in a fast paced environment
- In-depth knowledge of restaurant operations, kitchen safety, and regulatory procedures
Given these requirements, you should include key terms and words in your work history so that you will be a good fit for the position. Here are some examples of good entries that match the Herberry manager job vacancy:
Work Experience
The Boho Balcony Bar & Restaurant
Washington, D.C.
Restaurant Manager | March 2018 – November 2020
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Updated back of house checklists to improve kitchen operations efficiency by 17%
Proposed an employee training program to increase customer satisfaction
Managed inventory levels through forecasting and just-in-time deliveries
Never went over budget during tenure as a restaurant manager
Kept permits and regulatory requirements updated
Submitted weekly, monthly, and annual reports to management
Assistant Manager | July 2016 – March 2018
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Created and managed shift schedules
Handled customer complaints during shift
Prepared operational procedures
Harmony Tea House
New York City
Shift Manager | April 2015 – June 2016
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Ensured smooth operation of the shift
Covered for unavailable teammates
Prepared sales report after every end of shift
In-charge of monitoring service quality
Performed budget managment
Prepared bi-weekly time records of employees
Senior Server | November 2014 – April 2015
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Served as immediate assistant to the shift manager
Responsible for meeting guests and assigning service personnel accordingly
Monitored service quality in the dining area
Restaurant Server | March 2014 – November 2014
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Ensured 100% menu availability at each table
- Helped to create an inventory system that reduced food costs by 6%
Helped with inventory during closing shifts
The Bar at The Golden Gate Hotel
San Francisco, California
Restaurant Server | November 2012 to February 2014
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In charge of dining experience
Awarded Employee of the Month three times
List Your Relevant Skills
Being a restaurant manager requires a wide range of abilities . Some of these are communication, interpersonal relationships, leadership skills, customer service, organization, problem-solving, marketing, delegation, and even business skills.
You have to note that running a restaurant includes everything – training people, dealing with customers, figuring out your supplies, making sure you don’t run out of ingredients, and making sure that all your permits, requirements, and certifications are in order.
As such, you could create a bulleted list that focuses on all these things. Be sure to list them down in order of your strength. That way, you can point out your strongest suit during your interview. Again, don’t include an ability if it’s irrelevant to the job and the company.
Education and Training
This section should come secondary to your actual experience and inherent skills. Although having a college degree may be ideal, it is not a requirement for most restaurant manager jobs. As long as you have the required certifications, then you can be considered for the position.
In fact, the Bureau of Labor Statistics says that the typical entry-level education for food service managers is a high-school diploma or equivalent. So if you want to be a restaurant manager but didn’t graduate from college, you are still qualified.
Frequently Asked Questions
What should a restaurant manager put on a resume?
The typical restaurant manager resume contains five sections – the heading, the professional summary, your work experience, relevant skills, and lastly, your education and training.
Be sure to focus your resume on your experience as a restaurant manager, as this is what most management looks at when looking at your manager resume.
What are the duties and responsibilities of a restaurant manager?
While restaurant manager duties and responsibilities may vary from company to company, these are some of the most common tasks a restaurant manager is expected to accomplish:
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- Hire, train, and manage employees
- Oversee continuous supply of ingredients, raw materials, and equipment
- Monitor kitchen operations
- Ensure compliance with health and food safety standards
- Staff management
- Business administration
- Financial management
- Delegate other tasks as needed
What are some management skills to put on a resume?
As a restaurant manager, you are expected to have skills, training, and experience. While each person would have different backgrounds and they generally fall under these:
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- Business management
- Communication
- Customer-service
- Leadership skills
- Organization
- Problem-Solving
Get Your Experience Across
Whether you’re applying as a first-time restaurant manager assistant or you have held several general manager positions, you should put effort into creating the perfect resume and cover letter. No matter how good a restaurant manager you are, if you cannot communicate it, you won’t secure an interview in your target position.
Feel free to use the restaurant manager resume template we have available for you . Just be sure to read through this guide so you know how to customize your manager resume almost as exquisite as your culinary specialties.
We also have other guides to help you out on the job search process. Be sure to check them out!
