Food Service Manager Careers Information
As effortless as they may make your eating experience, restaurants are not effortless to run. Food Service Managers are hired to oversee the business aspects of a restaurant and to make sure the hustle in the kitchen doesn’t devolve into chaos.
Food Service Manager Careers & Degrees
- Art Institute of Pittsburgh: Online
Art Institutes: The Art Institute of Austin, a branch of The Art Institute of Houston
Food service managers perform tasks that allow their kitchen staff to concentrate on meals and not have to worry whether or not they have the proper equipment and ingredients.
Food service managers have many responsibilities. Most importantly, they must make sure the food is well prepared and consistent from plate to plate. This means they must keep an eye on their employees’ cooking methods and make corrections as necessary. This also means they must provide their employees with the tools and ingredients required to do their jobs.
Food service managers must monitor inventory the contents of the freezer and pantry and make orders from wholesale food suppliers when supplies are low; when equipment breaks, it is up to them to have it repaired in a timely manner. In each situation, they need to negotiate the best prices they can so they can keep profit margins up.
Food service managers also take care of the financial aspects of the business. They keep the accounting books for the restaurant or supervise the person who does. Managers organize payroll, pay taxes, and track sales. Unless the restaurant is part of a chain, they will set prices according to their costs and what the market will bear and decide upon the menu.
At finer restaurants, they will consult with the head chef on such decisions. Food service managers are also in charge of the hiring, firing, and training of employees. It is up to them to make sure their kitchen not only has quality chefs and cooks, but also people who can work well together.
Food Service Manager Careers Path
In the past food service managers have only had to have a high school diploma or G.E.D. Many employers today, however, look to hire managers who have an Associate’s degree or a Bachelor’s degree.
Food service managers typically start as a member of the staff and move up after gaining experience and proving themselves to be hardworking and capable. Some large companies that own many restaurants will pay for additional training for their best employees so they can eventually step up to run a successful franchise restaurant.
Food Service Manager Careers: Compatible Personality Traits
Hardworking, problem-solver, willing to work long and odd hours, diplomatic, people person, very organized, good with juggling many simultaneous tasks, willing to relocate, conscientious of personal hygiene.
Food Service Manager Interview
Want to know a personal account of a food service manager career? Read More from a Food Service Manager…
Food Service Manager Careers: Salary Expectations
The average salary for a food service manager is $46,320 a year, with the middle fifty percent earning between $36,670 and $59,580. Of course, a food service manager who owns her own restaurant may earn much less or much more, depending on the success of the establishment. Aside from salary, food service managers often have the benefit of free meals and sometimes earn bonuses for increased sale volumes.
Food Service Manager Careers: Job Outlook
Job outlook is less than average for food service managers in the coming years as populations grow and demand more eating establishments. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the field is expected to grow by 5%.
Food service managers with a post-secondary degree in restaurant management or foodservice will be most likely to find work, especially at higher end establishments and in the growing food service industry that caters to schools and retirement communities.
Slightly off the Footpath
- Chef
- Restaurant Management
- Hotel Management
- Customer Service Management
- Dietitian/Nutritionist
Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, Occupational Outlook Handbook, 2010-11 Edition, Psychologists, on the Internet at http://bls.gov/oco/ocos024.htm (visited November 8, 2011).
