RESTAURANT MANAGER'S SURVIVAL GUIDE

So you think you have what it takes to manage a restaurant. Most people believe that a restaurant manager walks around a restaurant, talking with customers or bossing people around. That is definitely in the job description, but there is so, so much more behind the scenes. It takes an upbeat, energetic person to motivate employees and keep a positive attitude in one of the most stressful positions in the work field today. You will need to know how to run your store to be cost efficient. Your training period will help you to learn the financial end of the business. Where most managers fail is in dealing with human end of the business.

You will have to grow a thick skin to be able to deal with the negativity that will surround you. Try as you may, there will usually be one unhappy customer per day. Your goal is to turn that customer around and make him happy. Most managers will be given complete authority to do whatever it takes to make your guest happy. If you have done everything in your power to make that guest happy and he leaves a disgruntled customer, you cannot let it ruin your day. Some people are just miserable and there is nothing that can be done for them. Just don't let someone else's nasty attitude put a cloud over you. Shake it off and put on a smile. Even if it's a fake smile, you will be surprised how quickly that smile wil turn genuine, because smiling is contagious and a face that is smiling back at you will be sure to lift your mood.

You will wear many hats in your role as a restaurant manager. You will be teacher, mother, father, psychologist, and doctor, just to name a few. You will need to raise and maintain the morale of your employees. One way of achieving this is to be fair and consistent. Say what you mean and mean what you say. Treat good employees good and try to weed out the bad employees. Your employees need and want direction. When your employees know they can count on you to treat everyone the same, they will work harder for you. Be respectful of your employees who have been with your company for years. Believe me, if you show them the respect that they have deserve, they will in turn treat you with the same respect. When you are just starting at a new restaurant, try to be non-threatening and just observe. You will be respected to a degree based on your position, but the true respect from your employees will have to be earned.

Don't forget about injecting some fun into your day. Have contests with the employees to achieve some of your sales and cleanliness goals. When you have your contests, make sure the prize is achievable and it is something of value to your employees. Let the winner not have to do his or her clean-up or give them the next weekend off. Don't let your contests get boring and be sure to include all departments in them. One thing to remember is to never have fun using off-color remarks or jokes. That subject can be for another discussion.

Remember, the manager creates and carries the mood of the shift. You can CHOOSE to have a good time or you can CHOOSE to be miserable. It's up to you.

There are usually a minimum of three management positions in a restaurant. Each management position has a different focal point in the restaurant, though each position does the basic management duties, such as running a shift. There will usually be a general manager, a service manager and a kitchen manager. Regardless of the position, you will be working everyday with the entire restaurant staff and the customers. Here is a quick rundown of all three positions.

The general manager is responsible for the entire restaurant. A general manager coaches his management staff and teaches them exactly the way things are to be done in his store. He will get the credit when things are going well and when things are going bad. He or she will assign his assistants to the positions he feels best suit their skills and personalities. A general manager has to take care of any complaints from the customers as well as from the staff. An assistant will need to have worked in both front and back of house operations to be promoted to a general manager.

A service manager will take care of all important front of house operations. He or she will hire for front of house positions and schedule for these positions. He is usually responsible for increasing same store sales by coaching foodservers on how to increase the average sale per guest. This position will also take care keeping the front of house clean by delegating staff members job duties. A service manager will set the standard for service in the restaurant.

A kitchen manager is responsible for back of house operations. She will hire all back of house positions and schedule. A kitchen manager will make sure the back of the house area is clean. She will order all food in the restaurant and keep inventory levels low. The kitchen manager usually orders all supplies necessary for running the business. He or she will have a budget that must be followed to make money for the restaurant.

All managers will need to focus on three main areas of the budget in order to make sure the restaurant makes money. These areas are food cost, labor cost, and supply cost. Every manager will be responsible to meet the goals posted in their restaurant.
The most challenging part of the restaurant business is running a good labor cost, while exceeding service standards. It does no good to run an excellent labor and have your service suffer. You need customers to make money. Never sacrifice service for a good labor cost. You may get nagged about a bad labor cost but if you get customer complaints on a regular basis, you will more than likely lose your job. As you continue to grow as a manager, you will see trends in your business. You will learn which employees can be cut when business is slow and which to hold on to. When business is slow, you may have to jump into an hourly position, such as cooking. Make sure you did not cut your cashier, because you can't be in both places if you get busy. Most back of house hourly positions are higher paid than front of house positions. Foodservers are paid the least amount. One cook makes as much as three servers, so try to make back of house cuts first. It's easier to jump into one postion versus three positions if you suddenly get busy.

If you have any questions about the reality of restaurant management, please let me know.