Restaurant Manager Job Description
Hire an experienced Restaurant Manager to run front-of-house operations, maintain service standards, control costs and lead your team to deliver consistent covers and revenue growth.
What does a Restaurant Manager professional do?
A Restaurant Manager oversees daily restaurant operations, leads front‑of‑house staff, manages customer experience and ensures compliance with food safety and licensing requirements.
Restaurant Manager job description template
Use this employer-ready example as a starting point, then replace the placeholders and adjust the content so it accurately reflects your vacancy.
Restaurant Manager
About the role
We are looking for a Restaurant Manager to lead our front‑of‑house team at [insert location]. You will manage shift rotas, drive service standards, control stock and costs, liaise with the kitchen, and handle customer issues. This role requires strong team leadership, hands‑on operational experience and availability to work evenings and weekends. Salary: [insert salary]. Hours: [insert hours].
Key responsibilities
- Manage day‑to‑day front‑of‑house operations, including opening and closing procedures.
- Recruit, train, coach and supervise front‑of‑house team members and temporary staff.
- Create and manage rotas to cover required shifts while controlling labour costs.
- Monitor sales, costs and margins; run daily takings and cash reconciliations.
- Control stock levels, place supplies orders and minimise waste and loss.
- Maintain high standards of customer service; resolve complaints promptly and professionally.
- Ensure compliance with food safety, licensing and health & safety policies.
- Work closely with kitchen management to coordinate service, menus and special events.
Essential skills and experience
- Proven hospitality or restaurant supervisory/management experience.
- Demonstrable ability to lead, motivate and develop a front‑of‑house team.
- Experience with rotas, cash handling and basic financial controls.
- Strong customer service and complaint‑handling skills.
- Good organisational and time‑management skills; able to prioritise under pressure.
- Ability to work evenings, weekends and bank holidays as required.
- Right to work in the UK.
Desirable
- Level 2 or Level 3 Food Safety qualification in Catering.
- Personal Licence to sell alcohol (or willingness to obtain one).
- Formal hospitality qualification (NVQ/SVQ or equivalent).
- Experience with EPOS systems, stock management or supplier negotiations.
- Experience working in a multi‑outlet or high‑volume restaurant environment.
- Basic knowledge of rota/costing software and reporting tools.
What we offer
- [Competitive salary]
- [Bonus or incentive scheme]
- [Pension scheme (employer contribution)]
- [Paid holiday entitlement]
- [Staff meals/discounts]
- [Uniform provided]
How to apply
Apply with your CV and any additional information requested. Make the interview process, closing date and any assessment stages clear where known.
Use this as a starting point rather than a final advert. The strongest version will reflect the real role, salary, location, systems, responsibilities, benefits and working arrangements.
What is a Restaurant Manager role?
A Restaurant Manager runs the front‑of‑house operation of a dining venue. The role combines people management, customer service and operational control: creating staff rotas, ensuring consistent service quality, controlling stock and cash, and maintaining legal compliance with food safety and licensing. Successful managers balance day‑to‑day delivery with improving service standards and cost efficiency.
Team leadership
Responsible for recruiting, training and supervising front‑of‑house staff and temporary teams.
Operational control
Manage takings, cash reconciliation, stock control and supplier relationships to protect margins.
Shift patterns
Work includes evenings, weekends and bank holidays; rota planning and cover are core duties.
Typical Restaurant Manager responsibilities
Responsibilities should reflect the real scope of the vacancy rather than every task someone in this profession might ever complete.
Manage day‑to‑day front‑of‑house operations, including
Manage day‑to‑day front‑of‑house operations, including opening and closing procedures.
Recruit
Recruit, train, coach and supervise front‑of‑house team members and temporary staff.
Create
Create and manage rotas to cover required shifts while controlling labour costs.
Monitor sales
Monitor sales, costs and margins; run daily takings and cash reconciliations.
Control stock levels
Control stock levels, place supplies orders and minimise waste and loss.
Maintain high standards of customer
Maintain high standards of customer service; resolve complaints promptly and professionally.
Ensure compliance with food safety
Ensure compliance with food safety, licensing and health & safety policies.
Work closely with kitchen management
Work closely with kitchen management to coordinate service, menus and special events.
Restaurant Manager skills and experience to look for
Keep the essential list focused on what the person really needs to perform the role. Move useful-but-trainable experience into desirable criteria.
Usually worth prioritising
- Proven hospitality or restaurant supervisory/management experience.
- Demonstrable ability to lead, motivate and develop a front‑of‑house team.
- Experience with rotas, cash handling and basic financial controls.
- Strong customer service and complaint‑handling skills.
- Good organisational and time‑management skills; able to prioritise under pressure.
- Ability to work evenings, weekends and bank holidays as required.
- Right to work in the UK.
Useful where relevant
- Level 2 or Level 3 Food Safety qualification in Catering.
- Personal Licence to sell alcohol (or willingness to obtain one).
- Formal hospitality qualification (NVQ/SVQ or equivalent).
- Experience with EPOS systems, stock management or supplier negotiations.
- Experience working in a multi‑outlet or high‑volume restaurant environment.
- Basic knowledge of rota/costing software and reporting tools.
See our guide to what to include in a job advert before publishing.
How to write a Restaurant Manager job advert
Small role-specific details can make the advert much easier for suitable candidates to assess.
Lead with outcomes
Highlight operational goals the manager will be accountable for (e.g. customer satisfaction targets, labour cost percentages, food cost control).
Be clear on hours and flexibility
State typical shift patterns, weekend requirements and whether split shifts are expected — this reduces unsuitable applications.
Quantify the team and turnover
Include team size, average covers per service or weekly takings range where possible to set candidate expectations.
Specify must‑have experience
Make a clear distinction between essential operational skills and desirable qualifications such as formal food safety certificates.
Restaurant Manager salary considerations
Do not quote a single market figure without context. Restaurant Manager pay varies widely depending on venue size, location, business model and responsibilities. Consider the following factors when setting or advertising salary.
depending on experience
- Use a genuine range
- Separate variable pay
- Avoid “competitive” alone
- Match salary to seniority
What Restaurant Manager candidates will want to know
Practical details can influence whether a suitable candidate applies, even when the title and salary are attractive.
What are the typical shift times and weekly hours?
Candidates want to know start/finish times, frequency of late shifts and whether split shifts or rotating weekends are required.
How big is the team and who will I report to?
State the number of direct reports, presence of assistant managers and the reporting line (owner, general manager or regional manager).
What are the performance targets or KPIs?
Experienced applicants will ask about sales targets, customer satisfaction metrics, labour and food cost expectations.
What training and development is offered?
Candidates want clarity on induction, on‑the‑job training, progression routes and support for formal qualifications.
How are tips and service charges handled?
Clarify the venue’s policy on tips, pooled gratuities and whether managers receive a share of service charges.
What health, safety and licensing responsibilities will I hold?
Candidates need to know if they must hold a Personal Licence, food safety certification or be the nominated person for compliance.
Where to post a Restaurant Manager job
Restaurant Manager roles attract candidates through a mix of broad job boards and sector channels. Use national and regional general job sites for volume, specialist hospitality job boards and social media groups for targeted candidates, and local channels (community pages, nearby colleges) when recruiting for location‑based venues. Consider advertising with details on shift patterns and team size to reach applicants whose availability and experience match the role.
Related hospitality job descriptions
Recruiting for a slightly different role? These templates may be a closer fit.
Restaurant Manager job description FAQs
Should I publish a salary range?
Yes. Publishing a realistic salary range improves application quality and helps manage candidate expectations. Base the range on location, venue type and the responsibilities you expect the manager to carry.
Do I need to require a food safety certificate?
Many employers prefer a Level 2 Food Safety qualification; it is common practice but not a legal requirement for all hires. State whether it is essential or desirable and whether you will support training or certification.
How can I assess a candidate’s leadership ability?
Ask for examples of team development, rostering decisions, handling staffing shortages and conflict resolution. Practical assessment tasks or scenario questions during interview help reveal real‑world management style.
What notice period and working pattern should I offer?
Offer a notice period appropriate to the role’s seniority and local norms. Be explicit about expected evenings and weekend work in the advert so candidates understand the commitment before applying.
Ready to create your advert?
Use the template paragraphs and placeholders above to build a clear job advert that sets candidate expectations on hours, responsibilities and rewards. Tailor the essential criteria and benefits to reflect your offer and start attracting qualified Restaurant Managers.
