How to Create a Restaurant Manager Resume (Skills, Examples)

How to Create a Restaurant Manager Resume (Skills, Examples)

Restaurant jobs are in demand, and restaurant manager positions are always needed to help oversee the restaurant's staff and daily operations. Data shows an estimated 329,000 restaurant manager jobs in the food industry, projecting a faster-than-average growth of 10% over the next ten years. So, if you want to land a restaurant manager position, now is a great time to apply and get your resume on the table.

If you want a restaurant manager job, you must set a good first impression with a strong resume. Learn how to make a restaurant manager resume that will grab a hiring manager’s attention and other tips for improving your chances of being hired as a restaurant manager.

Professional Experience

Your resume is your introduction to a hiring manager looking for a restaurant manager who meets their standards and understands the job responsibilities. While every restaurant is different, there are ways to stand out as the best, well-rounded restaurant manager candidate when presenting your professional experience.

One rule of thumb is to focus on your most recent and relevant professional experience as a restaurant manager. Consider listing experience from the last ten years or less on your resume. Studies show that restaurant managers typically stay in their job for one to three years, so if you have held a previous position for longer, that will stand out to the hiring manager looking for a long-term employee.

When writing about your professional experience as a restaurant manager, use bullet points to explain your responsibilities and major milestones or accomplishments, mentioning any specific data points if you can. To help beef up your resume, take a moment to read over the job description for the position. Utilize the keywords used to describe the candidate they are looking for in the bullet points on your resume. Doing so will help your resume stand out because these words often reflect the skills a hiring manager is looking for.

Personal Information

It can be competitive to land a job as a restaurant manager, especially when the food industry continues to grow and see more demand. This reality means you might need to add more information to your resume or include personal experiences that further showcase your qualifications.

One way to add personal experience to a resume is to consider any other jobs, volunteer gigs, or other experiences you’ve had that are not necessarily related to being a restaurant manager but utilize similar skill sets. These extras could include: babysitting, being the captain of your sporting team, volunteering or tutoring work, or organizing an extracurricular group at your school. 

These are just a few ideas. The main idea is to consider if you have any personal experiences that might not be professional work experience but developed your skills as a restaurant manager.

Skills

Hiring managers are often looking for a restaurant manager with a specific set of skills. Some skills a candidate should include on their resume are:

• Training development and team-building

• Accounting, budget tracking, and inventory management

• Verbal communication and public speaking

• Operating Point of Sale Systems and cash handling

• Ability to stay calm in high-stress situations

• Adaptable, collaborative team player 

• Strong leader with the ability to coach, mentor, and inspire

A restaurant manager is a customer-facing and employee-management position, which often requires you to manage different types of people. This means having good communication, public speaking, and leadership skills will help increase your chances of getting hired. If you speak multiple languages, be sure to note those on your list of skills as well because it’s very useful to be able to communicate in different languages in a restaurant setting.

Moreover, as a restaurant manager, you’ll be required to understand how to operate various point-of-sales systems and accounting software for inventory tracking and budget management. Therefore, adding your computer and software knowledge is another asset to highlight on your resume.

Sample Resume

JOSEPH M. GREEN

917-861-2234 joegreen@yahoo.com

513 E 86th St #416New York, NY 10028

SUMMARY: Restaurant manager with 5+ years of experience managing fast-paced restaurants. Through my work experience, I have consistently delivered as a reliable, friendly manager who improves employee training and creates a welcoming environment, leading to reduced staff turnover and increased productivity. I am seeking a position in a large restaurant to employ my strong leadership, inventory management, and excellent customer service skills, helping to increase the profitability and efficiency of your restaurant.

WORK EXPERIENCE

Restaurant Manager

Dune

January 2020  – Present

Hired, trained, and improved employee retention rates by creating a more effective training program that coached employees on customer service skills, COVID-19 protocols, food safety procedures and food knowledge, and team-building exercises.

Implemented and designed a weekly secret menu that increased monthly sales, reduced food waste, and was widely popular among customers. 

Worked with kitchen managers and chefs to reduce costs and inventory loss while increasing profit margins by 12%.

Helped maintain the restaurant during the COVID-19 pandemic by adjusting staffing, setting the business up to accept online ordering and delivery, and following state-mandated procedures for re-opening the restaurant.

Assistant Restaurant Manager

Bender’s Tavern

May 2017 – December 2019

Created a cross-training program to help all employees learn more efficiently.

Memorized all menu offerings to make recommendations to customers, helping the manager identify the most popular items and ways to increase their profit margins.

Set up the restaurant’s new Point of Sale system and trained all employees on using the software.

Started a social media account for the restaurant and gained over 5,000 followers, which increased customer engagement and led to a 7% increase in online orders.

A strong resume goes a long way for restaurant managers seeking their next position. With a resume that communicates your qualifications, interest, and knowledge about the industry, you have a much higher chance of landing an interview and - quite possibly - the job. 

To further increase your chance of becoming a restaurant manager, there are a few additional steps you can take to stand out.

Apply for the job in person. You want to be the restaurant manager, after all. So, showing up in person ready to apply or with an application and resume in hand sets the tone that you’re hard-working, motivated, and ready to start.

Network with other restaurant managers. Whether you have been working in the restaurant industry for many years or are just breaking in, don’t be afraid to ask your colleagues or previous employer for help landing your new job. A text, email, or phone call to someone you’ve worked with before, asking if they know anyone who works at the restaurant you are applying to, can make all the difference.

Write a cover letter. Not everyone takes the time to write a cover letter these days. That's why having one can make you stand out as a restaurant manager candidate. Cover letters add a personal touch to your application, telling a story about your experience. It also shows the person hiring your interest - cover letters are written letters that should address the hiring manager by name. You can easily find the name of the hiring manager by browsing the company website or even calling to ask. Finding this name shows you are willing to go the extra mile to get things done. 

Remember - your cover letter should go into more detail about your interest in working at the specific restaurant and share more information on your qualifications. Think of it this way: if you are the only person who sends in a cover letter and a resume, the hiring manager will learn a lot more about you when compared to applicants who don’t write one.

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