So You Want a Restaurant Management Career?
By Wendy CroixRestaurant industry growth and population growth go hand in hand, so the Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts strong growth in the food industry over the next seven years. As a restaurant manager, you'll need to be part diplomat, part businessperson, part accountant, and all culinary whiz kid to succeed. If this sounds like you, read on.
Managers, Managers, and More Managers
When you begin your restaurant management career, you'll start as a manager trainee. As such, you may make less money than your culinary school peers who head straight for the kitchen jobs. You'll have options, though, since management can take you down a variety of interesting career paths, including banquet manager, catering manager, day or night manager, and dining room manager, as well as unit manager positions in large-scale culinary operations.
Restaurant Manager Training
An associate's degree in restaurant or food service management is a good place to start, especially if you'd prefer to get out in the working culinary world sooner rather than later. However, if you really want a restaurant management career with a higher salary potential, stay in school till you complete your 4-year restaurant management degree. Expect to continue your training once you land your first management position, since your in-house education is likely to tailor your skills to the unique demands of your new employer.
Restaurant Management: A Jack-of-All-Trades Career
As a restaurant manager, you'll oversee the dining rooms in a large establishment or the operation as a whole in a small one. Working with your executive chef, you'll plan menus and oversee food and dining supplies. You'll also arrange for maintenance and repairs. A second language is a real plus, as communication skills are central to your restaurant management career. You'll recruit, hire, train, and fire employees. Customer satisfaction will be on your shoulders, as well. At the end of the day and the night, with experience, you may take home the average mid-$30K salary, but with training, drive, and flair, you might become one of the top ten percent who bank twice that--or more.
Sources
National Restaurant Association(http://www.restaurant.org/)
Occupational Outlook Handbook(http://www.bls.gov/oco/ocos024.htm)
About the AuthorWendy Croix, Ph.D. is a freelance writer, cultural critic and university professor. In her twenty years as a professional educator, Wendy has guided hundreds of students toward the careers of their dreams.
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