What does an assistant food service manager do?
Assistant food service manager responsibilities
Here are examples of responsibilities from real assistant food service manager resumes:
- Manage inventory, ordering and delivery of groceries.
- Follow and enforce all safety OSHA procedures and HACCP.
- Work with outside vendor in implementation of new POS system.
- Perform seafood HACCP training for SYSCO distribution centers on an annual basis.
- Assist in supervising and scheduling employees, placing orders and maintaining the sanitation and cleanliness of the kitchen.
- Maintain and regulate cleanliness and proper sanitation in food storage, heating, and serving areas per state requirements.
- Collaborate with culinary staff in special event menu planning and actively in planning and development of new catering business.
- Increase student participation by overseeing and implementing marketing brands in school cafeterias.
Assistant food service manager skills and personality traits
We calculated that 36% of Assistant Food Service Managers are proficient in Customer Service, Cleanliness, and Food Handling. They’re also known for soft skills such as Business skills, Communication skills, and Customer-service skills.
We break down the percentage of Assistant Food Service Managers that have these skills listed on their resume here:
- Customer Service, 36%
Prepared and analyzed reports, directed inspections, evaluated customer service and food quality and validated budgets.
- Cleanliness, 21%
Maintained cleanliness and service procedures capable of passing quarterly health inspections in a community highly vulnerable to communicable disease.
- Food Handling, 12%
Follow proper food handling in accordance to federal, state and HACCP guidelines.
- Cash Control, 6%
Train, mentor and assist new employees in food service areas and cash control.
- Gross Profit, 6%
Managed inventory to achieve targeted gross profit margin.
- Inventory Control, 5%
Developed 5 variations of weekly menus while practicing cost and inventory control as well as proper execution of recipes.
"customer service," "cleanliness," and "food handling" are among the most common skills that assistant food service managers use at work. You can find even more assistant food service manager responsibilities below, including:
Business skills. To carry out their duties, the most important skill for an assistant food service manager to have is business skills. Their role and responsibilities require that "food service managers must understand all aspects of the restaurant business, including how to budget for supplies, comply with regulations, and manage workers." Assistant food service managers often use business skills in their day-to-day job, as shown by this real resume: "managed food service operations in nursing homes/retirement operations, psychiatric hospital, school lunch programs and business establishments. "
Communication skills. Another essential skill to perform assistant food service manager duties is communication skills. Assistant food service managers responsibilities require that "food service managers must give clear orders to staff and be able to convey information effectively to employees and customers." Assistant food service managers also use communication skills in their role according to a real resume snippet: "managed the investigation, resolution, and communication of customer complaints within my product category. "
Customer-service skills. This is an important skill for assistant food service managers to perform their duties. For an example of how assistant food service manager responsibilities depend on this skill, consider that "food service managers must be courteous and attentive when dealing with patrons." This excerpt from a resume also shows how vital it is to everyday roles and responsibilities of an assistant food service manager: "integrate personnel duties with store operations and supplies to provide services for customer satisfaction".
Leadership skills. Another crucial skill for an assistant food service manager to carry out their responsibilities is "leadership skills." A big part of what assistant food service managers relies on this skill, since "managers must establish good relationships with staff to maintain a productive work environment." How this skill relates to assistant food service manager duties can be seen in an example from an assistant food service manager resume snippet: "provided fiscal, strategic and operational leadership while managing daily operation for multi-unit food service operation. "
Organizational skills. Lastly, "organizational skills" is an important element of what an assistant food service manager does. Assistant food service manager responsibilities require this skill because "managers have many different responsibilities, including scheduling and overseeing staff, budgeting, and maintaining financial records." This resume example highlights how assistant food service manager duties rely on this skill: "cut food costs by 30% cut food waste by 50%.skills usedmanagerial skills, organizational skills, time management. "
The three companies that hire the most assistant food service managers are:
Compare different assistant food service managers
Assistant food service manager vs. Chef manager
The primary role of a Chef Manager is to supervise food preparation. They may work in varies settings, such as restaurants, schools, and hospitals.
There are some key differences in the responsibilities of each position. For example, assistant food service manager responsibilities require skills like "gross profit," "customer issues," "cash handling," and "plan menus." Meanwhile a typical chef manager has skills in areas such as "culinary," "fine dining," "servsafe," and "menu development." This difference in skills reveals the differences in what each career does.
Chef managers really shine in the professional industry with an average salary of $57,814. Comparatively, assistant food service managers tend to make the most money in the health care industry with an average salary of $40,239.The education levels that chef managers earn slightly differ from assistant food service managers. In particular, chef managers are 0.5% less likely to graduate with a Master's Degree than an assistant food service manager. Additionally, they're 0.2% more likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.Assistant food service manager vs. Hourly manager
An hourly manager will lead and supervise a team of employees. As an hourly manager, you will maintain the shift operations you are assigned to and keep staff informed of operational issues. You will be responsible for the employees' health and safety and support their professional and personal growth. Other duties include providing employee direction and oversight, coaching and mentoring staff, and maintaining transparent communication. Additionally, you are also responsible for maintaining the work schedules of employees and managing the organization's budgetary and operational activities.
In addition to the difference in salary, there are some other key differences worth noting. For example, assistant food service manager responsibilities are more likely to require skills like "food handling," "gross profit," "kitchen equipment," and "safety standards." Meanwhile, an hourly manager has duties that require skills in areas such as "food safety," "management," "guest service," and "product quality." These differences highlight just how different the day-to-day in each role looks.
Average education levels between the two professions vary. Hourly managers tend to reach similar levels of education than assistant food service managers. In fact, they're 0.0% less likely to graduate with a Master's Degree and 0.2% more likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.Assistant food service manager vs. Shift manager
Shift managers are employees assigned to oversee the operations of the business during a specific time or work shift. They manage the employees assigned in a particular shift and ensure that the employees are working on their specific tasks. They also ensure that the needed manpower is met. Shift managers are also in charge of checking the sales, ensuring that the finances are properly balanced, and maintaining records during the work shift. They also respond to any challenges that may occur during the time period. Shift managers should have good organization skills, decision-making skills, and interpersonal skills.
Some important key differences between the two careers include a few of the skills necessary to fulfill the responsibilities of each. Some examples from assistant food service manager resumes include skills like "gross profit," "kitchen equipment," "plan menus," and "food production," whereas a shift manager is more likely to list skills in "inventory management," "management," "help support," and "excellent interpersonal. "
Shift managers earn the best pay in the retail industry, where they command an average salary of $31,448. Assistant food service managers earn the highest pay from the health care industry, with an average salary of $40,239.Most shift managers achieve a similar degree level compared to assistant food service managers. For example, they're 0.6% less likely to graduate with a Master's Degree, and 0.2% less likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.Assistant food service manager vs. Dairy manager
A dairy manager usually works at grocery establishments where they are primarily in charge of managing the dairy and frozen products department. They monitor shelves to ensure all products are of good quality, remove expired items, monitor inventories, and re-stock supplies as necessary. They are also responsible for managing staff operations, delegating responsibilities, assisting staff, and solving issues and concerns to maintain a smooth workflow. Moreover, a dairy manager participates in loading and unloading stocks, maintaining the cleanliness of the facility, and engaging with customers.
Even though a few skill sets overlap between assistant food service managers and dairy managers, there are some differences that are important to note. For one, an assistant food service manager might have more use for skills like "food handling," "cash control," "kitchen equipment," and "pos." Meanwhile, some responsibilities of dairy managers require skills like "food safety," "pallet jack," "sales floor," and "product knowledge. "
Dairy managers enjoy the best pay in the retail industry, with an average salary of $34,329. For comparison, assistant food service managers earn the highest salary in the health care industry.dairy managers reach similar levels of education compared to assistant food service managers, in general. The difference is that they're 0.7% more likely to earn a Master's Degree, and 0.3% more likely to graduate with a Doctoral Degree.Types of assistant food service manager
Updated January 8, 2025