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Culinary manager vs bar manager

The differences between culinary managers and bar managers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 2-4 years to become both a culinary manager and a bar manager. Additionally, a culinary manager has an average salary of $51,100, which is higher than the $46,828 average annual salary of a bar manager.

The top three skills for a culinary manager include culinary, food safety and kitchen operations. The most important skills for a bar manager are customer service, wine, and beverage orders.

Culinary manager vs bar manager overview

Culinary ManagerBar Manager
Yearly salary$51,100$46,828
Hourly rate$24.57$22.51
Growth rate10%10%
Number of jobs104,953165,633
Job satisfaction--
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 48%Bachelor's Degree, 50%
Average age3939
Years of experience44

What does a culinary manager do?

Culinary managers oversee the organization's, institution's, or restaurant's foodservice operations. They ensure food service operations meet the federal requirements and state requirements and follow the required procedures and policies. Besides planning for and purchasing the required food, culinary managers also keep the required records like personal records, meal counts, income or expense, food production, and inventory. Other duties performed by culinary managers include planning menus, preparing and serving food, planning budgets for future food, hiring, recruiting, and training employees.

What does a bar manager do?

Bar managers are also called bar owners or supervisors of bar establishments. The managers are in charge of managing customer complaints, ensuring stocks in the bar, and in scheduling the jobs of employees. They oversee the overall operations of the bar, manage its staff, and ensure that the standards of products and services are met. They maintain the licensure of liquor and make sure that their staff follows the local regulations. Also, they see to it that customers are served promptly.

Culinary manager vs bar manager salary

Culinary managers and bar managers have different pay scales, as shown below.

Culinary ManagerBar Manager
Average salary$51,100$46,828
Salary rangeBetween $37,000 And $69,000Between $33,000 And $65,000
Highest paying CityNewark, NJGreenwich, CT
Highest paying stateNew JerseyNew Jersey
Best paying companyBoston Public SchoolsGreenwich Country Club
Best paying industryHospitalityGovernment

Differences between culinary manager and bar manager education

There are a few differences between a culinary manager and a bar manager in terms of educational background:

Culinary ManagerBar Manager
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 48%Bachelor's Degree, 50%
Most common majorBusinessBusiness
Most common collegeCornell UniversityCornell University

Culinary manager vs bar manager demographics

Here are the differences between culinary managers' and bar managers' demographics:

Culinary ManagerBar Manager
Average age3939
Gender ratioMale, 74.4% Female, 25.6%Male, 56.0% Female, 44.0%
Race ratioBlack or African American, 11.9% Unknown, 5.0% Hispanic or Latino, 16.3% Asian, 8.8% White, 57.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.6%Black or African American, 10.7% Unknown, 4.9% Hispanic or Latino, 16.0% Asian, 7.9% White, 60.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.6%
LGBT Percentage10%10%

Differences between culinary manager and bar manager duties and responsibilities

Culinary manager example responsibilities.

  • Manage front-end operations to ensure friendly and efficient customer service and manage culinary to ensure product quality and waste management.
  • Oversee total operation of BOH including production, receiving, cleanliness, and presentation of food from truck to plate.
  • Monitor operational efficiency and profitability of culinary operations.
  • Supervise the cleanliness, presentation, and operation of food production of the buffet tables.
  • Work closely with management to coordinate monthly in store trainer meetings and recognize and celebrate hourly associates performance contributions.
  • Monitor operational efficiency and profitability of culinary operations.

Bar manager example responsibilities.

  • Manage liquor and wine inventory and develop cocktail menus taking advantage of fresh ingredients.
  • Inventory and order bar stock and manage FOH staff, as well as ensured food quality and timeliness of service.
  • Manage front-of-house operations for upscale wine bar and restaurant, including assisting in monitoring and management of inventory and finances.
  • Perform typical bartending duties including all aspects of customer service.
  • Direct all bartending operations as well as ordering and inventory management.
  • Help with shift movement according seniority while abiding by the bartender and culinary CBA.
  • Show more

Culinary manager vs bar manager skills

Common culinary manager skills
  • Culinary, 24%
  • Food Safety, 9%
  • Kitchen Operations, 7%
  • Food Preparation, 6%
  • Kitchen Equipment, 6%
  • Cleanliness, 5%
Common bar manager skills
  • Customer Service, 21%
  • Wine, 17%
  • Beverage Orders, 7%
  • Bartending, 5%
  • Payroll, 5%
  • POS, 5%

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