How to hire a dining room manager

How to hire a dining room manager, step by step

Here's a step-by-step dining room manager hiring guide:

• Step 1: Identify your hiring needs
• Step 2: Create an ideal candidate profile
• Step 3: Make a budget
• Step 4: Write a dining room manager job description
• Step 5: Post your job
• Step 6: Interview candidates
• Step 7: Send a job offer and onboard your new dining room manager
• Step 8: Go through the hiring process checklist

What does a dining room manager do?

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   First, determine the employments status of the dining room manager you need to hire. Certain dining room manager roles might require a full-time employee, whereas others can be done by part-time workers or contractors.

   Determine employee vs contractor status

   Is the person you're thinking of hiring a US citizen or green card holder?

   Yes

   No

   Hiring the perfect dining room manager also involves considering the ideal background you'd like them to have. Depending on what industry or field they have experience in, they'll bring different skills to the job. It's also important to consider what levels of seniority and education the job requires and what kind of salary such a candidate would likely demand.

   The following list breaks down different types of dining room managers and their corresponding salaries.

   Type of Dining Room Manager	Description	Hourly rate
   Dining Room Manager	Food service managers are responsible for the daily operation of restaurants and other establishments that prepare and serve food and beverages. They direct staff to ensure that customers are satisfied with their dining experience, and they manage the business to ensure that it is profitable.	$16-33
   Food And Beverage Manager	A food and beverage manager is a professional responsible for ensuring that quality food and drinks are being served at a restaurant or hotel. Food and beverage managers are required to be excellent with customers and should have great management skills to meet the organization's labor and financial goals... Show more	$18-34
   Restaurant Manager	A restaurant manager is responsible for handling the overall restaurant operations. These include monitoring revenues and daily restaurant sales, checking inventories and supplies, negotiating with third-party vendors, and managing customers' inquiries and complaints... Show more	$18-33

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Fine Dining
   • Food Service
   • Good Judgment
   • Cleanliness
   • Customer Service
   • Food Handling
   • Wine
   • Taking Care
   • Culinary
   • Reservations
   • Room Service
   • Beverage Service
   • Payroll
   • POS

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Interview, hire, train, and manage take-out and in-room delivery staff.
   • Control operational costs by managing bar and wine inventory.
   • Manage payroll and timekeeping, and effectively complete proper paperwork for new hires and terminations.
   • Manage daily FOH staff line-up, covering necessary instruction and education concerning fine-dining service and beverage, menu and company knowledge.
   • Team with culinary product development to integrate customer data into new products that increase revenue and customer satisfaction.
   • Entrust with the care of VIP guests like Thomas Keller, Michael Mina and Alain Passard.

   More dining room manager duties

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in your dining room manager job description helps attract top candidates to the position. A dining room manager salary can be affected by several factors, such as geography, experience, seniority, certifications, and the prestige of the hiring company.

   For example, the average salary for a dining room manager in Alabama may be lower than in Rhode Island, and an entry-level dining room manager usually earns less than a senior-level dining room manager. Additionally, a dining room manager with certifications may command a higher salary, and working for a well-known company or start-up may also impact an employee's pay.

   Average dining room manager salary

   $49,372yearly

   $23.74 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level dining room manager salary

   $35,000 yearly salary

   Updated January 1, 2026

   Average dining room manager salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	New York	$63,950	$31
   2	Massachusetts	$62,250	$30
   3	Virginia	$60,670	$29
   4	California	$57,608	$28
   5	Delaware	$56,236	$27
   6	Pennsylvania	$56,174	$27
   7	District of Columbia	$55,102	$26
   8	Michigan	$54,966	$26
   9	Oregon	$54,315	$26
   10	Maryland	$50,355	$24
   11	Ohio	$46,580	$22
   12	Illinois	$44,594	$21
   13	North Carolina	$43,387	$21
   14	Florida	$42,802	$21
   15	Utah	$41,462	$20
   16	Texas	$40,947	$20
   17	Missouri	$40,163	$19
   18	Louisiana	$39,237	$19
   19	Colorado	$37,698	$18
   20	Georgia	$37,663	$18

   Average dining room manager salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	Hca Hospital Services Of San Diego	$57,832	$27.80
   2	San Diego Yacht Club	$56,707	$27.26
   3	GPAC	$56,193	$27.02
   4	MAS Medical Staffing	$55,389	$26.63	2
   5	Waters	$54,823	$26.36	6
   6	Jupiter Systems	$53,778	$25.85	1
   7	Cafe Escadrille	$53,665	$25.80
   8	Healthcare Services Group	$53,139	$25.55	219
   9	Kisco Senior Living	$52,774	$25.37	7
   10	The Oceanaire	$51,548	$24.78
   11	Montage Hotels & Resorts	$51,537	$24.78	20
   12	New Horizons Village	$51,534	$24.78	6
   13	Hhs - Hospital Housekeeping Systems	$51,504	$24.76
   14	White House Inn	$51,415	$24.72	2
   15	Fooda	$51,362	$24.69	37
   16	Dandelion Chocolate	$51,295	$24.66
   17	Capital City Club	$51,269	$24.65	3
   18	Aimbridge Hospitality	$51,142	$24.59
   19	San Diego	$51,056	$24.55	1
   20	Cintas	$51,027	$24.53	18

4. Writing a dining room manager job description

   A good dining room manager job description should include a few things:

   • Summary of the role
   • List of responsibilities
   • Required skills and experience

   Including a salary range and the first name of the hiring manager is also appreciated by candidates. Here's an example of a dining room manager job description:

   Dining room manager job description example

   As the AM Restaurant Manager, you are responsible for supervising and coordinating all aspects of The Sagamore Room's front of house operations as well as overseeing the opening operations of Vintage restaurant and Cabana Bar. The manager will work closely with Chef de Cuisine and the banquet/events department.
   Some perks of working full time year-round for Inn at Bay Harbor include: A free Golf Pass and Ski Pass for both you and your family A free The Highlands downhill mountain bike park season pass for you and your family 40% off at the various Boyne Resorts Restaurants 30% off Spa treatments at the Inn at Bay Harbor and Boyne Mountain Free Passes to Avalanche Bay Water Park at Boyne Mountain Discounts on Boyne Resorts lodging for Friends and Family Discounts at Marriott hotels worldwide for Friends and Family Tuition Reimbursement Service and Loyalty Bonus Program - up to 5% of gross wages per season! PTO and Paid Sick Leave Health/Dental/Vision Insurance Responsibilities The AM Restaurant Manager's typical job functions include:
   • Partnering with Chef de Cuisine to ensuring all aspects of restaurant are running smoothly and efficiently
   • Collaborating with banquets department to ensure that all aspects of banquet events are fully operational
   • Ensuring cleanliness and maintenance of restaurant
   • Purchasing or creating requisition supplies for The Sagamore Room
   • Completing and reporting biweekly bar inventory
   • Reviewing monthly financial reports with Director of Food and Beverage
   • Scheduling front of the house team members
   • Supervising 8-10 team members in dining room
   • Ensure consistent and efficient service to guests while maintaining department goals
   • Interviewing and hiring team members, conducting performance evaluation and appraisals, motivating and educating staff, as well as coaching team members when necessary
   • Ensuring the happiness of guests and making sure they are satisfied with their experience at The Sagamore Room
   • Covering any and all uncovered shifts Qualifications This job might be for you if: You have achieved an Associate's degree or equivalent; or six months to one year related experience and/or training; or equivalent combination of education and experience required; previous supervisory experience strongly preferred You understand the demands of exceeding guest needs and expectations and you are flexible and always willing to learn more You can work nights, weekends and holidays when needed You have an intermediate skill level with Microsoft Office Suite products including Word and Excel; experience with Point of Sale software is also preferred You have interest in not only serving guests with excellence, you know the value of maintaining a fun work environment

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   To find the right dining room manager for your business, consider trying out a few different recruiting strategies:

   • Consider internal talent. One of the most important sources of talent for any company is its existing workforce.
   • Ask for referrals. Reach out to friends, family members, and current employees and ask if they know or have worked with dining room managers they would recommend.
   • Recruit at local colleges. Attend job fairs at local colleges to recruit dining room managers who meet your education requirements.
   • Social media platforms. LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter now have more than 3.5 billion users, and you can use social media to reach potential job candidates.

   Post your job online:

   • Post your dining room manager job on Zippia to find and recruit dining room manager candidates who meet your exact specifications.
   • Use field-specific websites.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   During your first interview to recruit dining room managers, engage with candidates to learn about their interest in the role and experience in the field. During the following interview, you'll be able to go into more detail about the company, the position, and the responsibilities.

   You should also ask about candidates' unique skills and talents to see if they match the ideal candidate profile you developed earlier. Candidates good enough for the next step can complete the technical interview.

   The right interview questions can help you assess a candidate's hard skills, behavioral intelligence, and soft skills.

7. Send a job offer and onboard your new dining room manager

   Once you have selected a candidate for the dining room manager position, it is time to create an offer letter. In addition to salary, the offer letter should include details about benefits and perks that are available to the employee. Ensuring your offer is competitive is vital, as qualified candidates may be considering other job opportunities. The candidate may wish to negotiate the terms of the offer, and it is important to be open to discussion and reach a mutually beneficial agreement. After the offer has been accepted, it is a good idea to formalize the agreement with a contract.

   You should also follow up with applicants who don't get the job with an email letting them know that you've filled the position.

   To prepare for the new employee's start date, you can create an onboarding schedule and complete any necessary paperwork, such as employee action forms and onboarding documents like I-9 forms, benefits enrollment, and federal and state tax forms. Human Resources should also ensure that a new employee file is created.

8. Go through the hiring process checklist

   • Determine employee type (full-time, part-time, contractor, etc.)
   • Submit a job requisition form to the HR department
   • Define job responsibilities and requirements
   • Establish budget and timeline
   • Determine hiring decision makers for the role
   • Write job description
   • Post job on job boards, company website, etc.
   • Promote the job internally
   • Process applications through applicant tracking system
   • Review resumes and cover letters
   • Shortlist candidates for screening
   • Hold phone/virtual interview screening with first round of candidates
   • Conduct in-person interviews with top candidates from first round
   • Score candidates based on weighted criteria (e.g., experience, education, background, cultural fit, skill set, etc.)
   • Conduct background checks on top candidates
   • Check references of top candidates
   • Consult with HR and hiring decision makers on job offer specifics
   • Extend offer to top candidate(s)
   • Receive formal job offer acceptance and signed employment contract
   • Inform other candidates that the position has been filled
   • Set and communicate onboarding schedule to new hire(s)
   • Complete new hire paperwork (i9, benefits enrollment, tax forms, etc.)

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