How to hire a fast food restaurant manager

How to hire a fast food restaurant manager, step by step

Here's a step-by-step fast food restaurant 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 fast food restaurant manager job description
• Step 5: Post your job
• Step 6: Interview candidates
• Step 7: Send a job offer and onboard your new fast food restaurant manager
• Step 8: Go through the hiring process checklist

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   Before you start hiring a fast food restaurant manager, identify what type of worker you actually need. Certain positions might call for a full-time employee, while others can be done by a part-time worker or contractor.

   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 fast food restaurant 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.

   This list presents fast food restaurant manager salaries for various positions.

   Type of Fast Food Restaurant Manager	Description	Hourly rate
   Fast Food Restaurant 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.	$15-27
   Food Service Director	A food service director is responsible for managing the foodservice operations, achieving the customers' highest satisfaction by supervising the kitchen personnel, monitoring the food distribution, and responding to the guests' inquiries and concerns. Foodservice directors manage the food inventories, ensuring the adequacy of all the ingredients and materials, and keeping the storage safe and clean all the time by enforcing strict sanitary and hygienic procedures... Show more	$16-39
   Director Of Food And Beverage	A director of food and beverage is responsible for ensuring the quality of foods and services to maintain the guests' overall satisfaction on their dining experience. Food and beverage directors manage menu selections, analyzing current food trends to meet guests' demands... Show more	$30-59

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Fast Food
   • Food Quality
   • Wine
   • Building Maintenance
   • Bank Deposits
   • POS
   • Product Quality
   • Personnel Performance
   • Food Preparation
   • Customer Complaints
   • Portion Sizes
   • Financial Transactions
   • Safety Regulations
   • Safety Procedures

   Responsibilities:

   • Coordinate, communicate and delegate FOH responsibilities to staff to ensure excellent operations are consistently achieve.
   • Collaborate with culinary staff in special event menu planning and actively in planning and development of new catering business.
   • Conduct period inventory; maintaining records to comply with Aramark, government and accrediting agency standards.

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in your fast food restaurant manager job description is a great way to entice the best and brightest candidates. A fast food restaurant manager salary can vary based on several factors:

   • Location. For example, fast food restaurant managers' average salary in kansas is 44% less than in new york.
   • Seniority. Entry-level fast food restaurant managers earn 44% less than senior-level fast food restaurant managers.
   • Certifications. A fast food restaurant manager with a few certifications under their belt will likely demand a higher salary.
   • Company. Working for a prestigious company or an exciting start-up can make a huge difference in a fast food restaurant manager's salary.

   Average fast food restaurant manager salary

   $43,445yearly

   $20.89 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level fast food restaurant manager salary

   $32,000 yearly salary

   Updated January 5, 2026

   Average fast food restaurant manager salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	New Jersey	$58,653	$28
   2	Virginia	$53,455	$26
   3	Massachusetts	$51,700	$25
   4	Wisconsin	$49,859	$24
   5	Pennsylvania	$48,013	$23
   6	Texas	$47,386	$23
   7	Illinois	$46,286	$22
   8	Tennessee	$45,734	$22
   9	Ohio	$45,679	$22
   10	West Virginia	$43,121	$21
   11	Indiana	$42,540	$20
   12	Maryland	$42,134	$20
   13	Georgia	$36,997	$18
   14	South Carolina	$36,898	$18

   Average fast food restaurant manager salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	CKE Restaurants Holdings	$43,550	$20.94	9
   2	DIGS.com	$42,060	$20.22	17
   3	Patrice and Associates Franchising	$41,178	$19.80	1
   4	Dickey's Barbecue Pit	$41,013	$19.72	2
   5	Wayback Burgers	$40,825	$19.63	1
   6	Goodwin Recruiting	$40,629	$19.53	91
   7	Firehouse Subs	$39,960	$19.21	65
   8	Panda Express	$39,882	$19.17	5
   9	Doherty Enterprises	$39,814	$19.14	55
   10	Speedway	$39,768	$19.12	1
   11	Raising Cane's	$38,868	$18.69	246
   12	The Restaurant Business Inc	$38,347	$18.44
   13	7-Eleven	$34,930	$16.79	1
   14	Little Caesars	$32,764	$15.75	55
   15	McDonald's	$31,159	$14.98	7,691

4. Writing a fast food restaurant manager job description

   A fast food restaurant manager job description should include a summary of the role, required skills, and a list of responsibilities. It's also good to include a salary range and the first name of the hiring manager. To help get you started, here's an example of a fast food restaurant manager job description:

   Fast food restaurant manager job description example

   Job DescriptionMoe’s Southwest Grill
   HMSHost at Minneapolis–Saint Paul International Airport
   Terminal 1 / Lindbergh Term, Mall
   Hennepin County, MN 55111
   With a career at HMSHost, you really benefit! We Offer

   • Health, dental and vision insurance
   • Generous paid time off (vacation, flex or sick)
   • Holiday pay
   • Meal and Transportation Benefits
   • *401(k) retirement plan with company match or Pension
   • *Company paid life insurance
   • *Tuition reimbursement
   • Employee assistance program
   • Training and exciting career growth opportunities
   • Referral program – refer a friend and earn a bonus

   *Benefits may vary by position so ask your recruiter for details.

   Summary

   The Fast Food Attendant is responsible for performing a variety of duties within a fast food / snack bar establishment which may include completing customer transactions, cleaning the food or stock areas, assisting in the kitchen area, and maintaining inventory; performs all other responsibilities as directed by the business or as assigned by management. This is a non-exempt position.

   Essential Functions

   • Greets customers and takes food order; provides information about menus; looks for opportunity to “up-sell” products.
   • Operates cash register and receives payment from customer in cash or credit card, accurately counts and provides change to customers as required, and follows all HMS Host customer service and cash handling policies and procedures
   • Cleans and stocks work area
   • Assists in locating, reconciling, and verifying the accuracy of transactions and operate equipment with peripheral electronic data processing. Transfers supplies and equipment between storage and work areas by hand or cart
   • Assists with a variety of kitchen-related functions as needed
   • Receives inventory, moves and lifts food and beverage products and supplies; maintain a solid knowledge of product and services available in unit
   • Ensures proper food handling procedures are followed including wrapping, labeling, dating, stocking, storing, rotating and checking temperature of products
   • Cleans and sanitizes work station and equipment

   Minimum Qualifications, Knowledge, Skills, and Work Environment

   • Demonstrates the ability to interact with the public and coworkers in a friendly, enthusiastic and outgoing manner
   • Requires the ability to bend, twist, and stand to perform normal job functions
   • Requires the ability to lift/push objects weighing over 40 lbs
   • Requires the ability to speak, read and comprehend instructions, short correspondence and policy documents, as well as converse comfortably with customers
   • Cash handling and customer service experience preferred

   Equal Opportunity Employer (EOE) Minority/Female/Disabled/Veteran (M/F/D/V) Drug Free Workplace (DFW)

   HK

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   To find fast food restaurant managers for your business, try out a few different recruiting strategies:

   • Consider internal talent. One of the most important talent pools for any company is its current employees.
   • Ask for referrals. Reach out to friends, family members, and your current work to ask if they know any fast food restaurant managers they would recommend.
   • Recruit at local colleges. Attend job fairs at local colleges to recruit entry-level fast food restaurant managers with the right educational background.
   • Social media platforms. LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter have more than 3.5 billion users, and they're a great place for company branding and reaching potential job candidates.

   Post your job online:

   • Post your fast food restaurant manager job on Zippia to find and recruit fast food restaurant 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 fast food restaurant 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.

   Remember to include a few questions that allow candidates to expand on their strengths in their own words. Asking about their unique skills might reveal things you'd miss otherwise. At this point, good candidates can move on to 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 fast food restaurant manager

   Once you have selected a candidate for the fast food restaurant 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.

   It's equally important to follow up with applicants who don't get the job with an email letting them know that the position has been filled.

   To prepare for the new fast food restaurant manager first day, you should share an onboarding schedule with them that covers their first period on the job. You should also quickly complete any necessary paperwork, such as employee action forms and onboarding documents like I-9, benefits enrollment, and federal and state tax forms. Finally, Human Resources must ensure a new employee file is created for internal record keeping.

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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