Food service manager vs assistant restaurant manager

The differences between food service managers and assistant restaurant 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 food service manager and an assistant restaurant manager. Additionally, an assistant restaurant manager has an average salary of $45,620, which is higher than the $43,564 average annual salary of a food service manager.

The top three skills for a food service manager include customer service, sanitation standards and cleanliness. The most important skills for an assistant restaurant manager are customer service, cleanliness, and food service.

Food service manager vs assistant restaurant manager overview

	Food Service Manager	Assistant Restaurant Manager
Yearly salary	$43,564	$45,620
Hourly rate	$20.94	$21.93
Growth rate	10%	10%
Number of jobs	160,740	228,337
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 42%	Bachelor's Degree, 52%
Average age	39	39
Years of experience	4	4

What does a food service manager do?

A food service manager's role is to oversee and supervise all operations in a restaurant or a similar setting. They are primarily responsible for ensuring customer satisfaction through optimal foodservice, an efficient workforce, and a safe and healthy environment. A food service manager must also greet customers, escort them to their tables, handle any issues and concerns, manage the employees, train new hires, manage the payroll and budget, and coordinate with all restaurant personnel. Furthermore, a food service manager must delegate tasks among employees and assign their schedules accordingly.

What does an assistant restaurant manager do?

An assistant restaurant manager's role is to perform managerial support tasks and oversee restaurant operations, ensuring efficiency in workflow and customer satisfaction. Their responsibilities revolve around maintaining records of all invoices and contracts, delegating tasks, monitoring the inventory of supplies, liaising with suppliers and vendors, and addressing issues and concerns. There are also instances when one must attend to customers' needs, prepare schedules, perform regular workforce inspection, and report to the manager. Furthermore, it is essential to implement all the company's health regulations and policies, all to maintain a safe and healthy environment for everyone.

Food service manager vs assistant restaurant manager salary

Food service managers and assistant restaurant managers have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Food Service Manager	Assistant Restaurant Manager
Average salary	$43,564	$45,620
Salary range	Between $28,000 And $66,000	Between $33,000 And $62,000
Highest paying City	New York, NY	Carmel, NY
Highest paying state	Rhode Island	Rhode Island
Best paying company	Kern Community College District	Buca di Beppo
Best paying industry	Government	Hospitality

Differences between food service manager and assistant restaurant manager education

There are a few differences between a food service manager and an assistant restaurant manager in terms of educational background:

	Food Service Manager	Assistant Restaurant Manager
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 42%	Bachelor's Degree, 52%
Most common major	Business	Business
Most common college	Cornell University	Cornell University

Food service manager vs assistant restaurant manager demographics

Here are the differences between food service managers' and assistant restaurant managers' demographics:

	Food Service Manager	Assistant Restaurant Manager
Average age	39	39
Gender ratio	Male, 45.8% Female, 54.2%	Male, 51.3% Female, 48.7%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 11.5% Unknown, 4.9% Hispanic or Latino, 16.2% Asian, 8.5% White, 58.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.6%	Black or African American, 10.2% Unknown, 5.6% Hispanic or Latino, 18.1% Asian, 10.0% White, 55.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.6%
LGBT Percentage	10%	10%

Differences between food service manager and assistant restaurant manager duties and responsibilities

Food service manager example responsibilities.

Manage all aspects of the human resources task, including hiring, training, payroll, and the negotiated contract.
Manage operations and provide support to a team of 245 union employees at various elementary, middle and high school cafeterias.
Manage inventory, ordering and delivery of groceries.
Train food & nutrition team in SERVSAFE, HACCP, knife skills and environmental safety.
Maintain all Intel, Aramark and ServSafe safety, sanitation and security guidelines.
Review and complete adequate weekly sales projections, with mastery of using POS system

Assistant restaurant manager example responsibilities.

Manage the food and beverage operation of Mobil 5-Star and AAA 5-Diamond hotel.
Monitor and manage beverage and wine supplies, completing monthly reconciliations to ensure inventory accuracy.
Coordinate, communicate and delegate FOH responsibilities to staff to ensure excellent operations are consistently achieve.
Schedule, set up and staff for functions, outings, wine tastings, fine dining evenings and other upscale events.
Guarantee above-average store inspections scores that exemplify store cleanliness, employee accountability, and food safety.
Interview, hire and train the restaurant and in-room dining staff.

Food service manager vs assistant restaurant manager skills

Common food service manager skills

Customer Service, 27%
Sanitation Standards, 10%
Cleanliness, 7%
Patients, 6%
Kitchen Equipment, 5%
Food Handling, 4%

Common assistant restaurant manager skills

Customer Service, 15%
Cleanliness, 13%
Food Service, 8%
Product Quality, 5%
Restaurant Operations, 5%
Guest Service, 5%

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Food Service Manager vs Assistant Restaurant Manager

Updated January 8, 2025

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