What Does a Kitchen Manager Do?

A kitchen manager is responsible for supervising overall kitchen operations duties, checking food storage, and distributing appropriate kitchen staff tasks. Kitchen managers' jobs also include monitoring food preparation, ensuring that all orders and serving portions are correct, organizing menu prices, researching current market trends of the food industry, and maintaining the highest sanitation procedures. Kitchen managers should also assist guests with their inquiries, manage concerns, and handle complaints. They should have excellent communication and leadership skills to lead the kitchen staff in providing the best customer experience.

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Kitchen Manager Responsibilities

Here are examples of responsibilities from real kitchen manager resumes representing typical tasks they are likely to perform in their roles.

Manage the daily operations of the kitchen, providing professional leadership and direction to all personnel.
Supervise cooks and manage the preparation, portioning, garnishing, and storage of all food items.
Manage kitchen staff and cook, develop new recipes, inventory and ordering, and fill in for bartending.
Manage kitchen staff, delegates responsibilities, place groceries order, prepare menus and prepare food base on recipes.
Prepare bills for orders, manage cash register, help with accounting using adding machine, POS software and programs.
Manage the daily operation of food production for patients, guests and employees as well as all internal and external catering.
Practice and oversee FIFO food management including inventory reporting and food orders.
Establish HAACP systems, used FMS for production and recipes.
Create and respond to all USDA corrective actions resulting in a positive relationship with USDA.
Plan theme meals to coordinate with camp themes and holidays and plan menus for campers with allergies.
Oversee and train new employees in food preparation and production, including cooking, garnishing, and presentation.
Monitor and train all on food safety, prepare for FDA & health department inspection at all times.
Estimate food, liquor, wine, and other beverage consumption to anticipate amounts to be purchase or requisition.
Ensure storage and on-line organization in accordance to FIFO (first-in, first-out) to maximize efficiency and regulate overproduction.
Order all wine, food and supplies including high-end items from specialty vendors (e.g., seafood from Maine).

Kitchen Manager Job Description

When it comes to understanding what a kitchen manager does, you may be wondering, "should I become a kitchen manager?" The data included in this section may help you decide. Compared to other jobs, kitchen managers have a growth rate described as "much faster than average" at 11% between the years 2018 - 2028, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. In fact, the number of kitchen manager opportunities that are predicted to open up by 2028 is 38,500.

Kitchen managers average about $24.25 an hour, which makes the kitchen manager annual salary $50,448. Additionally, kitchen managers are known to earn anywhere from $37,000 to $67,000 a year. This means that the top-earning kitchen managers make $25,000 more than the lowest earning ones.

Once you've become a kitchen manager, you may be curious about what other opportunities are out there. Careers aren't one size fits all. For that reason, we discovered some other jobs that you may find appealing. Some jobs you might find interesting include a food and beverage manager, assistant manager/shift manager, restaurant/bar manager, and hourly manager.

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12 Kitchen Manager Resume Examples

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Robert Rogers Kitchen Manager Contact Information Orlando, FL (240) 555-2728 rrogers@example.com Skills Electrical Systems Security Officers CDL Crew Members Ice Cream Osha Staff Members Surveillance Equipment Person Crew Client Facility Employment History Kitchen Manager 2019 - Present The Walt Disney Company Orlando, FL Schedule and receive food and beverage deliveries, checking delivery contents to verify product quality and quantity. Oversee the menu planning for the in house daily and meeting room activities. Showed new crew members about Fast and clean work environment. Crew Leader 2011 - 2019 Walgreen Co Orlando, FL Managed a small team of employees and provided efficient and effective customer service. Oversee sales, inventory management, merchandising, security, receiving, and customer service. Set planograms and merchandised aisles according to company standards. Trained staff to deliver outstanding customer service.Addressed and corrected sales staff communication issues in a tactful and effective manner. Comply with all company policies & procedures; maintain respectful relationships with coworkers. Security Officer 2006 - 2011 Allied Universal Tampa, FL Provide private security services to clients with a professional attitude and integrity. Maintain and update all resource materials associated with emergency preparedness plans. Handle emergency situation, follow protocol to prevent injuries. Food Service Specialist 2001 - 2006 Bank of America Tampa, FL Provide proactive communication with customers, loan officers, banking center associates. Maintain product knowledge, of sales, promotions, and company policies regarding payments, exchanges, and security procedures. processed night deposits and reconcilement of both branch ATM's Retained excellent communication with client, banking center and title company during closing process. Ensured compliance with company policies, underwriting guidelines and lending-program requirements Education High School Diploma 2001 - 2001


Wayne Cole Kitchen Manager Contact Info Orlando, FL (300) 555-6030 wcole@example.com Skills Daily Living ActivitiesClinical SettingVital SignsSanitation StandardsICUMenu ItemsFood ServiceFacilityCompany PoliciesBlood Pressure Employment History Kitchen Manager 2019 - Present Chili's Orlando, FL Managed all aspects of a food service operation with strong involvement in the kitchen operations. Reviewed all guest surveys and coached employees on better exceeding guest expectations. Managed 40 employees; including scheduling of all staff Oversaw restaurant operations Managed entire flow of restaurant operations on a day-to-day basis. Crew Leader 2017 - 2019 U.S. Census Bureau Suitland, MD Developed and executed strategic plans, maintained collaborative communication with personnel and ensured productive employee communication with the general public. Verified accuracy of enumeration by team members Assisted Crew Leader in payroll hours authorization Liaison between team members and crew leader Verified all paperwork for other crew members. Interpreted and communicated work procedures and company policies to staff. Certified Nursing Assistant 2016 - 2017 Genesis HealthCare Philadelphia, PA Provided personal care and bathe dressed and undressed patients. Checked vital signs and also assisted in transporting them to rehabilitation and restorative services. Worked PT as a CNA while attending pursuing a bachelor's degree. Food Service Assistant 2009 - 2016 McDonald's Philadelphia, PA Take customer orders and payment Prepare food Assist customers with any needs or questions Machine/Station clean up Operate POS register, provide customer service, cross-trained in food prep, stock and clean. Organized, maintained, and cleaned kitchen and food preparation stations. Education High School Diploma 2009 - 2009


Jack Hill Kitchen Manager New York, NY (940) 555-2643 jhill@example.com Experience Kitchen Manager2019 - Present Darden Restaurants•New York, NY Deliver superior guest services while responding efficiently to guest complaints. Managed the highest grossing Olive Garden in the country Operated at or below food & labor cost goals for 22 consecutive quarters Coordinate all front of the house and back of the house restaurant operations. Maintained restaurants' actual vs. theoretical budget for cost of all food products. Banquet Chef2016 - 2019 Hilton Worldwide Holdings•New York, NY Create daily specials for breakfast shift. Prepare meals for 130 room luxury Hotel Customer service and food preparation procedures with high end establishment standards. Work Banquet functions which include having direct contact with customers. Scheduled all BOH staff per week. Chef2013 - 2016 Kroger•Atlanta, GA Supervised all food preparations and cooking. Facilitated menu planning Managed purchasing & inventory Initiated and led in-house pastry program Control food and labor costs through product ordering and waste management to increase company profitability and adhere to departmental budget. Provided ongoing training to all Food Service employees. price menu items, order supplies, and keep records and accounts. Banquet Cook2012 - 2013 IHOP•Orlando, FL Memorized menu items and learned ticket system. Prepared orders in accordance with company standards and specific requests. Assist Line Cooks with tasks if need be. Remained in constant communication with Chef. Worked as part of banquet dish up team.Prepared all mother sauces and stocks.Garde Manger (cold food preparations). Skills Customer ComplaintsRestaurant OperationsFood PreparationMenu ItemsSafety StandardsCommunicationHigh VolumeTemperature RequirementsStaff MembersFood Products Education High School Diploma 2012 - 2012

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Kitchen Manager Skills and Personality Traits

We calculated that 15% of Kitchen Managers are proficient in Customer Service, Kitchen Equipment, and Cleanliness. They’re also known for soft skills such as Business skills, Communication skills, and Customer-service skills.

We break down the percentage of Kitchen Managers that have these skills listed on their resume here:

Customer Service, 15%
Created critical measurement customer service strategies, which implemented change and resolved customer problems by redefining quality and productivity standards.
Kitchen Equipment, 13%
Planned/prepared NEW daily and special menu items, ordered inventory, managed budget, performed minor maintenance/repair on kitchen equipment.
Cleanliness, 9%
Ensured and maintained cleanliness and hygiene of the production environment utilizing proper safety cleaning procedures.
Food Handling, 9%
Supervised all other aspects of Restaurant operation including Staff Development* Ensures proper food handling practices, Safety, and Sanitation
Fifo, 8%
Practiced and oversaw FIFO food management including inventory reporting and food orders.
Food Waste, 6%
Coordinate assignments of cooking personnel to ensure minimal food waste and timely preparation.

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Some of the skills we found on kitchen manager resumes included "customer service," "kitchen equipment," and "cleanliness." We have detailed the most important kitchen manager responsibilities below.

Business skills can be considered to be the most important personality trait for a kitchen manager to have. According to a kitchen manager resume, "food service managers, especially those who run their own restaurant, must understand all aspects of the restaurant business" kitchen managers are able to use business skills in the following example we gathered from a resume: "fast-paced, very intense during peak business hours, cleanliness and organization is a must at all times. "

Another commonly found skill for being able to perform kitchen manager duties is the following: communication skills. According to a kitchen manager resume, "food service managers must give clear orders to staff and be able to communicate effectively with employees and customers." Check out this example of how kitchen managers use communication skills: "maintained control of targeted cost of goods & labor budgets through consistent communication & follow up w/ boh management teams. "

Kitchen managers are also known for customer-service skills, which can be critical when it comes to performing their duties. An example of why this skill is important is shown by this snippet that we found in a kitchen manager resume: "food service managers must be courteous and attentive when dealing with patrons" We also found this resume example that details how this skill is put to the test: "maintain cleanliness, executing productivity during every shift and ensure guest satisfaction. "

In order for certain kitchen manager responsibilities to be completed, the job requires the skill "detail oriented." According to a kitchen manager resume, "managers deal with many different types of activities" As an example, this snippet was taken directly from a resume about how this skill applies: "create detailed cleaning lists to get improve cleanliness of the kitchen. "

Yet another important skill that a kitchen manager must demonstrate is "leadership skills." Managers must establish good working relationships to maintain a productive work environment This is clearly demonstrated in this example from a kitchen manager who stated: "demonstrate leadership through managing restaurant cooks by holding them accountable to food handling policy. "

Another skill commonly found on kitchen manager resumes is "organizational skills." This description of the skill was found on several kitchen manager resumes: "food service managers keep track of many different schedules, budgets, and staff" Here's an example from a resume of how this skill could fit into the day-to-day kitchen manager responsibilities: "conducted daily pre shift and weekly boh meetings to ensure organizational efficiency. "

See the full list of kitchen manager skills.

After discovering the most helpful skills, we moved onto what kind of education might be helpful in becoming a kitchen manager. We found that 30.2% of kitchen managers have graduated with a bachelor's degree and 1.6% of people in this position have earned their master's degrees. While some kitchen managers have a college degree, you may find it's also true that generally it's possible to be successful in this career with only a high school degree. In fact, our research shows that one out of every three kitchen managers were not college graduates.

The kitchen managers who went onto college to earn a more in-depth education generally studied culinary arts and business, while a small population of kitchen managers studied hospitality management and general studies.

Once you've obtained the level of education you're comfortable with, you might start applying to companies to become a kitchen manager. We've found that most kitchen manager resumes include experience from Texas Roadhouse, Goodwin Recruiting, and Verano. Of recent, Texas Roadhouse had 305 positions open for kitchen managers. Meanwhile, there are 292 job openings at Goodwin Recruiting and 94 at Verano.

Since salary is important to some kitchen managers, it's good to note that they are figured to earn the highest salaries at Hillstone Restaurant Group, Buchanan & Edwards, and The Old Spaghetti Factory. If you were to take a closer look at Hillstone Restaurant Group, you'd find that the average kitchen manager salary is $67,588. Then at Buchanan & Edwards, kitchen managers receive an average salary of $59,670, while the salary at The Old Spaghetti Factory is $57,960.

View more details on kitchen manager salaries across the United States.

Some other companies you might be interested in as a kitchen manager include Darden Restaurants, Chipotle Mexican Grill, and Outback Steakhouse. These three companies were found to hire the most kitchen managers from the top 100 U.S. educational institutions.

The three companies that hire the most prestigious kitchen managers are:

Texas Roadhouse305 Kitchen Managers Jobs
Goodwin Recruiting292 Kitchen Managers Jobs
Verano94 Kitchen Managers Jobs

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What Food And Beverage Managers Do

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. They create food and drink menus and guarantee customers that they comply with their food and safety regulations. They are also required to negotiate with suppliers to arrange the delivery of food and beverage products.

In this section, we compare the average kitchen manager annual salary with that of a food and beverage manager. Typically, food and beverage managers earn a $2,565 higher salary than kitchen managers earn annually.

Even though kitchen managers and food and beverage managers have vast differences in their careers, a few of the skills required to do both jobs are similar. For example, both careers require customer service, cleanliness, and food handling in the day-to-day roles.

These skill sets are where the common ground ends though. A kitchen manager responsibility is more likely to require skills like "kitchen equipment," "fifo," "food waste," and "food safety." Whereas a food and beverage manager requires skills like "wine," "guest service," "payroll," and "excellent time management." Just by understanding these different skills you can see how different these careers are.

Food and beverage managers tend to make the most money in the government industry by averaging a salary of $56,929. In contrast, kitchen managers make the biggest average salary of $48,707 in the hospitality industry.

Food and beverage managers tend to reach similar levels of education than kitchen managers. In fact, food and beverage managers are 2.0% more likely to graduate with a Master's Degree and 0.1% more likely to have a Doctoral Degree.

What Are The Duties Of an Assistant Manager/Shift Manager?

An assistant manager/shift manager assists managers in maintaining an establishment's smooth workflow. Although the extent of their responsibilities depends on their company or industry of employment, it usually includes participating in setting goals and guidelines, establishing budgets and schedules, delegating tasks among staff, and monitoring operations, solving issues should there be any. They also perform administrative support tasks such as coordinating with internal and external parties, preparing and processing documents, handling calls and correspondence, organizing files, and implementing policies and regulations. In the absence of the manager, an assistant manager assumes their responsibilities to maintain efficient operations.

Now we're going to look at the assistant manager/shift manager profession. On average, assistant manager/shift managers earn a $12,676 lower salary than kitchen managers a year.

While the salary may be different for these job positions, there is one similarity and that's a few of the skills needed to perform certain duties. We used info from lots of resumes to find that both kitchen managers and assistant manager/shift managers are known to have skills such as "customer service," "cleanliness," and "food safety. "

But both careers also use different skills, according to real kitchen manager resumes. While kitchen manager responsibilities can utilize skills like "kitchen equipment," "food handling," "fifo," and "food waste," some assistant manager/shift managers use skills like "employee engagement," "customer satisfaction," "guest service," and "payroll."

When it comes to the differences in education between the two professions, assistant manager/shift managers tend to reach similar levels of education than kitchen managers. In fact, they're 1.8% more likely to graduate with a Master's Degree and 0.1% less likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.

How a Restaurant/BAR Manager Compares

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.

Let's now take a look at the restaurant/bar manager profession. On average, these workers make higher salaries than kitchen managers with a $1,272 difference per year.

By looking over several kitchen managers and restaurant/bar managers resumes, we found that both roles utilize similar skills, such as "customer service," "cleanliness," and "food handling." But beyond that the careers look very different.

Some important key differences between the two careers are a few of the skills necessary to fulfill responsibilities. Some examples from kitchen manager resumes include skills like "kitchen equipment," "fifo," "food waste," and "food safety," whereas a restaurant/bar manager might be skilled in "wine," "restaurant operations," "guest service," and "bars. "

Interestingly enough, restaurant/bar managers earn the most pay in the media industry, where they command an average salary of $52,593. As mentioned previously, kitchen managers highest annual salary comes from the hospitality industry with an average salary of $48,707.

Restaurant/bar managers typically study at similar levels compared with kitchen managers. For example, they're 1.6% more likely to graduate with a Master's Degree, and 0.0% more likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.

Description Of an Hourly Manager

Now, we'll look at hourly managers, who generally average a lower pay when compared to kitchen managers annual salary. In fact, the difference is about $13,999 per year.

According to resumes from both kitchen managers and hourly managers, some of the skills necessary to complete the responsibilities of each role are similar. These skills include "customer service," "cleanliness," and "food safety. "

Even though a few skill sets overlap, there are some differences that are important to note. For one, a kitchen manager might have more use for skills like "kitchen equipment," "food handling," "fifo," and "food waste." Meanwhile, some hourly managers might include skills like "management," "guest service," "quality service," and "cash handling" on their resume.

Hourly managers reach similar levels of education when compared to kitchen managers. The difference is that they're 1.0% more likely to earn a Master's Degree more, and 0.1% less likely to graduate with a Doctoral Degree.

Updated October 2, 2020