What does a Restaurant General Manager do?
A restaurant general manager is someone whose responsibility is to handle the daily operations of the restaurant. Restaurant general managers ensure compliance with the overall operations to the company's standards. They oversee the preparation and delivery of products, restaurant repair and maintenance, team management, inventory management, and customer relations. To become a restaurant general manager, one should have excellent customer relations and service skills, and commercial awareness. Good personal skills, flexibility, and strong communication skills are also necessary.
Restaurant general manager responsibilities
Here are examples of responsibilities from real restaurant general manager resumes:
- Train and manage culinary art student to achieve significant improvements in their productivity.
- Manage the acquisition and resale of appropriate property investments maximizing ROI for all partner investors.
- Develop and implement strategic merchandising plans to achieve revenue objectives and reduce expenditures while ensuring payroll remains within budget.
- Utilize labor effectively to meet budgets while ensuring high-quality of service and cleanliness.
- Develop and implement strategic merchandising plans to achieve revenue objectives and reduce expenditures while ensuring payroll remains within budget.
- Oversee catering events and may also offer culinary instruction and/or demonstrate culinary.
- Greet customers and organize table reservations.
- Maintain and organize daily and special event customer reservations.
- Schedule all proper labor levels/percentages for all FOH positions
- Train and manage FOH staff and improve overall quality, organization and professionalism of restaurant and bakery.
Restaurant general manager skills and personality traits
We calculated that 20% of Restaurant General Managers are proficient in Customer Service, Strong Analytical, and Customer Satisfaction. They’re also known for soft skills such as Management skills, Time-management skills, and Communication skills.
We break down the percentage of Restaurant General Managers that have these skills listed on their resume here:
- Customer Service, 20%
Maintain a positive and professional customer service-oriented attitude while supervising the store and develop employees to achieve company goals.
- Strong Analytical, 11%
Detailed oriented with strong analytical skills.
- Customer Satisfaction, 7%
Total operation and responsibility of staffing and training, inventory, product quality and assurance, employee retention, and customer satisfaction
- Cleanliness, 6%
Maintained professional restaurant image, including restaurant cleanliness, proper uniforms, and appearance standards.
- Human Resources, 5%
Handled cash flow, labor, food cost control, scheduling, team motivation, human resources and overall operations profit.
- Restaurant Operations, 4%
Achieved restaurant operational objectives by identifying necessary system improvements and implementing changes in production, quality, productivity and food preparation.
Most restaurant general managers use their skills in "customer service," "strong analytical," and "customer satisfaction" to do their jobs. You can find more detail on essential restaurant general manager responsibilities here:
Time-management skills. Another essential skill to perform restaurant general manager duties is time-management skills. Restaurant general managers responsibilities require that "top executives do many tasks concurrently to ensure that their work gets done and that the organization meets its goals." Restaurant general managers also use time-management skills in their role according to a real resume snippet: "inventory management and control meeting strict demand of national companies coordinate project deadlines"
Communication skills. This is an important skill for restaurant general managers to perform their duties. For an example of how restaurant general manager responsibilities depend on this skill, consider that "top executives must be able to convey information clearly and persuasively." This excerpt from a resume also shows how vital it is to everyday roles and responsibilities of a restaurant general manager: "resolve customer complaints through successful communications and outstanding problem resolutions".
Leadership skills. A big part of what restaurant general managers do relies on "leadership skills." You can see how essential it is to restaurant general manager responsibilities because "top executives must be able to shape and direct an organization by coordinating policies, people, and resources." Here's an example of how this skill is used from a resume that represents typical restaurant general manager tasks: "developed inventory and food cost control skills and in leadership and conflict resolution. "
Problem-solving skills. Another common skill required for restaurant general manager responsibilities is "problem-solving skills." This skill comes up in the duties of restaurant general managers all the time, as "top executives need to identify and resolve issues within an organization." An excerpt from a real restaurant general manager resume shows how this skill is central to what a restaurant general manager does: "guaranteed positive customer experiences and resolved all customer complaints. "
The three companies that hire the most restaurant general managers are:
- Pizza Hut12,130 restaurant general managers jobs
- Taco Bell4,259 restaurant general managers jobs
- Carrols Restaurant Group1,131 restaurant general managers jobs
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Compare different restaurant general managers
Restaurant general manager vs. Store manager
A store manager is responsible for monitoring the daily operations, making sure of its smooth and efficient performance with the best services provided to the customers. Store managers' duty also includes tracking the budget of the store to ensure that all expenses are meeting the sales goals. A store manager must also be able to plan and share strategies to boost sales performance and provide the needed support for the employees by communicating with them regularly, listening on suggestions, and taking necessary actions for complaints as required.
While similarities exist, there are also some differences between restaurant general managers and store manager. For instance, restaurant general manager responsibilities require skills such as "strong analytical," "restaurant operations," "strong customer service," and "kids." Whereas a store manager is skilled in "store management," "retail store," "pet," and "loss prevention." This is part of what separates the two careers.
Store managers tend to make the most money working in the manufacturing industry, where they earn an average salary of $41,968. In contrast, restaurant general managers make the biggest average salary, $45,190, in the hospitality industry.The education levels that store managers earn slightly differ from restaurant general managers. In particular, store managers are 1.1% less likely to graduate with a Master's Degree than a restaurant general manager. Additionally, they're 0.1% less likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.Restaurant general manager vs. Shift manager
Shift managers are employees assigned to oversee the operations of the business during a specific time or work shift. They manage the employees assigned in a particular shift and ensure that the employees are working on their specific tasks. They also ensure that the needed manpower is met. Shift managers are also in charge of checking the sales, ensuring that the finances are properly balanced, and maintaining records during the work shift. They also respond to any challenges that may occur during the time period. Shift managers should have good organization skills, decision-making skills, and interpersonal skills.
While some skills are similar in these professions, other skills aren't so similar. For example, resumes show us that restaurant general manager responsibilities requires skills like "strong analytical," "human resources," "strong customer service," and "kids." But a shift manager might use other skills in their typical duties, such as, "management," "leadership," "help support," and "excellent interpersonal."
On average, shift managers earn a lower salary than restaurant general managers. Some industries support higher salaries in each profession. Interestingly enough, shift managers earn the most pay in the retail industry with an average salary of $31,448. Whereas restaurant general managers have higher pay in the hospitality industry, with an average salary of $45,190.Average education levels between the two professions vary. Shift managers tend to reach similar levels of education than restaurant general managers. In fact, they're 2.7% less likely to graduate with a Master's Degree and 0.1% less likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.What technology do you think will become more important and prevalent for Restaurants General Manager in the next 3-5 years?
Jeff Lolli
Associate Professor, Widener University
Restaurant general manager vs. Floor manager
A floor manager is responsible for supervising the general operations of a specific department in an organization. Floor manager tasks include assisting customers, ensuring prompt resolution of clients' inquiries, distributing tasks to the staff, and monitoring the employees' performance. A floor manager will be in charge of checking inventories and report inadequate supplies, identifying business opportunities to increase the company's sales and profitability, developing strategic procedures to maintain customer satisfaction, and managing disputes from the customers and employees. A floor manager must have excellent leadership and communication skills to address specific concerns and process customers' requests as needed.
Some important key differences between the two careers include a few of the skills necessary to fulfill the responsibilities of each. Some examples from restaurant general manager resumes include skills like "strong analytical," "customer satisfaction," "human resources," and "restaurant operations," whereas a floor manager is more likely to list skills in "pallets," "hr," "flyers," and "safety standards. "
Floor managers earn the best pay in the telecommunication industry, where they command an average salary of $44,098. Restaurant general managers earn the highest pay from the hospitality industry, with an average salary of $45,190.When it comes to education, floor managers tend to earn similar degree levels compared to restaurant general managers. In fact, they're 1.0% less likely to earn a Master's Degree, and 0.0% less likely to graduate with a Doctoral Degree.Restaurant general manager vs. Night manager
A night manager is an individual employee who is responsible for all hotel operations during the night. Night managers must assist the front office manager in all areas of the department, including managing front desk staff, payroll, and enforcing financial control. They collaborate and train associates to respond to customers' queries and complaints positively. They must also maintain a professional and high-quality service-oriented environment. Night managers must possess a bachelor's degree in hotel management or related field.
Types of restaurant general manager
Updated January 8, 2025
