Restaurant owner vs co-owner/operator

The differences between restaurant owners and co-owner/operators can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 2-4 years to become a restaurant owner, becoming a co-owner/operator takes usually requires 4-6 years. Additionally, a restaurant owner has an average salary of $48,167, which is higher than the $32,256 average annual salary of a co-owner/operator.

The top three skills for a restaurant owner include customer service, menu planning and food safety. The most important skills for a co-owner/operator are co-op, patients, and data analysis.

Restaurant owner vs co-owner/operator overview

	Restaurant Owner	Co-Owner/Operator
Yearly salary	$48,167	$32,256
Hourly rate	$23.16	$15.51
Growth rate	10%	6%
Number of jobs	175,102	95,615
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 49%	Bachelor's Degree, 60%
Average age	39	44
Years of experience	4	6

Restaurant owner vs co-owner/operator salary

Restaurant owners and co-owner/operators have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Restaurant Owner	Co-Owner/Operator
Average salary	$48,167	$32,256
Salary range	Between $36,000 And $63,000	Between $21,000 And $49,000
Highest paying City	-	Rahway, NJ
Highest paying state	-	New York
Best paying company	-	BorgWarner
Best paying industry	-	Technology

Differences between restaurant owner and co-owner/operator education

There are a few differences between a restaurant owner and a co-owner/operator in terms of educational background:

	Restaurant Owner	Co-Owner/Operator
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 49%	Bachelor's Degree, 60%
Most common major	Business	Business
Most common college	Cornell University	University of Pennsylvania

Restaurant owner vs co-owner/operator demographics

Here are the differences between restaurant owners' and co-owner/operators' demographics:

	Restaurant Owner	Co-Owner/Operator
Average age	39	44
Gender ratio	Male, 54.5% Female, 45.5%	Male, 58.4% Female, 41.6%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 10.2% Unknown, 5.6% Hispanic or Latino, 18.5% Asian, 9.5% White, 55.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.6%	Black or African American, 6.2% Unknown, 4.3% Hispanic or Latino, 15.0% Asian, 6.4% White, 67.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5%
LGBT Percentage	10%	10%

Differences between restaurant owner and co-owner/operator duties and responsibilities

Restaurant owner example responsibilities.

Manage FOH and BOH for a high volume family casual cafe.
License Maryland home improvement contractor managing a small home improvement business that specializes in doors and windows.
Implement computerized POS system and oversee all financial reporting, including setting up internal controls over cash and tip reporting.
Verify POS inventory versus physical inventory to ensure accuracy and monitor theft or inefficient use of products.
Perform market research analysis/comparison/trends/consultation for current and prospective clients /weekly PowerPoint presentations Accomplishments/Rewards.
Control both FOH and BOH operations and proactively solve issues.

Co-owner/operator example responsibilities.

Manage shipping and warehousing for the entire U.S., as well as A/R & A/P.
Manage end to end business operations including hiring, scheduling visits, conducting customer consultations and performing pet visits.
Perform renovations and finishing work, roof work, windows, siding and much more.
Developed/Maintain Facebook page for marketing/advertising.
Developed/Maintain Facebook page for marketing/advertising.

Restaurant owner vs co-owner/operator skills

Common restaurant owner skills

Customer Service, 21%
Menu Planning, 18%
Food Safety, 10%
Inventory Control, 4%
Restaurant Operations, 3%
POS, 2%

Common co-owner/operator skills

Co-Op, 35%
Patients, 10%
Data Analysis, 7%
PowerPoint, 6%
Python, 4%
C++, 3%

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Executive Management Industry
Restaurant Owner
Restaurant Owner vs Co-Owner/Operator

Updated January 8, 2025

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