Restaurant owner vs restaurant manager

The differences between restaurant owners and 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 restaurant owner and a restaurant manager. Additionally, a restaurant manager has an average salary of $52,202, which is higher than the $48,167 average annual salary of a restaurant owner.

The top three skills for a restaurant owner include customer service, menu planning and food safety. The most important skills for a restaurant manager are customer service, guest satisfaction, and food handling.

Restaurant owner vs restaurant manager overview

	Restaurant Owner	Restaurant Manager
Yearly salary	$48,167	$52,202
Hourly rate	$23.16	$25.10
Growth rate	10%	10%
Number of jobs	175,102	225,340
Job satisfaction	-	1
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 49%	Bachelor's Degree, 50%
Average age	39	39
Years of experience	4	4

Restaurant owner vs restaurant manager salary

Restaurant owners and restaurant managers have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Restaurant Owner	Restaurant Manager
Average salary	$48,167	$52,202
Salary range	Between $36,000 And $63,000	Between $39,000 And $69,000
Highest paying City	-	San Francisco, CA
Highest paying state	-	New Hampshire
Best paying company	-	Hillstone Restaurant Group
Best paying industry	-	Hospitality

Differences between restaurant owner and restaurant manager education

There are a few differences between a restaurant owner and a restaurant manager in terms of educational background:

	Restaurant Owner	Restaurant Manager
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 49%	Bachelor's Degree, 50%
Most common major	Business	Business
Most common college	Cornell University	Cornell University

Restaurant owner vs restaurant manager demographics

Here are the differences between restaurant owners' and restaurant managers' demographics:

	Restaurant Owner	Restaurant Manager
Average age	39	39
Gender ratio	Male, 54.5% Female, 45.5%	Male, 54.5% Female, 45.5%
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, 10.6% Unknown, 5.5% Hispanic or Latino, 17.9% Asian, 9.4% White, 55.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.6%
LGBT Percentage	10%	10%

Differences between restaurant owner and restaurant manager 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.

Restaurant manager example responsibilities.

Manage staff by teaching them the correct procedures along with making sure they are working up to Marriott standards.
Manage associates while bartending and serving in a family-own restaurant.
Coordinate, communicate and delegate FOH responsibilities to staff to ensure excellent operations are consistently achieve.
Maintain corporate accounts on QuickBooks.
Master QuickBooks to track company expenses and revenue.
Supervise and train dining and in-room dining staff.

Restaurant owner vs restaurant manager skills

Common restaurant owner skills

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

Common restaurant manager skills

Customer Service, 14%
Guest Satisfaction, 7%
Food Handling, 7%
Cleanliness, 6%
Restaurant Management, 5%
Guest Service, 5%

Restaurant Owner vs. similar jobs

Restaurant Owner related careers

Restaurant Owner related jobs

What similar roles do

Zippia Careers
Executive Management Industry
Restaurant Owner
Restaurant Owner vs Restaurant Manager

Updated January 8, 2025

Browse executive management jobs