6 essential skills every restaurant manager must have

To be a successful restaurant manager, you need many different skills that can influence your team to be the best. You also wear many hats. Your job description covers everything from administration, health and safety, regulatory compliance, supply chain responsibility and staff management. You’re often different things to different people and that’s what makes you so valuable.

As a restaurant manager you can learn skills in different ways. Hard skills are learnt through certifications, diplomas or degrees. But it’s the soft skills you bring to the role that make the difference. Soft skills are emotional, social and communication and are usually gained through experience.

We’ve put together a list of 6 essential soft skills every restaurant leader must have.

1. Communication is vital

Phones ringing, emails coming in, waiters asking, chefs shouting, customers demanding… As a restaurant manager you need to thrive on being the pivotal point in a busy setting. But it also means communicating with everyone and balancing individual needs with the restaurant vision. Never assume that someone has spoken to someone else about a task that needs doing or an issue that needs resolving. You take the initiative to speak to everyone and ensure they’re aligned.

Your team is likely made up of different backgrounds, ages, gender and nationalities. Strong communication skills are thus imperative to help you become a great leader.

Finally, communicating effectively with customers helps build good relationships and makes them feel valued. Valued customers will return to your venue.

2. The beauty is in the detail

As a restaurant manager you need an eye for detail. There are lots of small but important details that you should oversee. Everything from table settings, cleanliness or what wine or meals aren’t available that day, the list goes on.

You can train yourself to review all aspects of your restaurant and be attentive to details. By picking up on small things you will improve the experience of the venue and prevent minor stuff from slipping through the cracks.

3. Be your team’s biggest cheerleader

It’s true what they say, teamwork makes the dream work. Creating a comfortable, happy environment is essential as a restaurant manager. You can motivate your employees to work hard and stay with you by showing them that you appreciate them.

Remembering and celebrating birthdays
Saying ‘thank you’
Encouraging camaraderie and social events
Allowing mistakes to happen
Ask them how they want to grow and look at training programs and ideas to help.

It’s no secret that the hospitality industry has high turnover rates, and this can make teamwork challenging. But remain committed to your ethos. This way you show your staff you’re willing to connect with them and help them grow.

4. Balance the best experience with a budget

Understanding restaurant revenue vs costs will help you produce the best experience without going into the red. Which items on your menu should be updated to reflect when produce is in season? How much did you spend on payroll last month compared to previous months. Are you putting the right number of staff on when you have busy periods vs quiet?

A successful restaurant manager needs to be on top of the numbers and know how to adjust to the current situation. Turning a possible loss into a profit is a real skill. Here you can find the most important restaurant KPIs to measure performance.

5. Use technology for solutions

There’s often an app or software that contributes to managing a successful restaurant. Inventory management, POS and employee rostering software, are designed to save you time, money and even prevent mistakes.

Being a tech wizard isn’t mandatory either! Most software is designed with users first and are easy to use.

6. Positive attitude

Positivity isn’t just about always smiling and being nice. It’s about cultivating a workplace culture that promotes excellence and success.

Supportive managers keep staff engaged. And engaged, happy staff are highly productive employees. Things are always going to go wrong, and people make mistakes. Ensure you never yell at someone in front of their fellow staff – that will only embarrass them and potentially make them react badly.

Focus not on the mistake but on what could be better next time. Train your mind to see opportunity and positivity in every situation. This will help grow your own attitude which in turn will inspire your staff.

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6 essential skills every restaurant manager must have - Planday

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