What Makes a Good Restaurant Manager?

The job of the restaurant manager is one of the toughest in the business world, thanks to long hours, unpredictable business, difficult staffing, and a seemingly neverending stream of problems and surprises. To be a good restaurant manager, many skills are needed in combination, skills which can help the effective restaurant manager thrive amidst chaos. Here are a few traits of the good restaurant manager:

Human Resources Skills

Employee turnover is very high in the restaurant industry, so the good restaurant manager should never stop recruiting, either to fill open slots or upgrade existing staff. Good restaurant managers get personally involved in employee training to ensure that teams have the skills needed to be as successful as possible. And good managers work every day to keep their best employees motivated and happy so that they don't leave to work at another restaurant!

Motivation

Keeping those good employees motivated and happy comes down to being a motivational leader. Managing a restaurant is more than just hiring bodies and scheduling employees on a time-chart; good restaurant managers take time to understand their employees' strengths, weaknesses, desires and levels of commitment.

Credibility Through Knowledge

The cooks won't respect a restaurant manager if he can't create a club sandwich the same way they do, and the waitresses and hostesses won't respect a restaurant manager if she doesn't understand the dining area's seating arrangements. It's important for a good restaurant manager to have a solid understanding of every aspect of operation of the restaurant, and to be able to step into anybody's shoes as the need arises.

Multi-Tasking Ability

Two waiters are late, there's a long line at the hostess station, the register needs to be cashed out and one of the grills is acting up. It's all in a day's work for a successful restaurant manager; the best ones have no problem juggling all of these priorities effectively, and still having time to thank some customers on their way out the door.

Grace Under Fire

With the lunch or dinner rush, chaos ensues in most restaurants, and it's up to the manager to keep a cool head. It's not uncommon for emotions to run high and tempers to flare as the customer rush begins, but it's the good manager's job to be a steady, calming influence on all of her employees.

Energy

Long hours, high stress, constant surprises ... it takes a lot of energy to be a good restaurant manager.