A restaurant manager is responsible for overseeing the daily operations of a restaurant or food establishment. This role involves managing staff, ensuring excellent customer service, handling finances and stock, and making sure health and safety standards are met. Restaurant managers often recruit and train new team members, deal with customer complaints, and work with chefs and suppliers to ensure the smooth running of the business. The job can be fast-paced and requires strong organisational and leadership skills, as well as the ability to work under pressure. Career progression can lead to more senior roles, such as area or regional manager, or even owning your own restaurant.
Restaurant managers in the UK typically earn between £22,000 and £40,000 per year, with experienced managers in high-end venues earning up to £50,000.
There are over 100,000 restaurants and food service businesses in the UK, with thousands of restaurant manager positions advertised each year.
Restaurant managers often work around 40 to 48 hours per week, including evenings, weekends, and public holidays.
Oversees the customer service team, coordinates reservations, and ensures guests have a positive dining experience.
Leads the kitchen team, designs menus, and manages food preparation and presentation in a restaurant.
Organises private events and special functions within the restaurant, working closely with clients and staff to deliver tailored experiences.
Begin by working in an entry-level position such as waiter or kitchen assistant to learn the basics of restaurant operations.
Entry-level roles expose you to the fast-paced environment of a restaurant. You will learn essential skills such as customer service, food safety, teamwork, and basic food preparation. These roles provide a strong foundation and help you understand how each part of the restaurant fits together.
Focus on providing excellent service and handling customer queries effectively to build your reputation.
Customer service is at the heart of restaurant management. Pay attention to customer needs, resolve complaints politely, and go the extra mile to ensure guests have a positive experience. These skills are highly valued and will be expected as you progress in your career.
Take hospitality or catering courses at college, or consider an apprenticeship in hospitality supervision.
Courses such as a Level 3 Diploma in Hospitality Supervision or an apprenticeship can provide you with valuable knowledge in food safety, leadership, and business management. These qualifications are well regarded in the industry and can fast-track your progression to supervisory roles.
Gain certification in food hygiene and safety, which is often required for management positions.
Food safety certificates demonstrate your understanding of health and safety regulations, which is essential for maintaining a safe environment for guests and staff. You can take short courses or online modules to achieve these certificates.
Apply for supervisory roles to gain experience managing staff and handling more responsibility.
As a supervisor or assistant manager, you will oversee shifts, delegate tasks, train new staff, and help with stock control and budgeting. These roles are a stepping stone to full management and allow you to develop leadership and problem-solving skills.
Apply for Restaurant Manager positions, using your experience and qualifications to demonstrate your suitability.
As a Restaurant Manager, you will be responsible for all aspects of the restaurant, including team leadership, financial management, marketing, and ensuring compliance with health regulations. Continued professional development and networking in the industry can help you succeed and progress further.
Explore relevant apprenticeships that can help you kickstart your career in Restaurant Manager. Apprenticeships offer hands-on experience and training while earning a wage.
A Restaurant Manager and a Catering Manager share similar responsibilities related to overseeing food service operations, managing staff, and ensuring customer satisfaction within the hospitality industry. Both roles require skills in staff management, budgeting, and maintaining service quality, making them closely aligned in terms of qualifications.
You can get into this job through:
You could do a foundation degree, higher national diploma or degree.
Useful subjects include:
You'll usually need:
You could take professional catering qualifications at college then move into management. You could also do a qualification in hospitality management and find work as a trainee catering manager.
Entry requirements for these courses vary.
You could do a Hospitality Manager Level 4 Higher Apprenticeship, if you've got experience in catering and have also worked as a supervisor.
You could also do a Hospitality Supervisor Level 3 Advanced Apprenticeship and then progress to become a hospitality and catering manager.
You'll usually need:
You could start as a kitchen assistant or trainee 'commis' chef and work your way up while learning on the job. You could apply for work with restaurants, bars or catering companies.
You can find out more about catering careers from Caterer.com and CareerScope.
Explore other careers or use our AI to discover personalised paths based on your interests.
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