Restaurant Manager

Restaurant Manager interview questions:

Selecting the right Restaurant or Food and Beverage Manager is a crucial decision. This individual plays a pivotal role in ensuring the profitability and efficiency of your restaurant. They need to excel as both leaders and organizers. At a high level, Restaurant Managers are responsible for upholding impeccable standards in food quality, service, health, and safety. On a day-to-day basis, their duties encompass tasks like staff hiring, shift scheduling, and meticulous record-keeping of inventory, expenses, revenue, and payroll.

Conflict resolution and problem-solving skills are paramount in this role. As the supervisor of your establishment, they will be the point person for staff disputes, food-related complaints, and other issues that arise. Effective communication is essential, as they must earn the respect and trust of their team. Furthermore, they should possess a diverse skill set and be ready to contribute wherever necessary, even if it involves tasks like dishwashing, cooking, or serving guests.

A Restaurant Manager should be willing to roll up their sleeves and tackle any task, no matter how small. Depending on the day’s demands, they may find themselves involved in various aspects of restaurant operations. The following interview questions can help you assess whether candidates possess the extensive restaurant experience required for this role. These open-ended and situational questions provide a solid starting point, but consider adding your own tailored questions to align with the specific cuisine or customer base of your restaurant.

Operational and Situational questions:

• Have you experienced dining at our establishment? If so, what changes or enhancements would you recommend?
• Recall an instance when you successfully resolved a conflict involving a guest, employee, or supervisor in your previous roles. How did you navigate and resolve the situation?
• Share a situation where you provided mentorship to someone. What was their starting point, and where are they in their career now as a result of your guidance?
• Can you describe the most recent occasion when you had to terminate an employee’s employment? What were the reasons behind this decision?
• Paint a picture of the best employee you’ve ever recruited and managed.
• Have you had the opportunity to engage with our managers or staff in the past? Can you share your impressions of those interactions?
• Could you provide insights into how you perceive our competitors and our customer base?
• In your opinion, what is the most demanding aspect of being a manager or a chef?
• On a scale of your cost control skills, how would you rate yourself, and what measures have you implemented to cut costs or boost revenue?
• How do you ensure that you stay well-informed and accurate in handling revenue, inventory, and payroll reports?
• If there’s an item on the menu that’s not selling well, how would you approach discussing this with the chef?
• How would you manage ingredient substitutions in our recipes?
• What is your approach to accommodating special dietary requirements, such as vegan or gluten-free diets?
• Narrate an incident where you exceeded guest expectations.
• Describe an occasion when you proactively anticipated a guest’s needs.