What it takes to be a Restaurant Manager in SA

Anyone who has eaten at a restaurant has probably noticed how busy restaurants tend to be. Restaurant jobs are not easy, the role of a Restaurant Manager being trying, tough and, when you push through, rewarding. If hospitality careers are something that interest you, you might want to consider Restaurant Manager jobs on Job Mail.

Management jobs in this field entail making sure the restaurant runs smoothly, while keeping track of stock and ensuring that all the waiters are performing their jobs well. This is certainly not a job for the faint hearted or easily intimidated.

Restaurant Manager Job Description

Restaurant Manager jobs require you to wear a number of hats. You will find yourself having to coordinate the operations of the restaurant in order to ensure that things run smoothly. As an added task to coordinating the operations of the restaurant you will have to be able respond to all customer complaints and ensure that they are dealt with timeously. You will always find customers who are not happy with the services offered by your restaurant or your restaurant’s staff, and as the Restaurant Manager you will have to fan these flames before they spread.

In addition to these tasks you will also be expected to have a clear guideline for quality control of the products offered in your restaurant, to organise the shifts of your waiters and waitresses and to appraise their work performance, to market your restaurant’s brand and to keep track of your restaurant’s costs and income.

With these types of hospitality jobs, you will have other tasks that are not directly related to your job but necessary to complete for things to run smoothly. This includes tasks such as making sure that your staff work in an environment that is conducive to being productive.

Personal Traits of a Restaurant Manager

Due to the diversity of a Restaurant Manager’s job tasks you will have to have a few personal traits in order to succeed in this work space. Firstly you will have to possess great physical stamina. Fitness is key in this job as well as other types of restaurant jobs. You will be on your feet practically all day, you cannot do this properly if you are not physically fit.

It would also be a great advantage if you have a positive and upbeat attitude. You must love what you do, your passion will be felt by both your employers and your customers.

Any great Restaurant Manager will have to be a good problem solver. When problems arise, which they will, you will need to make snap judgments. Good problem solving skills will ensure that you come up with the right solutions that actually work well for your restaurant.

Like seen with most management jobs, you will have to have a good way of coping and managing stress and be able to multi-task. Your day can be very long while working in restaurants and in order to cope with this stress you will need to be able cope with these long hours.

Besides having to work for long hours you will need to juggle different roles; from managing staff to keeping customers happy, this constant juggling of roles will require you to have good multi-tasking skills to stay sane and do your job well.

Training and Skills

As a general rule, Restaurant Managers tend to be trained on the job. Although this differs from restaurant to restaurant, the normal path to restaurant management is through gaining experience in other restaurant jobs and working your way up to management level.

The person is then promoted into a management position where they often undergo some training program to get them acquainted with the tasks and responsibilities of being a Restaurant Manager.

You do not necessarily have to have a tertiary degree to be employed as a Restaurant Manager. However, a lot of restaurants prefer employing managers who at least have their matric and a good grasp of the English language and mathematics.

In large restaurants, managers may be required to have completed a diploma or degree in the hospitality field. Institutions such as Cape Peninsula University of Technology and the Swiss Hotel School all offer diplomas and programs to help accelerate your entry into hospitality careers and possibly get into a restaurant management position.

Work Environment and Remuneration

As with all hospitality jobs, your work environment will vary according to the type of restaurant you choose to work in. You could find yourself working in a small and relatively relaxed cafe. In this environment you will probably find yourself talking to clients quite a lot, making sure they are happy with your service and making sure your waiters provide great customer care to your customers and special care to your regulars.

You may also find yourself at a busy fast food restaurant. This is a particularly stressful work environment. You will constantly have to make sure that you keep track of stock and your restaurant’s income and costs.

You could on the other hand find yourself at a bar. The only real downfall with this environment is having to deal with overly intoxicated patrons. The pro is that you will never run out of interesting stories to tell your friends.

Although restaurant jobs are generally not high paying, as a Restaurant Manager you can expect to earn a somewhat decent wage of R109 000 per year on average, with a top range of around R190 000.

If you have an interest in, drive and passion for hospitality careers, browse through the Restaurant Manager jobs listed on Job Mail. Register your CV today and get started!

Summary

Article Name

What it takes to be a Restaurant Manager in SA

Description

Restaurant Manager jobs require you to wear a number of hats. You will find yourself having to coordinate the operations of the restaurant.

Author

Job Mail Staff Writer

Publisher Name

Job Mail

Publisher Logo