This Restaurant Manager interview profile gives you an idea of what to look for in applicants and a range of good interview questions.
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Interviewing for a food manager role? You’ll need to be prepared to answer a wide range of questions that dig into your skills experience, management style, and more. While every interview is unique, there are a number of common food manager interview questions you should expect.
In this article we’ll cover some of the most frequently asked interview questions for food managers and provide tips on how to give strong, compelling answers. With the right preparation, you’ll be ready to ace your food manager interview.
Tell Me About Yourself
The “tell me about yourself” question is nearly universal in interviews It’s typically one of the first questions asked and is a great opportunity to give an overview of your background and experience
When answering, focus on highlights that are most relevant to the food manager role. Talk about:
- Your number of years of restaurant experience
- Management positions you’ve held and key responsibilities
- Your educational background
- Specific skills related to food and beverage, staff management, etc.
- Any awards or accomplishments that make you stand out
Keep your answer to under 5 minutes and remember to tailor it based on the specific food manager job you’re applying for.
Why Are You Looking To Leave Your Current Position?
Interviewers often like to understand why you’re looking to change jobs. Be thoughtful here – you don’t want to badmouth your current employer. Instead, keep your answer positive.
You can mention looking for new challenges and opportunities to grow. Share any ways this new food manager role would be a better fit for your skills and interests compared to your current position.
If there were issues at your current job, be diplomatic in addressing them. Say something like, “While I valued my experience at Company X, I’m hoping to find a work environment that’s a better culture fit.”
How Did You Handle a Difficult Customer Situation?
Food managers need to be able to diffuse tense customer situations. This question tests your problem-solving skills and customer service abilities.
When answering, be sure to describe a specific example rather than talking in vague generalities. Set the scene – who was involved, when did it happen, and what was the situation. Then walk through how you successfully resolved the issue highlighting the steps you took.
Emphasize any parts of your handling that demonstrated patience, empathy, creative problem-solving skills, and your commitment to customer satisfaction. This shows you have the competencies needed to be an effective food manager.
Tell Me About a Time You Dealt with an Underperforming Employee
Managing people is core to being a food manager. Interviewers want to know how you handle subpar employees.
Pick an example that shows your leadership abilities in a positive light. Talk through how you approached the employee, worked to understand any broader issues leading to the underperformance, provided coaching/feedback, and helped them improve.
If the situation ultimately led to termination, explain how you made that call after exhausting other options while following company protocols. Throughout your answer, you want to show you can address challenges compassionately while upholding standards.
How Do You Ensure Food Safety in Your Restaurant?
Food safety is top priority for any food service establishment. When asked this question, don’t just talk generally about following health codes – dive into the specifics.
Explain how you implement policies and procedures related to:
- Employee training on safe food handling
- Proper equipment use and cleaning/sanitizing
- Accurate temperature monitoring and logging for fridges, food, etc.
- Safe food receiving, storage, preparation, and plating practices
- Pest control and prevention
- Regular audits and compliance checks
Demonstrate your understanding of critical food safety principles and commitment to running a safe, hygienic kitchen operation.
How Do You Set and Manage Budgets?
Food managers need strong budgeting skills to control costs and maximize profits. This common question tests your experience and comfort level with financial management.
Highlight your experience developing budgets for inventory, labor, supplies, and other operating expenses. Share examples that provide insights into your approach like:
- Forecasting sales to inform budgets
- Researching vendors for cost-savings
- Monitoring variances and adjusting as needed
- Reporting financials to upper management
- Implementing controls to stick to budgets
Convey your ability to create realistic, detailed budgets and actively manage them. Include any successes with coming under budget or boosting profits through your diligent budget oversight.
Where Do You See Yourself in 5 Years?
While this question doesn’t have one right answer, hiring managers want to understand your career goals and aspirations. They want to hire food managers who are motivated to grow in their careers.
You can mention goals like:
- Advancing to an upper management role like Regional Food and Beverage Director
- Running the food operations for a larger, busier restaurant
- Learning additional skills through certifications
- Joining the corporate training team to help develop new food managers
- Opening your own restaurant someday
Your answer doesn’t have to be set in stone. Convey your passion and drive to keep developing as a professional. This shows you have vision and are interested in progressing your food service career.
Why Should We Hire You?
Similar to the “tell me about yourself” question, this is an opportunity to sell yourself as the ideal candidate. Summarize why your background, skills, and experience make you uniquely qualified.
Talk about specific assets you bring like:
- X years overseeing successful restaurant operations as Food and Beverage Manager
- Reduced food costs by 15% through supplier negotiations
- Expertise managing every aspect of a restaurant from kitchen to front-of-house
- Experience with restaurant accounting software and payroll systems
- 2012 Rising Star Food Manager award recipient
Close your answer with a statement about how excited you are by the opportunity and how confident you are that you would excel in the role. This is your final pitch, so make it compelling!
Preparation Is the Key to Food Manager Interview Success
The key food manager interview questions touch on your past experience, technical knowledge, management abilities, leadership skills, and career motivations. Brushing up on likely questions, and carefully practicing your responses, can help you feel poised and ready.
Remember to keep your answers concise and use specific examples whenever possible. This shows your capabilities far better than vague, general claims. Food manager roles require a diverse skillset. With the right preparation, you can show how you uniquely meet the demands of this critical restaurant position. Now get out there and land your dream food manager job!
10 good restaurant manager interview questions
- Have you eaten here before? If so, what would you change or make better?
- How would you describe our competitors and our customers?
- What’s the most challenging aspect of being a restaurant manager?
- How would you rate your ability to keep costs down? What steps have you taken to lower costs or make more money?
- How do you make sure that your revenue reports, inventory reports, and payroll reports are always correct and up to date?
- An item on the menu is not selling well. How would you discuss this with your chef?.
- Think of a time when you solved a problem at work with a guest, an employee, or your boss. How did you handle it?.
- Recall a time you mentored someone. What place were they in the beginning? Where are they now?
- When did you last fire someone, and why?
- Describe a time you went above and beyond guest expectations.
Here are 10 essential interview questions and sample answers to help identify the best candidates for this role.
Recall a time you resolved a conflict with a guest, employee, or supervisor at work. How did you handle it?
This question assesses the candidate’s conflict resolution skills.
“I once had a guest complaint about service speed. I apologized, explained the situation, and offered a discount on their next visit. ”.
