What most people don’t know is that on top of running the restaurant, you are likely able to jump into any one of your employee’s positions at a moment’s notice.
You are a true jackknife of all trades, and you are used to the hiring process, so you should have this thing in the bag, right?
Stop to consider that you might be more used to being on the other side of the hiring process by reviewing resumes yourself and hiring your own employees.
Now, it’s your turn in the hot seat and someone else’s turn to review you.
While you might have your own preferences of what you look for in an employee, sometimes those personalized goals don’t match up with what other restaurant owners are looking for.
Despite your experience, it is important to brush up on your skills by taking an objective approach to the resume writing process.
Consider us your guide and let’s get started!
Summary
- Resume Template
- Formatting
- Writing Your Resume Summary
- Areas of Expertise
- Writing Your Work Experience
- Writing Your Education Section
- Additional Sections
- Resume Points to Remember
- Resume “Don’ts” to Remember
- Some Helpful Tools
Let’s begin with a sample restaurant manager resume to demonstrate how all the resume pieces fit together. Then we will break each section down to really drill into how to write the best restaurant manager resume you possibly can.
Restaurant Manager Resume (Text Version)
Contact Info:
Leona Compton
[email protected]
1 (701) 555-5500
Bismarck, ND 58504
Summary Statement:
Restaurant Manager: Professional and reliable Restaurant Manager with proven experience of over 12 years in the restaurant business. Strong intuition and ability to create profit and customer satisfaction. Passion for instilling values of both quality customer service and camaraderie among all team members to bring delicious food to the table and satisfy patrons.
Key Accomplishments/Areas of Expertise
- Facilitating Profit Goals
- Staff Training
- Scheduling
- Collaborative
- OSHA
- POS Systems
- Accounting/Budgeting
- Business Management
- Strong Delegator
- Clear Communicator
- Excellent Composure
- Motivational
- Accountable
- Food Prep
Professional Experience:
Tru Blu Social Club | Restaurant Manager
West Fargo, ND | July 2016 – Present
- Regularly exceed monthly profit levels by over 10%
- Oversee creation of menu items to ensure restaurant standards
- Ensure kitchen and dining areas are clean, safe, and sanitary
- Reduced food waste by 15% through kitchen system revisions
Stonehome Brewing Co. | Kitchen Manager
Bismarck, ND | Apr 2014 – June 2016
- Organized kitchen & dining areas adhering to OSHA regulations
- Implemented improved training, reduced staff turnover rate by 20%
- Hired & trained 30+ staff members on customer service, health & safety
- Assisted with creation of weekly special menu items to increase revenue by 5%
Perkins | Kitchen Leader
Bismarck, ND | Sept 2012 – Feb 2014
- Informed General Manager of issues and proposed alternate solutions
- Identified ways to streamline operation
- Maintained a clean and safe facility
- Communicated clearly and concisely verbally and in writing
Education
FOOD SAFETY MANAGER CERTIFICATE
State of North Dakota
Complete Sept 2012
Formatting
Just like the visual style and cleanliness of a restaurant, no matter how good the food is, appearances still matter because they’re the first thing anyone notices.
The same is true for your restaurant manager resume.
Before you start thinking about what you are going to say, it is important to think about how you are going to say it.
Often the first decision you will make is selecting the right font.
You don’t have to stick with Times New Roman, but just make sure that whatever font you pick it’s legible and won’t distract the eyes from a quick and easy read.
The same goal applies to the overall format you select.
While there are many acceptable formats to choose from, make sure that you are considering what format will show off your skills the best.
If you have a section of your restaurant manager resume that is impressive and should be noticed first, make sure it comes before sections that might not make as much of an impact.
Since, on average, hiring managers only spend about 6 seconds reviewing the resumes that come across their desks, it is essential to put your best foot forward.
Consider listing your accomplishments and work history in reverse chronological order so that your most recent and relevant items come first within their respective sections.
Aside from the actual words you are writing, don’t forget to consider the blank space in between.
Creating clean and proper spacing to isolate valuable information and guide the eye is crucial in writing a resume that will draw attention for all the right reasons.
If you can initially draw someone in with a solid resume format, then you are already ahead of the crowd.
Start With Your Resume Summary
If you have been in the workforce for a while, you might be familiar with starting your resume off with an “objective.”
While that was the norm for a while, today’s job market has seen a shift to include a resume summary instead.
Rather than stating your desired job title or career goals, a resume summary is an opportunity for you to speak briefly about who you are as a restaurant manager.
The best way to fill out a resume summary is to ask yourself what the qualities of an ideal restaurant manager are and what job requirements they must fulfill.
However, you answer that question should help guide how you talk about yourself in your resume summary.
Make sure that you keep things short and sweet by concluding your summary within two to three sentences.
Yes!
Professional and reliable Restaurant Manager with proven experience of over 12 years in the restaurant business. Strong intuition and ability to create profit and customer satisfaction. Passion for instilling values of both quality customer service and camaraderie among all team members to bring delicious food to the table and satisfy patrons.
No!
Restaurant Manager with proven experience. Great at getting people to work together and make great food for customers.
The first example describes the candidate in a way that shows what they most value as a restaurant manager and also lends brief insights into how they meet those expectations.
The second example reuses simplistic and boring language to describe the candidate, leaving their summary forgettable and indistinct.
PRO TIP: If you are still having trouble narrowing things down for your restaurant manager resume summary, try writing your other sections first and coming back to it. Sometimes it helps to warm up your brain by going over your work history first.
Key Accomplishments/ Skills & Qualifications
With so many sections appearing fairly information-heavy, it is always beneficial to include a section that distinctly lists some of your significant skills and qualifications.
Including this section allows for something eye-catching on the page to grab a hiring manager’s attention at a glance.
Because this section is so eye-catching, it is crucial to make sure that the skills you decide to include will match up with what they are looking for in a candidate.
To start, make sure that you consider the two main categories of skill types.
Hard skills and soft skills.
Hard skills are often referred to as technical skills.
They are the kind of skills that can be taught, practiced, and are more objective.
Soft skills are more commonly known as people skills.
These kinds of skills are associated more with personality traits and are more subjective to define.
Both skills are necessary for any well-rounded and experienced restaurant manager.
When listing your skills, you can split them up by type if you feel it would benefit your restaurant manager resume, or you can leave them together in one single section.
Skills and Qualifications
- Facilitating Profit Goals
- Staff Training
- Scheduling
- Collaborative
- Clear Communicator
- OSHA
- POS systems
- Accounting/Budgeting
- Accountable
- Excellent Composure
- Motivational
- Business Management
- Food Prep
- Strong Delegator
PRO TIP: When writing a list of skills and qualifications, make sure that you reference the job posting or do research on the company you are applying to. Often job postings will list the kinds of skills they value in a candidate, and this list will help you stand out if it matches up accordingly.
Writing Your Work Experience
The main component of most resumes is the work history section.
This section commonly takes up the most space and gets the most attention because of its ability to “prove” your skills.
While in previous sections, you were able to talk about yourself and your strengths, there weren’t many facts involved.
With your work history section, you really get a chance to show off that you have put your skills to the test and come out on top.
As stated previously, it is a good idea to list your work in reverse chronological order because people want to know what you are currently doing.
Usually, your most recent work is also your most impressive.
While every situation is unique, make sure that you are only listing work that is relevant to restaurant management or at least related to either the restaurant industry or business management.
Once you know what jobs you are going to include, it is time to come up with a description for each one.
Your job descriptions are an excellent opportunity for you to show off your abilities, so try to write every bullet point in a way that will reinforce an accomplishment of yours or explain how you utilized a necessary skill.
Keep each job description to about three to five bullet points or sentences.
Yes!
Tru Blu Social Club | West Fargo, ND | Restaurant Manager | July 2016 – Present
- Regularly exceed monthly profit levels by over 10%
- Oversee creation of menu items to ensure restaurant standards
- Ensure kitchen and dining areas are clean, safe, and sanitary
- Reduced food waste by 15% through kitchen system revisions
No!
Tru Blu Social Club | West Fargo, ND | Restaurant Manager | July 2016 – Present
- Exceed monthly profit levels
- Oversee creation of menu items
- Oversee kitchen and dining areas
- Reduced food waste by 15%
The first example lends compelling details of how the candidate had a positive impact on their restaurant while giving specific numbers and explanations to show a cause and effect.
The second example lists positive outcomes of the candidate’s work without any details concerning how goals were met and exceeded or by how much.
PRO TIP: For each job description you write, make sure that you are including specific quantifying and qualifying details to paint a complete picture of how you impacted business. If you trained many employees, give a number, or if you reduced food waste, briefly explain how and by how much.
(If you lack work experience, see below for a helpful section.)
More About Bots
If you have already worked as a restaurant manager, you are likely aware of just how many applications you might receive, especially if there is an opening.
Some large companies and restaurants who see a substantial number of applications don’t always have the time necessary to sort through every single one.
Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS), or bots, are systems designed to sort through resumes before a hiring manager sits down to take a look.
Bots review resumes in search of what a company considers to be “good-candidate potential.”
If a candidate makes the cut, their resume gets flagged. If not, their resume is likely never seen by a pair of real human eyes.
While this might sound harsh or challenging, in most cases, these systems work by searching resumes for specific keywords and power words (action verbs) associated with a quality candidate.
Some resume experts believe that writing your resume in paragraph format instead of bullet points allows applicants to include more keywords in their resume.
However, it is still possible to include a reasonable amount of keywords in a resume that uses bullet point..
That is why at Big Interview, we believe that sticking with a bullet point format is the best way to go.
Bullet points are still the best way to break down information and catch the eye of a human employer.
Standard Bullet Point Format:
Stonehome Brewing Co. | Bismarck, ND | Kitchen Manager | Apr 2014 – June 2016
- Organized kitchen & dining areas adhering to OSHA regulations
- Implemented improved training, reduced staff turnover rate by 20%
- Hired & trained 30+ staff members on customer service, health & safety
- Assisted with creation of weekly special menu items to increase revenue by 5%
Paragraph Format:
Stonehome Brewing Co. | Bismarck, ND | Kitchen Manager | Apr 2014 – June 2016
Organized kitchen and dining areas adhering to OSHA regulations and consistently received excellent reviews during health and safety inspections. Implemented improved training and communication methods to reduce staff turnover rate by 20%. Hired and trained 30+ staff members on customer service, health and safety requirements, presentation, and menu items. Assisted restaurant manager on creation of weekly special menu items to increase revenue by 5%.
Another option is to write your description in paragraph format and then include a few stand out details in bullet points.
Paragraph Format w/ Bullet Points:
Stonehome Brewing Co. | Bismarck, ND | Kitchen Manager | Apr 2014 – June 2016
Organized kitchen and dining areas adhering to OSHA regulations and consistently received excellent reviews during health and safety inspections. Implemented improved training and communication methods to create a positive environment for staff and guests. Hired and trained staff members on customer service, health and safety requirements, presentation, and menu items. Assisted restaurant manager on creation of weekly special menu items to increase revenue by 5%.
- Reduced turnover by 20%
- Trained over 30 employees
Writing Your Education Section
Compared to your other sections, your education is relatively simplistic to cover.
If you have multiple degrees to include, list them in order of relevance and impressiveness.
For each degree or diploma, include the title of your degree, the school you attended, and the year you graduated.
Example:
B.S. in Business Administration and Management
North Dakota State University, Fargo ND
2014
If you have additional certifications or licenses, you can list them in this section as well.
Example:
Food Safety Manager Certificate
State of North Dakota
Complete Sept 2012
Possible Sections to Include
In some cases, you might have accomplishments and relevant details that don’t fit in traditional resume sections.
When this happens, adding in a section to include that information is acceptable.
Some additional sections to consider including are:
- Awards and honors
- Publications
- Noteworthy Projects
- Social Media Influence
- Speaking Engagements
- Hobbies/Interests
- Volunteer Work
What if You Have No Experience?
If you are just getting started in the restaurant business and seeking to land a management position, there are a few ways to tailor your resume.
First off, the restaurant business, just like any other, will want someone who has relevant experience in a position that manages other staff, even if you have an impressive degree.
If you are attempting to work your way into a restaurant management position, it is important to have experience in the field and be able to handle the pressure that comes with the food industry.
If you have an impressive degree and minimal work experience, it is always in your best interest to list your education after your resume summary.
Try to expand on details like an impressive GPA or any honors or awards that might give your education section some flair.
If you have additional work experience in another field and are just switching tracks, try to tailor your job descriptions to things that are still relevant to restaurant management.
For example, if you have management experience in another industry, focus on details that are related to working in a restaurant, like budgeting, training staff, and customer service.
Overall, just stay positive and confident that you are ready to take on the restaurant business and let that attitude shine through your resume.
Resume Points to Remember
Keep it brief
While in some cases you might have a lot of experience or skills to talk about, make sure that you are still narrowing things down to the most important and impressive details. Never write a two-page resume.
Make it fresh
Every time you start a new bullet point or sentence, make sure that you are beginning with a new power word. Keywords and power words are necessary to include; be intentional about using them accurately. Just make sure that you aren’t repeating the same words.
Presentation matters
The spacing between the lines is vital in making sure that your resume looks neat and professional. If you want someone to notice your resume for all the right reasons, make sure that you pay attention to structure and spacing, and put it all together with a clear and legible font.
Try to Avoid
The little things matter
Don’t get so caught up in the more complicated aspects of resume writing that you forget the most straightforward details of all. Always include your name and contact information where it is easy to notice at the top of the page.
Don’t rush
Always take the time to review and revise your resume. Don’t just read things over quickly; actually, take the time to read your resume out loud to yourself or get a trusted friend to look it over for you and give you notes.
It’s not all about you
While you want to be unique and stand out, make sure that you are still reading up on the places you are applying to, so that you can tailor your resume to their desires. Look at the job post and include their list of skills in your own resume so that they know you aren’t just a good manager, but you are compatible too.
(See below for a helpful table of some suggested power words.)
Helpful Tools:
Power Words
- Administered
- Founded
- Adept
- Formulated
- Built
- Implemented
- Created
- Improved
- Consolidated
- Initiated
- Coordinated
- Launched
- Developed
- Pioneered
- Designed
- Organized
Skills List
| Hard Skills | Soft Skills |
| Accounting/Budgeting | Motivational |
| Staff Training | Effective Leadership |
| Facilitate Profit Goals | Accountable |
| OSHA | Exceptional Communication |
| POS System | Collaborative |
