Food Services Manager: Duties & Salary

by Willette Francis
Catering management is an exciting career with many roads to choose from when you have the right education. You can own your own business or manage a franchise, it's all up to you. Catering management is needed nationally, regionally, and globally for the sports, entertainment, and hospitality industries. Wherever food and beverages are served, a food service management professional oversees its quality and ensures that customers are satisfied with the meal and service they receive at the establishment.

What does a food service manager do?
Food service managers oversee the day-to-day operations at restaurants and other places that serve and prepare food and beverages. In addition to overseeing operations, they are also responsible for each department in the establishment from kitchen to banquet operations. The biggest responsibility that food service managers have is to make sure each customer is satisfied with the dining experience.
Catering management workers manage inventory, equipment, and the facility while also taking care of all the administrative and human resource tasks such as hiring, recruiting, and training employees. They even have to monitor each employee's work performance which means they are also responsible for the dismissal or firing of employees. Other duties food service managers may perform include cooking, bussing tables, and possibly a multitude of other duties, depending on business needs. If the restaurant is really busy, then the manager takes on other roles as needed.

Food service managers make sure that customers get the correct order and that it is brought to them in a timely fashion. Dealing with customer complaints about the food or service is another task that managers must undertake. If problems arise with a customer's order, they monitor what occurs in the kitchen to try and resolve the problem. Managers maintain the sanitation standards in the kitchen by directing the cleaning of the dining area and kitchen including the utensils and they make sure that equipment meets the company and sanitation code.  
When food service managers are not monitoring the dining and kitchen experiences, they have to attend to administrative work in the office. Food service managers maintain employee records, prepare payroll, complete paperwork to comply with laws and regulations. They also keep records of supplies and purchases. Cash handling, locking up, checking to make sure ovens and grills are turned off at the end of the day, and setting the alarm system are all in a day's work for a food service manager.

The use of computer systems help the managers complete their job duties and responsibilities more effectively and efficiently.
How much are food service managers paid and what kinds of food service manager jobs can I get?
In 2006, the Bureau of Labor Statistics stated the median salary for a food service manager was $43,020. The highest 10 percent earned more than $70,810. Along with salary, they also receive benefits, free meals, and additional training. Some food service managers have the opportunity to earn bonuses based on the company's sales and revenue.

Food service managers can find jobs in traveler accommodations, special food services, full-service restaurants, elementary and secondary schools, and limited service eating places.



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