Food Service Managers
Plan, direct, or coordinate activities of an organization or department that serves food and beverages.
Also known as: Banquet Director, Banquet Manager, Cafe Operator, Cafeteria Director, Cafeteria Manager, Cafeteria Operator, Catering Coordinator, Catering Director, ...
Annual Salary
Median annual wage (May 2024)
Job Outlook
Projected growth, 2024–2034 (Faster than average)
What You'd Do
- Test cooked food by tasting and smelling it to ensure palatability and flavor conformity.
- Investigate and resolve complaints regarding food quality, service, or accommodations.
- Schedule and receive food and beverage deliveries, checking delivery contents to verify product quality and quantity.
- Monitor food preparation methods, portion sizes, and garnishing and presentation of food to ensure that food is prepared and presented in an acceptable manner.
- Monitor budgets and payroll records, and review financial transactions to ensure that expenditures are authorized and budgeted.
- Schedule staff hours and assign duties.
- Monitor compliance with health and fire regulations regarding food preparation and serving, and building maintenance in lodging and dining facilities.
- Coordinate assignments of cooking personnel to ensure economical use of food and timely preparation.
- Keep records required by government agencies regarding sanitation or food subsidies.
- Establish standards for personnel performance and customer service.
- Estimate food, liquor, wine, and other beverage consumption to anticipate amounts to be purchased or requisitioned.
- Review work procedures and operational problems to determine ways to improve service, performance, or safety.
- Perform some food preparation or service tasks, such as cooking, clearing tables, and serving food and drinks when necessary.
- Maintain food and equipment inventories, and keep inventory records.
- Organize and direct worker training programs, resolve personnel problems, hire new staff, and evaluate employee performance in dining and lodging facilities.
- Order and purchase equipment and supplies.
- Assess staffing needs and recruit staff, using methods such as newspaper advertisements or attendance at job fairs.
- Arrange for equipment maintenance and repairs, and coordinate a variety of services, such as waste removal and pest control.
- Count money and make bank deposits.
- Review menus and analyze recipes to determine labor and overhead costs, and assign prices to menu items.
Top Skills
Importance scale: 1 (low) – 5 (high)
Knowledge Areas
Importance scale: 1 (low) – 5 (high)
Education Level Distribution
Percentage of workers in this occupation by education level
Technology & Tools
Software and tools commonly used in this role
In-Demand Technologies
Other Tools
Work Styles
Personality traits and work styles important for this career
Key Abilities
Cognitive, physical, and sensory abilities important for this role
Importance scale: 1 (low) – 5 (high)
Work Activities
General types of job behaviors occurring on this job
Importance scale: 1 (low) – 5 (high)
Work Environment
Physical and social factors that influence the nature of work
Related Careers
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Salary data: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2024. Outlook data: BLS Employment Projections, 2024–2034.
This page includes information from the O*NET 30.2 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license.