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Restaurant manager resume example

A restaurant manager’s resume with eleven years in full-service dining and five running a large restaurant. Owners and multi-unit operators want managers who grow sales, control prime cost and keep staff, so the bullets show all three with numbers.

Restaurant manager resume example, page 1 of 2ESPERANZA VALDIVIARestaurant Manageresperanza.valdivia@example.com | (702) 555-0166 | Las Vegas, NV | linkedin.com/in/esperanzavaldiviaSUMMARYRestaurant manager with eleven years in full-service restaurants, the last five running a 250-seat grill with $7.8million in sales and 65 staff. I grow sales through service, bring prime cost down without cutting corners, andkeep a team that likes coming to work. UNLV hospitality graduate and ServSafe Manager.EXPERIENCERestaurant ManagerMay 2021 – PresentDesert Ember GrillLas Vegas, NV•Run a 250-seat restaurant and bar with $7.8 million in annual sales, 2 assistant managers and 65 front andback of house staff.•Brought prime cost from 66% to 61% of sales by renegotiating 4 supplier contracts, tightening portioning andscheduling labor to forecast.•Grew sales 12% in two years with a happy hour program, private dining and a weekday lunch push to nearbyoffices.•Raised the average online rating from 4.2 to 4.6 across 3,000 reviews by training servers in steps of serviceand answering every review.•Cut hourly staff turnover from 92% to 58% with a server trainer program and fair scheduling; earned an Agrade on every health inspection.Assistant Manager and Bar ManagerJan 2018 – Apr 2021Summerlin Kitchen and TapLas Vegas, NV•Managed a 40-tap bar with $1.6 million in beverage sales; cut pour cost from 24% to 19%.•Ran floor shifts for 300 covers a night and closed the restaurant 4 nights a week.•Led the reopening in 2020 with new safety procedures and a takeout program that reached 18% of sales.Server, then Shift LeadAug 2015 – Dec 2017Spring Mountain SteakhouseLas Vegas, NV•Served and trained new servers in a 180-seat steakhouse while finishing my degree.EDUCATIONB.S. in Hospitality Management2013 – 2017University of Nevada, Las VegasLas Vegas, NVCERTIFICATIONSServSafe Food Protection Manager2025National Restaurant AssociationNevada Alcohol Awareness Training Card2024State-approved training providerEsperanza Valdivia · 1 / 2
Restaurant manager resume example, page 2 of 2SKILLSRestaurant P&L · Prime cost control · Labor scheduling · Beverage programs · Hiring and training ·Guest recovery · Private dining sales · Toast POS and reporting · Inventory and ordering ·Health code compliance · Spanish (fluent)Esperanza Valdivia · 2 / 2
Restaurant managerUse this example

What recruiters look for

  • Size of the operation: seats, annual sales, staff, managers reporting to you.
  • Prime cost: food, beverage and labor cost as a share of sales, before and after.
  • Sales growth: what you did to grow traffic or check average (events, programs, marketing).
  • Guests: online ratings, survey scores, complaint handling.
  • People and compliance: turnover, trainers developed, health inspections, alcohol compliance.

Writing the summary

Give your years, the type and size of the restaurant, and two results, one on sales or guests and one on cost or people. Add your training and ServSafe Manager.

The summary in this example

Restaurant manager with eleven years in full-service restaurants, the last five running a 250-seat grill with $7.8 million in sales and 65 staff. I grow sales through service, bring prime cost down without cutting corners, and keep a team that likes coming to work. UNLV hospitality graduate and ServSafe Manager.

Assistant manager ready to run a restaurant

Assistant restaurant manager with five years in high-volume casual dining, running floor shifts for 400 covers and managing the schedule for 50 staff. I cut labor cost by 2 points last year and want a general manager role.

Quick-service or fast casual manager

Fast casual general manager with eight years in quick service, running a $2.4 million drive-through and dine-in restaurant with 35 crew. I cut drive-through times to under 3 minutes and lead the region in food safety audits.

Bullet points that work

Strong lines for this role, beyond the ones in the example. Borrow the shape and put in your own numbers.

  • Opened a second location with the owners, hiring 50 staff and hitting break-even in 4 months.
  • Raised beverage sales from 22% to 28% of total sales with a cocktail menu and server training.
  • Cut food cost by 3 points with weekly inventory and recipe costing in the POS.
  • Booked $450,000 a year in private events through a new events coordinator role I created.
  • Brought labor cost from 33% to 28% of sales by scheduling to covers and cross-training staff.
  • Developed 3 shift leads into assistant managers in 2 years.
  • Passed 12 consecutive health inspections with no critical violations.
  • Reduced guest complaints by 40% with a table-touch standard for managers on every shift.
  • Introduced online ordering that grew to 15% of sales within 6 months.

Skills to list

Hard skills

  • Restaurant P&L and prime cost
  • Food and beverage cost control
  • Labor scheduling and forecasting
  • POS and reporting (Toast, Aloha, Square)
  • Inventory and purchasing
  • Health and alcohol compliance
  • Hiring, training and performance management
  • Event and private dining sales

Soft skills

  • Leading front and back of house together
  • Calm on a busy floor
  • Guest recovery
  • Fair, consistent management

Certifications and licenses worth listing

  • ServSafe Food Protection Manager (or another ANSI-accredited food manager certification): often legally required for managers.
  • Alcohol server or manager training required in your state or county: for example Nevada’s alcohol awareness training card (often called a TAM card), TIPS or ServSafe Alcohol.
  • National Restaurant Association ManageFirst Professional (MFP): a respected management credential, useful for a first general manager role.

Length and format

One or two pages. With ten or more years, two pages are fine, but keep the current restaurant’s size and your top results in the top half of page one. Earlier serving and bartending jobs get a line.

Common mistakes

  • No cost numbers. Prime cost and labor are what owners look at first.
  • Listing tasks (“managed staff”, “handled complaints”) instead of results.
  • Leaving out the restaurant’s size and sales, which define your level.
  • Forgetting required certifications. Many employers screen for ServSafe Manager.

Questions and answers

What numbers should a restaurant manager include?

Annual sales, seats, staff, prime cost or food and labor cost percentages, sales growth, guest ratings and turnover. Before-and-after figures are strongest.

Is a hospitality degree needed to be a restaurant manager?

No. Many managers rose from serving or cooking. A degree helps at larger groups and hotels, but results and references count most.

How do I move from restaurant manager to general manager or multi-unit?

Show full P&L responsibility, openings or turnarounds, and managers you developed. Those are the signals multi-unit operators look for.

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