Effectively managing a restaurant is no easy feat. While some people are born leaders, leadership traits are only one asset required to run a restaurant.

The best restaurant managers are also adept at resolving conflict, can perform precise financial and inventory management, and aren’t scared to take on every role in the business. A trained restaurant manager is a jack of all trades and an accountable leader, an asset to any restaurant business owner.

The most successful restaurants seek leaders who have proven restaurant management training. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics points out that restaurant managers with experience and formal training or certification tend to land the best opportunities because they are in high demand.

The National Restaurant Association reports that 90% of restaurant managers started at an entry level, which means training and experience molded them into the successful leaders they are today. Learn more about restaurant management training, what it offers, and why it’s essential to your restaurant business.

What Does it Take to Manage a Restaurant?

Nearly anyone can be a restaurant manager in the short-term, but their ability to learn, challenge themselves, and build rapport with staff, vendors, and customers is the real mark of a born leader. Management candidates should be:

• Humble

• Approachable

• Eager to learn

• Comfortable resolving conflict

• Quick thinking

• Multitaskers

• Process-focused

 
While this isn’t an inclusive list, these traitsand others have been identified as the most valuable for current and prospective restaurant managers.

What Does Restaurant Management Training Offer?

Managing a restaurant is difficult. A well-rounded manager must be able to multitask, think quickly, and consistently maintain a calm demeanor despite “putting out fires” or dealing with difficult people. Additionally, restaurant managers need to be fluent in all aspects of restaurant operations, including front and back of house functions. Restaurant management training offers formal instruction and practical exercises designed to enhance a leader’s hard and soft skills.

Types of Restaurant Management Training

Leaders can obtain formal restaurant management training in a classroom setting, through coursework and certifications, or via e-learning curriculums. The type of program you choose will depend on your leadership’s current skill set and your goals for training.

Restaurant Management Certifications & Courses
Restaurant management certifications offer courses designed to teach new and developing management staff about revenue, forecasting, administrative tasks, and leadership skills needed to run a restaurant. Course examples include:

• Restaurant Revenue Management

• Utilizing Operational Data

• Service Cycles and Pricing

• Legal Aspects and Insurance

• Sales and Marketing Strategies

• Menu Planning and Development

• Talent Management

 
Some of the most distinguished schools that offer restaurant management programs include Penn Foster Career School, Cornell University, The Institute of Culinary Education, Culinary Institute of America, and various state universities that offer degrees in hospitality management. The National Restaurant Association’s management curriculum, called ManageFirst, is also an option for current and prospective managers. This program is available in more than 300 universities nationwide.