What Kind of Education Do You Need to be a Food Service Manager in a Nice Restaurant?

Most people think of chefs, cooks, bakers, and other food-preparation specialties when they hear about working in the culinary world. These aren't the only jobs, however. Someone in the food world could be a recipe tester or a menu creator for a hospital, or have one of a number of other jobs.

One very common non-cooking food job is in food service management. This is a top-level job (or almost top level) that you can't jump into without experience. But it can be very rewarding, and if you're interested in this field, you could get a degree that will help you find your place in the food-service world.

What Does a Food Service Manager Do if They Don't Cook?

Food service managers are pretty much the establishment manager. They may be the main manager at a restaurant or hold a specialized position that deals with more administrative issues while the main manager deals with food issues. But overall, these are the customer service leaders and budget managers who keep the entire restaurant -- or other food establishment -- running smoothly.

Food Service Managers Can Wear Many Hats

For example, the head chef might be in charge of menu planning and cook hiring. They may take on a lot of cooking duties as well while letting the administrative staff know what supplies are needed.

The food service manager will be the one to order those supplies, work out the restaurant budget, possibly handle payroll in a smaller place that doesn't have a personnel department, arrange for maintenance, and hire non-cook employees, among other duties. It is possible that a food service manager might take on some cooking duties, especially in smaller places that don't have a lot of staff.

Food Service Managers are also Administrators

In an institutional setting, such as a school or hospital, the duties may be administrative. The food service manager may oversee food safety in the kitchen and ensure that all workers get a food safety certification. The food service manager may also coordinate communication between the cooks and the dietitians planning patient or student meals.

It can go even further. A food service manager in a supermarket with a deli, for example, may have a job title similar to "deli manager," but they will take on the administrative portion of the deli's duties and possibly report to the store manager.

Getting There

You've got a couple of routes into the world of food service management. One is on-the-job training, which can take a long time, does not guarantee you'll ever get promoted into that position, and could include a lot of moving around as you try to work your way up -- or you'd have to become an officer in the military and get your job training that way.

The other route is through formal education. You can get a degree -- anywhere from an associate's degree on up -- and then start looking at food service management jobs. You may find yourself starting in a junior position at first, such as an assistant manager position. However, that's a helpful transition step; you enter the field in an experience-appropriate position that doesn't see you go from a frying pan into a fire, so to speak.

With formal education, you learn what you need to know before you have to answer to angry customers and worried suppliers. You learn the latest best practices and can form networks with classmates who may be able to help you find work (and vice versa) in the future.

Are you interested in working behind the scenes to make a kitchen run? If you want to earn a Bachelor of Science in Food Service Management, ECPI University offers this program at an accelerated pace. For more information on this exciting opportunity, connect with a friendly admissions professional.

It could be the Best Decision You Ever Make!

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Gainful Employment Information – Food Service Management - Bachelor’s

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