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Food Service Manager

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What Does it Take to Be a Food Service Manager?

Occupation Description Plan, direct, or coordinate activities of an organization or department that serves food and beverages.

Daily Life Of a Food Service Manager

  • Schedule and receive food and beverage deliveries, checking delivery contents to verify product quality and quantity.
  • Estimate food, liquor, wine, and other beverage consumption to anticipate amounts to be purchased or requisitioned.
  • Test cooked food by tasting and smelling it to ensure palatability and flavor conformity.
  • Maintain food and equipment inventories, and keep inventory records.
  • 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 employee and patron activities to ensure liquor regulations are obeyed.

What a Food Service Manager Should Know

These are the skills Food Service Managers say are the most useful in their careers:

Service Orientation: Actively looking for ways to help people.

Monitoring: Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.

Active Listening: Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.

Speaking: Talking to others to convey information effectively.

Management of Personnel Resources: Motivating, developing, and directing people as they work, identifying the best people for the job.

Critical Thinking: Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.

  • Food and Beverage Director
  • Luncheonette Operator
  • Flight Kitchen Manager
  • Food General Manager
  • General Manager

Is There Going to be Demand for Food Service Managers?

In 2016, there was an estimated number of 308,700 jobs in the United States for Food Service Manager. New jobs are being produced at a rate of 9% which is above the national average. The Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts 27,700 new jobs for Food Service Manager by 2026. The BLS estimates 36,800 yearly job openings in this field.

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The states with the most job growth for Food Service Manager are Utah, Washington, and Arizona. Watch out if you plan on working in Vermont, Maine, or West Virginia. These states have the worst job growth for this type of profession.

Food Service Manager Salary

The average yearly salary of a Food Service Manager ranges between $31,580 and $92,410.

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Food Service Managers who work in New Jersey, New York, or Washington, make the highest salaries.

How much do Food Service Managers make in different U.S. states?

State Annual Mean Salary
Alabama $58,590
Alaska $68,390
Arizona $58,640
Arkansas $48,760
California $57,920
Connecticut $75,130
Delaware $76,040
District of Columbia $70,980
Florida $61,160
Georgia $52,660
Hawaii $66,130
Idaho $47,000
Illinois $51,440
Indiana $52,280
Iowa $46,620
Kansas $54,870
Kentucky $51,160
Louisiana $64,530
Maine $63,410
Maryland $72,870
Massachusetts $68,770
Michigan $61,800
Minnesota $58,900
Mississippi $48,570
Missouri $53,390
Montana $57,200
Nebraska $46,220
Nevada $69,220
New Hampshire $64,360
New Jersey $82,340
New Mexico $55,530
New York $77,760
North Carolina $59,340
North Dakota $54,700
Ohio $53,810
Oklahoma $50,650
Oregon $52,110
Pennsylvania $66,680
Rhode Island $66,870
South Carolina $61,110
South Dakota $52,880
Tennessee $47,240
Texas $61,610
Utah $46,030
Vermont $58,320
Virginia $65,800
Washington $77,970
West Virginia $47,230
Wisconsin $50,880
Wyoming $52,070

What Tools do Food Service Managers Use?

Although they’re not necessarily needed for all jobs, the following technologies are used by many Food Service Managers:

  • Microsoft Excel
  • Microsoft Word
  • Microsoft Office
  • Microsoft PowerPoint
  • Microsoft Outlook
  • Word processing software
  • Microsoft Project
  • Database software
  • Microsoft Dynamics
  • Facebook
  • Google Docs
  • Intuit QuickBooks
  • Google Drive
  • Adobe Systems Adobe Flash
  • Delphi Technology
  • IBM Domino
  • Oracle Taleo
  • Apache Groovy
  • Inventory management software
  • Culinary Software Services ChefTec

Becoming a Food Service Manager

Learn what Food Service Manager education requirements there are.

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How many years of work experience do I need?

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Where do Food Service Managers Work?

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The table below shows some of the most common industries where those employed in this career field work.

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Other Jobs You May be Interested In

Those thinking about becoming a Food Service Manager might also be interested in the following careers:

Are you already one of the many Food Service Manager in the United States? If you’re thinking about changing careers, these fields are worth exploring:

References:

Image Credit: Bblackpsu via Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 International

More about our data sources and methodologies.

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