Restaurant Manager resume example

Choose the right format for a Restaurant Manager resume

Use a reverse-chronological format. Hiring managers in food service want to see your most recent operation first — concept type, seat count, and revenue scale matter immediately. A functional or hybrid format raises red flags unless you are making a significant industry pivot.

Keep the resume to one page if you have under ten years of experience; two pages are acceptable for multi-unit or regional managers. Use clear section headers, consistent date formatting (Month YYYY), and at least 0.75-inch margins. Avoid graphics-heavy templates — many restaurant groups use applicant tracking systems like Workday or iCIMS that parse plain text.

• Standard sections: Contact Info, Summary, Work Experience, Skills, Certifications, Education
• Font: 10–12 pt Georgia, Calibri, or Garamond — nothing decorative
• File format: PDF unless the job posting specifically requests a Word document
• List each venue with its concept type (fast casual, fine dining, QSR, polished casual) and seat count

Write a professional summary that names the operation

Your summary should run three to four sentences and front-load the type of restaurant you have managed, your tenure, and one or two headline results. Generic phrases like 'results-driven leader' waste space. Recruiters give a summary only a quick first scan, so be specific about concept, volume, and what you actually improved.

Example: "Hands-on Restaurant Manager with eight years overseeing full-service Italian concepts ranging from 120 to 200 seats and $3.2M–$4.8M in annual revenue. Reduced food cost from 34% to 28% over two years at Carmine's Trattoria by renegotiating produce contracts and tightening portion controls. Certified ServSafe Manager; experienced with OpenTable, Toast POS, and 7shifts scheduling software. Seeking a GM role with a polished-casual group in the mid-Atlantic region."

Write work-experience bullets that use real restaurant metrics

Every bullet should follow an action-metric-context structure. Restaurant managers have access to concrete numbers — food cost percentage, labor cost percentage, guest satisfaction scores, Yelp or Google ratings, table turn times, revenue per available seat, and staff retention rates. Use them. Vague bullets like 'managed a team' tell a hiring manager nothing about the scale or outcome of your work.

Quantify openings, turnarounds, and expansions. If you launched a new location, state the opening timeline and first-month revenue. If you inherited a struggling unit, state what the metrics were before and after your tenure.

• Reduced hourly staff turnover from 78% to 41% in 14 months by implementing a structured onboarding program and weekly one-on-ones, saving an estimated $62,000 in annual recruiting and training costs.
• Grew weekend brunch revenue by 22% ($18K per month) by introducing a prix-fixe bottomless brunch format and coordinating a targeted social media push that increased covers from 190 to 235 per Sunday.

Skills and certifications recruiters and ATS systems look for

List hard skills in a dedicated skills section so ATS parsers catch them. Prioritize tools and credentials that appear in the job posting, then add industry-standard ones. Soft skills like 'communication' belong in your bullets as demonstrated behaviors, not in a skills list.

Certifications carry real weight in restaurant management hiring. ServSafe Manager Certification is the baseline expectation in most US markets. TIPS or RAMP certification matters for full-service and bar-forward concepts. If you manage a property with a liquor license, note your state-specific alcohol service training.

• POS systems: Toast, Aloha, Micros, Square for Restaurants, Lightspeed
• Scheduling and labor tools: 7shifts, HotSchedules (Fourth), When I Work
• Inventory and food cost: MarketMan, BlueCart, Compeat, Restaurant365
• Certifications: ServSafe Manager, TIPS Certified, HACCP, CPR/First Aid
• Reservation and guest management: OpenTable, Resy, SevenRooms

Education, licenses, and additional credentials

A bachelor's degree in hospitality management, business, or a related field is preferred at many full-service and hotel restaurant groups, but it is rarely a hard requirement for candidates with strong operational track records. List your degree, institution, and graduation year. If you attended a culinary program or completed coursework through the National Restaurant Association Educational Foundation (NRAEF), include it.

Add a separate 'Licenses & Certifications' section if you hold more than two credentials — it is easier for recruiters to scan. Include expiration dates for ServSafe and state alcohol certifications since they lapse. If you have completed a management development program through a restaurant group (Darden, Dine Brands, etc.), list it here as well.

• State food handler manager license (list your specific state and expiration date)
• NRAEF ManageFirst credentials if applicable
• Internal leadership programs from prior employers (e.g., 'Completed Bloomin' Brands GM Certification Program, 2021')

Mistakes to avoid

• ×Listing POS systems you barely touched — recruiters will probe your Toast or Aloha experience in the interview, and shallow familiarity is easy to expose.
• ×Omitting the revenue volume and seat count of each venue, which makes it impossible for a hiring manager to gauge whether your experience matches their operation's scale.
• ×Using a single generic resume for every application instead of swapping in the concept type and keywords (QSR, fine dining, fast casual) that match each specific posting.
• ×Leaving out ServSafe certification status or listing an expired certification date, both of which create immediate compliance concerns for operators.

Frequently asked questions

Do I need a degree to get a Restaurant Manager job in the US?

No, a degree is rarely a strict requirement at the unit manager level. Most operators prioritize demonstrated P&L ownership, food cost control, and staff management over formal education. A hospitality or business degree can help you compete for corporate or multi-unit roles, but a strong track record with specific metrics will outweigh it in most hiring decisions.

How far back should my work history go on a Restaurant Manager resume?

Go back ten to fifteen years, or to the point where your roles become irrelevant to management — whichever comes first. If you worked as a line cook or server before moving into management, you can condense those early positions into a single line or omit them entirely. Prioritize depth on your last two or three management roles.

Should I include my restaurant's name and concept type even if it closed?

Yes, always include the name and add a brief descriptor in parentheses — for example, 'The Larder Kitchen (polished-casual, 140 seats, closed 2022).' Omitting a closed restaurant looks like a gap, and the context helps recruiters understand the operation you ran. Closures due to economic conditions or ownership decisions are common in this industry and are not held against candidates.