Restaurant Manager Interview Questions & Tips
Career Advice / August 7, 2023Table of Contents
Individuals, who are interested in becoming restaurant managers, must be willing to show potential employers that they are capable of getting the job done. They must demonstrate they have the required knowledge and skills necessary to be successful as restaurant managers.
Restaurant Manager Interview Tips
1. Dress the Part
Successful candidates look the part. Anyone can have experience, education, and knowledge. However, if they look unprofessional, they will be treated as such. How you present yourself matters!
When reporting to a restaurant for an interview, it’s best to wear dark-colored pants and a white top. Many restaurants require a similar dress code. A manager will be more likely to assume that any candidate who appears in professional attire is ready and capable to perform excellent work.
2. Do Your Homework
Before going on an interview, a candidate should have some knowledge of the company they hope to serve. Any candidate who cannot demonstrate they have done some level of fact-finding will most likely not get a call back.
Candidates should be ready to share what they know about a restaurant and why they would love to work there. If a candidate has been a patron, they can share any positive experiences they had while dining.
3. Cell Phones Should Be Off
Interviewees should switch off cell phones or put them on silent, and remove earpieces before the job interview. This is a simple way to show your respect for the interviewer and their time.
Accidents do happen, so if you forget and your cell phone goes off, apologize for the disruption and quickly turn your phone off or on silent and continue the interview.
4. Sell Yourself
One of the most important restaurant job interview tips of all time may be to remember to sell yourself. Bragging isn’t necessary, but don’t be afraid to share your skills, abilities, and accomplishments!
If your previous experiences don’t match the job perfectly, just show that you are eager to learn!
5. Be Professional
Job offers don’t always hinge on the restaurant interview questions and answers. In some cases, behavior and actions can inspire or deter an employer from making a job offer. Be polite to anyone you encounter from the car to the interviewer’s door. You never know who the interviewer will ask for feedback..
Restaurant managers hire polite and friendly staff. A candidate who can demonstrate they have manners in a restaurant setting will have a much better chance of being hired.
6. Listen More
A very important skill in hospitality is being a good listener. The interview is a great place to demonstrate your listening skills. Make sure to listen to each question fully, and take a second to think through your answer before speaking.
It’s okay to ask the interviewer to repeat a part or the entire question to make sure you answer it correctly. Try to ensure your body language also shows you are engaged by leaning forward and uncrossing your arms and legs.
7. Come Prepared
Bring any relevant paperwork and identification to the job interview. Having the proper identification ready can streamline the hiring process considerably. It will also make candidates appear more professional if they come prepared when the employer wants to speed up the hiring process.
Make sure to bring a few copies of your resume just in-case. They should have it ready to go, but if they don’t, you’ll get to show off your preparedness!
8. Be Thorough
Sometimes employers require interviewees to fill out applications in addition to turning in resumes. Always fill out applications completely; if an interviewee doesn’t, it could adversely affect the outcome of the job interview.
A thorough candidate is more likely to be a thorough employee. The restaurant manager won’t have to worry about regular mistakes with orders and unhappy customers.
9. Be Aware
Nonverbal factors are a great indicator during an interview. Pay attention to the body language of recruiters and hiring managers and any vibes you may be getting. Sometimes it helps to rephrase answers if they aren’t positively received by an interviewer.
Attentiveness is a wonderful practice for waitstaff and restaurant personnel. Restaurant managers need employees who can read and understand the body language of patrons. This makes anticipating their needs much easier.
10. Answer All Questions
While some questions that are asked during interviews may not always make sense, chances are that the interviewer has a reason for asking them. As long as they don’t pertain to an interviewee’s gender or religious affiliation, they are probably fair. If clarification is needed, it’s okay to request it, but answer all questions completely and honestly after careful consideration.
Candidates should seem ready and willing to answer any questions. Patrons will be asking far more questions than interviewers. Management must ensure potential hires are up to chatting with patrons to keep them happy.
Restaurant Manager Interview Questions
Per the final interview tip, a prospective restaurant manager must be prepared to answer discerning questions from the interviewer. You’ve come to the right place. The hospitality experts at Hcareers have already curated a list of the most common hospitality interview questions. Tapping into this list of common questions, we’ve narrowed it down to the top 3 most applicable to interviewing for a restaurant manager position.
How do you handle difficult customers?
While this question pertains to anyone on the front side of the house, it’s of particular importance for a restaurant manager. The most difficult customer scenarios will ultimately boil up to you.
When responding to this question, start by explaining the importance of assessing the situation. A restaurant manager can’t respond properly to a situation without having the full context. In other words, you’ll focus on your listening skills first and foremost.
From there, no matter what the situation, never blame the customers. Even if the customer was belligerent and completely at fault for something, don’t put the blame on them. Instead, put the blame on your restaurant policy.
When preparing for how to respond to a difficult customer situation, think of a similar example from the past and how you handled it. In many situations, you can share this prior response with the customer. It respectfully deflates the current situation (and angry customer) by reinforcing that this is not new, and you’ve handled it properly in the past.
Lastly, apologize and come up with an appropriate remediation. When apologizing, keep it genuine (it’s easier than most people think). For instance, you can simply apologize for the situation they’re dealing with. So even if a customer was unruly, you can empathize and apologize for the situation they’re in. Maybe they’re having a bad day. Nonetheless, it doesn’t force a disingenuous apology.
Why do you work in hospitality?
This seemingly simple question is actually one of the most important in the interviewer’s repertoire. Everything boils down to this. As a restaurant manager, you’re in charge. Your attitude and genuine appreciation (or lack thereof) for the hospitality business will trickle down to the rest of your staff.
Start by telling a little story. Was there a “lightbulb” moment that went off in your head? While some folks may be destined to work in hospitality, for most, it falls into their laps. If that was you, be honest about it. But think of why you love it and how you aspire to be the best.
What questions do you have for me?
Similar to the question above, this incredibly underrated question often goes over the heads of folks interviewing for non-management positions. For a restaurant manager interview, one must come prepared with at least 3-5 intelligent and thoughtful questions. Put yourself in the interviewers shoes.
Perhaps it’s the owner of the restaurant. If you owned a restaurant, how would you react to an interviewee asking thoughtful, detailed questions about your restaurant? Put simply, it shows that they care. They did their homework and they’re truly interested in moving forward (not just taking another job interview for the sake of getting a job).
While you should avoid making the interviewer uncomfortable, don’t hesitate to ask tough questions. For example, some mountain/resort town restaurants are requesting donations from patrons to support their staff due to the rise in the cost of living caused by remote work. Certain restaurants are even matching these donations. If relevant and not found in your research, inquire if the interviewer has considered implementing a similar approach.
