Career as a Food Service Manager- A complete guide!

You have been told by your mom to make Masala Papad for which you need the papad, the vegetables, the chutney, sev, and coriander to garnish. However, there are certain ingredients missing. What do you do?

I usually call my father and ask him to bring the missing ingredients. I obviously get a hearing from him, but he is always sweet enough to get them for me! But to not repeat the same thing again, next time I ask my mom well in advance about the ingredients required, prepare the list and get it from the grocery. What I plan on doing is something a Food service manager does.

If you’re interested in learning more about this line of work, keep reading to learn everything you need to know about a career as a food service manager, including the education requirements, required skills, various job roles, salary insights, and much more!

What does a Food Service Manager do? 

Restaurants and other businesses that make and serve food and beverages on a daily basis are run by food service managers. They manage the company to maintain profitability while directing workers to ensure that diners have a positive eating experience.

The following are common tasks for food service managers:

• Employee hiring, supervision, and occasionally termination
• Control how the meal is prepared, how much is served, and how it is presented overall.
• Place food and drink, equipment, and supply order.
• Make sure that personnel adheres to health and food safety regulations.
• Address any issues with the service or meal quality.
• Establish a staff schedule and allocate tasks.
• control spending and payroll information
• Examine the materials, tools, and working spaces.
• Establish standards for personnel performance and customer service

Job Roles in Food Service Management 

Food Service Manager is a role in itself. However, there are also certain other similar roles that have transferable skills to these roles: 

• Caterer
  The food services offered at events are the responsibility of the caterers. Before negotiating with vendors for food, seats, and other necessities, they closely collaborate with clients to evaluate their budgets and needs. In addition to setting up and taking down tables, chairs, and food service stations during events, caterers also prepare, present, and serve food to guests. 

• Purchasing Coordinators
  A culinary establishment’s orders for food, supplies and other items are managed by purchasing coordinators. They frequently negotiate contracts and collaborate closely with vendors. Additionally, they manage purchase orders, plan routine delivery, and track shipments.

• Restaurant Manager
  Restaurant operations are managed on a daily basis by restaurant managers. They develop spending plans, oversee the restaurant’s finances, and collaborate closely with suppliers to acquire supplies, food, and other requirements. They frequently take part in hiring and employee training, and they may draught timetables. Restaurant managers frequently engage in networking and marketing to develop the restaurant’s brand.

• Food Safety Specialist
  Specialists in food safety check the packaging and storage of food. To ensure that storage facilities, prep areas, and cooking surfaces are kept in good condition, they prepare safety guidelines and carry out audits or inspections. Additionally, they conduct presentations on food safety procedures and collaborate with food wholesalers, processors, and packing facilities.

• Food Technologist
  Food technologists are food scientists who produce food products and create safe food processing and preservation techniques. They are in charge of monitoring safety procedures and modifying recipes to satisfy consumer demand. In addition, food technologists prepare reports, assist with manufacturing procedures, and introduce new products.

• Restaurant Bar Manager
  Restaurant bars are run on a daily basis by restaurant bar managers. To create a budget and place supply orders, they collaborate closely with other management staff. Managers of bars at restaurants are in charge of hiring, developing, and supervising their personnel. They often plan promotional activities, organize licensing renewals, manage the bar’s inventory, and bargain with suppliers.

Career Path to becoming a Food Service Manager 

There are two paths to becoming a food service manager. These two paths focus on different aspects of the career. Therefore while choosing, keep a check on what interests you and your preferences.

PATH 1: Through Culinary Arts

Courses in the culinary arts focus on the study of food preparation and serving. This includes knowledge of how to cook, prepare food, present it, and serve it. The extensive and comprehensive curriculum for these highly specialized courses focuses mostly on the operations essential to a restaurant or catering business. A popular specialization in hotel management courses in culinary arts, which is also included in a hotel management course.

At every level, quality culinary arts courses are offered. The enrollment is rather constrained, though, because they are speciality courses.

PATH 2: Through Hotel Management

On the other hand, courses in hotel management concentrate on the management and operations necessary to run a hospitality organization. In comparison to a culinary arts course, a hotel management course covers a larger range of topics and competencies. The study of culinary arts is also covered in a hotel management course, though in considerably less detail. It encompasses the study of all aspects of hotel operations, from front desk operations to hotel business management to industry laws.

Since more students apply to these courses and they have a bigger syllabus and scope, there are a lot more Hotel Management courses available than there are Culinary Arts ones.
Additionally, there are research-level courses available in hotel management that are unavailable in culinary arts.

To get complete information on the degrees that are offered by either of these paths, you can check out our blog on How to become a Food Service Manager.

Salary in different stages of a career as a Food Service Manager

The pay range or compensation of a Food Service Manager in India is based on a number of variables, including the degree, job experience, and the kind of restaurant you are applying to among others.

However, the average gross pay for restaurant and food service managers in India is 10,77,090, which works out to an hourly wage of 518.

Wage estimates based on data from anonymous Indian employees and employers via salary surveys also reveal the following information:

Experience level	Entry-level	Mid-level	Senior Level
Salary per year	7,93,319	10,77,090,	13.42,969.

Skills required to become a Food Service Manager 

• Customer Service 

The customer experience is the main focus of food service. The ambience that welcomes guests is cultivated by hosts, cooks, and servers. Maintaining client happiness through meal preparation, table service, and eating experiences is a crucial skill that food service managers must have, considering they are the ones who will be called upon in case of a complaint. 

• Leadership skills
  One of the major issues restaurants confront is a high turnover rate. Strong leadership abilities and the capacity to develop a team-oriented environment can help lessen this issue. paying attention to his team’s requirements, and giving clear instructions are skills that a food service manager must possess.

• Attention to detail
  Food service managers need to keep track of a number of tiny but crucial things, such as finances, scheduling, and table settings. No manager can maintain accuracy at all times. Thus, it is crucial to develop your situational analysis and attention to detail skills. Of course, there are also programs and apps that can keep you organized, including inventory and budgeting software as well as time-tracking ones.

• Organization
  A food service manager’s duties include keeping track of inventories, cooking supplies, and tableware. To comply with health regulations and provide a warm environment for diners, all food service sites that are visible to guests must be maintained tidy and organized.

• Multitasking
  As a food service manager, you might be handling a lot of the responsibilities simultaneously. For example, you could be training an employee (on-the-job) while also checking for inventory while teaching them. Thus, multitasking as a skill will come in handy. 

• Interpersonal skills
  As a food service manager you would be required to interact with a lot of people during your day- customers, servers, chefs, and other managers. Thus, having an approachable personality (which includes being a good listener, communicator, and delegator) would work wonders as it will help you share a good rapport with others, ultimately helping you solve problems quickly. 

Is Food Service Manager a good Career option?

Due to the expanding number of restaurants sprouting up in every nook and cranny, Food service management is a developing industry. Additionally, you can find food service managers at resorts with the main kitchen, snack bars, and other eateries, cruise ships with a variety of small, themed restaurants, and casinos with up to 12 separate restaurants.
Therefore, there are several opportunities to advance in your profession, taking on more responsibility while earning a higher salary, regardless of where you begin. It’s one of the areas of our economy that is expanding the fastest, and you can benefit from the need for food service professionals whether you have a four-year degree or have gained knowledge via work experience. Your achievement in the food industry is limited only by your willingness to work hard and learn the ropes. After that, the sky’s the ONLY limit.
If you are keen on starting your own enterprise and want hands-on exposure, check out the Clever Harvey JuniorMBA- Entrepreneurship course.

Type of industries Hiring for a Food Service Manager 

Some of the places where you can find jobs for a food service manager include: 

• hotels and restaurants
• Canteens
• hospitals, children’s homes, old age homes
• large canteen services, via contracts with the government or corporations in the private sector
• Factories that provide frozen prepared meals to companies
• Airports
• Catering companies
• Self-employment, with enough experience, initiative, and capital, can start your own catering business or start and manage a café or a restaurant

Top Recruiters for a Food Service Manager in India 

• Deloitte 
• Oberoi 
• ITC Hotels 
• Amul 
• Taj Hotels 
• KFC 
• Sodexo 
• Starbucks 
• Cafe Coffee Day 
• McDonald’s 
• Nestle 
• Nirulas 

Courses to Upskill as a Food Service Manager 

You can take a few online courses if you’re hesitant to determine whether a career as a food service manager is suited for you or to upskill yourself. You can enrol in these classes even after finishing the tenth grade since there are no requirements. Consider a handful of the following programs:

Certificate Courses	Duration
Food & Beverage Management	1-3 Months
Culture of Services: Paradox of Customer Relations	8 Weeks
Quick Service Restaurant Management	15.5 hours of content (Self-paced)
Hospitality Management Studies – Food And Beverage Services	1.5-3 Hours

Qualifications to become a Food Service Manager, 

There is no mandatory subject requirement in your 11th and 12th grade to become a Food Service Manager. Experience in the hospitality industry can help you get a job as a food service manager. However, there are certain undergraduate degrees that are preferable. The next section provides information on these options both in India and abroad. 

Degrees in India  

i) UG Degree 

There are multiple ways you can get into the field. Some options are 

Undergraduate Degree	Duration
B.A. In Culinary Arts	3 Years
Bachelor of Hotel Management and Culinary Technology	4 Years
B.Sc in Culinary Arts	3 Years
Bachelor of Catering Technology and Culinary Arts	3 Years
BBA in Hotel Management	3 Years

ii) PG Courses 

Some of the post-graduation degrees that you can choose include: 

Post-Graduation Degree	Duration
MBA in Hotel Management	2 Years
MBA in Hospitality	2 Years

Other than these you can even opt for specialized diploma programs. Check out this blog for the same. 

Degrees Abroad 

In order to become a food service manager abroad, there are certain courses available. The course names include Bachelor of Business Administration in Professional Culinary Arts 

Bachelor in Food System: Management, Sustainability, and Technologies, Honors Bachelor of Commerce (Culinary Management), Bachelor in Hospitality and Culinary Arts, Bachelor of Business in Hotel Management, Bachelor in Culinary Arts & Service Management. Most of these courses are for 3-4 years of duration. 

For post-graduation, you can opt for an MBA in Hotel Management or Hospitality. Other courses like MSc in Culinary Innovation & Food Product Development, MSc in Hotel Studies, and MSc in Culinary Innovation Management also work. All these courses usually take 1-2 years to complete. 

Entry into these courses will require you to give language proficiency test scores of IELTS, TOEFL, PTE, SATs, etc along with an SOP (Statement of Purpose) and LORs (Letter of Recommendation). Want some help with SATs? We have got you covered. Read this blog to know more!

Want to know more?  Check these out: 

An effective grasp of food service management and quality standards is required of a food service manager. A Food Service Manager can learn knowledge and skills for both food safety and service from a variety of books. The list below includes a few books that are suggested for food service managers.

• Food Microbiology by K N Vanitha, Dennis C. Westoff, and William C. Frazier
• By Cesar Quintero, “The Profit Recipe”
• Roger Fields’ Restaurant Success By the Numbers
• Mrs Durvesh Kumari and Dr S.K. Goyal’s A Competition Book for Food Safety Officer, by Suresh Chandra
• Anthony Bourdain’s book Kitchen Confidential

Thus, a food service manager performs a very important function as food is the most important element in the hospitality industry. Any form of complaint regarding the food is the responsibility of the food service manager. Additionally, it is food that makes or breaks the reputation of your restaurant. Thus, being a food service manager becomes a very important role!

FAQs- Frequently Asked Question about Career as a Food Service Manager