Restaurant Dishwashers

A Career in Restaurant Management

SO YOU WANT A CAREER AS A RESTAURANT MANAGER?

Even if you're currently a restaurant's resident dishwasher, it is still very possible for you to climb the ladder to the very top with hard work, persistence and the right set of skills. A lot of restaurant operators seek people who already have ample experience in nearly all restaurant duties, so if you've been rotating on different tasks for the past months or years, you already have one foot in the door.

However, given the present times, most owners are eyeing potential candidates who have formal qualifications to fill supervisory and managerial roles in the company. While experience also carries a lot of weight, job opportunities are likely to be more open and better if you have an associate or bachelor's degree to your name, particularly those that have something to do with restaurant and institutional food service management.

Understanding Your Work Conditions

A restaurant manager's daily life is often very hectic and subject to high levels of pressure. Thus, a considerable amount of resilience, stamina and physical, mental and emotional endurance is required of you. Since evenings and weekends are the most busy times for restaurants, you should be prepared to work during late nights and weekends. It is not uncommon for restaurant managers to work for around 50 to 60 hours per week, and you will most likely be the first to arrive and the last to leave everyday.

A restaurant manager's work hours and job nature are also highly intermittent, as you might have to fill in for an absent employee, no matter what his job designation is, at the last minute. Hence, it is very important that you know all the restaurant's operations inside out and from top to bottom, as being a restaurant manager does not just mean sitting behind a nice desk and making chitchat with customers. There will be times that you will have to perform all sorts of "dirty work".

The pressures of making sure everything is in order almost always happen simultaneously with a number of other responsibilities. Whenever there are problems, it will be your duty as restaurant manager to seek a solution with the least possible disruptions to other operations, particularly in the serving of customers. This can be further aggravated by uncooperative and stubborn staff, as well as irate clients. You have to have a lot of patience for this job if you want to pull through sanely and in one piece.

Duties of a Restaurant Manager

A restaurant manager's daily duties are not to be underestimated. Apart from the usual tasks of selecting what to place on the menu and determining each of their prices, ensuring quality service and proper food preparation and the efficient utilization of supplies, taking responsibility for the rising number of human resource and administrative tasks are also part of the job description.

Typically, the management team is composed of a general manager, one or two assistant managers (depending on the size of the place) and one executive chef, who takes charged of all kitchen operations. Often, in the case of small restaurants, the manager and the executive chef is just one person. In the case of major fast food chains, there are a number of assistant managers to supervise the different shifts.

All of the members of the managerial team should expect to be working from the moment the restaurant opens until it closes at all days of operation. Because a manager is responsible for all, he does not have the liberty to just skip work because he doesn't feel like going. Restaurant management, though accompanied by considerable perks, is a full service job that requires full time commitment.

Managing the Menu and Supplies

It is a restaurant manager's job to determine menu items. This is often doen with the help of the executive chef and will be decided on based on the past popularity of certain meals and the likely number of customers who will patronize it. Sometimes, a new dish is introduced in order to accommodate and avoid the wastage of unserved food. How the menu is arranged also depends on what raw ingredients are in season or simply for the sake of variety and novelty.

Managers also review each dish to find out how much it costs to prepare them, taking into consideration certain overhead expenses, to know what price best represents its value. Items on the meu should also be done ahead of time so managers can estimate what supplies are needed and when these should be bought and delivered. Upon delivery, it is the manager's duty to check the content and evaluate their quality, particularly the meats, fruits, vegetables, fish, baked items and poultry.

Grocery items are not the only supplies that should be monitored. Tableware, linens, cooking supplies, furniture and cleaning materials should also be checked regularly. Waste disposal and pest control should be addressed, as well.

Hiring the Right People

How smoothly a restaurant runs depends a lot on the people who work there. That's why it is important that managers hire the right people for the job. It is the manager's responsibility to explain the company's rules and regulations to all staff members and to provide the training necessary. Employee work schedules are also under his jurisdiction.

Because restaurants at peak hours are considered one of the most stressful working environments in the business world, managers should be able to exercise maximum grace under pressure and handle problems with the least disturbance.

Administrative Duties

While majority of administrative functions are handled by the bookkeeper, managers should also know how there are run, particularly for smaller restaurants where he might have to do the job himself. Issue like work hours and staff wages, tax and licensing paperwork, payroll, supply and equipment purchases and other disbursements fall under this category. Given a highly technological business environment today, managers will also need to learn how to operate computerized point of sale systems to increase productivity and efficiency. POS systems can help minimize the workload by automatically talling sales, supplies and ranking which dishes on the menu are the most popular among clients.

Training to be a Restaurant Manager

Given the multitude of responsibilities managers face each day, it is important that he is well equipped to handle the job. Colleges and universities offer two to four-year programs on restaurant related subjects like food technology, nutrition, food planning and preparation, accounting, even restaurant and hotel management itself.

The demands of the times today do not only call for a vast experience on the business, but also the adequate formal and technical know-how in order to grow safely with the changes and industry advances.

To further bolster you chances of becoming a restaurant manager, you might want to acquire a certification as a Foodservice Management Professional from the Educational Foundation of the National Restaurant Association. This can be obtained after you've successfully completed a series of food service management related courses, passed a written test, and met certain minimum requirements pertaining to performance and experience.

What other people would you need to hire to run a restaurant?

I'm doing a project for school and my restaurant is for 100 people. So far I have:

FOH Manager
BOH Manager
General Manager
Head Chef
Line cooks
prep cooks
Dishwashers
Bus People
Servers
Greeters.

Any other ideas?

some restaurants have food runners in case their server is busy someone can take the food to the table

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Laguna 6 Pack 22 Ounce Capacity Drinkware Tumblers - Break, Scratch, Stain Resistant - Commercial Dishwasher Safe - Clear Color Sale Price: $18.99   Eligible for free shipping! Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days See Reviews For This Product Description Cambro tumblers feature the look and feel of glass, but offer the cost savings and lightweight handling of break resistant plastic. Cambro tumblers feature stacking lugs for easy stacking, transport and storage and are dishwasher safe. Features Hammered texture hides water spots and scratches Made of break resistant SAN Lightweight and easy to carry Available in 6 Packs Only - Clear Color Available in Sizes 8 oz; 12 oz; 16 oz; and 22 oz.

Countertop Portable Dishwasher with Digital Controls - White List Price: $299.00 Sale Price: $189.00 You save: $110.00 (37%)   Eligible for free shipping! Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days See Reviews For This Product Description The Koldfront Portable Countertop Dishwasher (model: PDW45EW) has the capacity to fit up to four standard place settings with the convenience of operating right on your countertop. This unit is designed to save more water than you would if you were to wash the dishes by hand and with no permanent installation. The Koldfront PDW45EW also boasts more energy, uses and space than similar countertop dishwashers. At 18 1/2" high, the countertop dishwasher is low enough to fit under most cabinets, and the included quick connect faucet adapter makes hookup to almost any faucet simple. A five foot hose is included.In addition, the Koldfront PDW45EW countertop portable dishwasher boasts full digital controls with delayed start, a stainless steel interior, a powerful spray arm, an included silverware basket, a rinse agent dispenser to minimize water spotting on dishes, an internal water heater with Saniwash option to heat water up to 158F, and it accepts plates up to 10.5" in diameter! Features Up to 4 place setting capacity, Holds plates up to 10.5" in diameter Dishrack, silverware basket, 5' hose Easy-to-use digital controls with delayed start Quick connect adapter included for most kitchen faucets Warranty: 1 year parts, 90 days labor

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Laguna Drinking Glasses 6-Pack, 16-Ounce Capacity , Clear Sale Price: $17.99   Eligible for free shipping! Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days See Reviews For This Product Description Cambro tumblers feature the look and feel of glass, but offer the cost savings and lightweight handling of break resistant plastic. Cambro tumblers feature stacking lugs for easy stacking, transport and storage and are dishwasher safe. Features Hammered texture hides water spots and scratches Made of break resistant SAN Lightweight and easy to carry Available in 6 Packs Only - Clear Color Available in Sizes 8 oz; 12 oz; 16 oz; and 22 oz.

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Door Type Straight Thru Dishwasher, 60 Racks/Hr, Booster, Energy Star 240V/3Ph See Reviews For This Product Description Dishwasher, door type, high temperature sanitizing w/built-in booster heater, straight-thru design, 60 racks/hour, external Poly Pro scrap accumulator, s/s construction, electric tank heat, auto fill, includes (1) open & (1) peg rack, ENERGY STAR. 240Volts/3Ph ( CMA Dishwashers - CMA-180B S )

Commercial Conveyor Dishwasher Sale Price: $14,679.00   Eligible for free shipping! Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days See Reviews For This Product Description Efficient design and practical safety features make Fagor commercial dishwashers the smart choice. This powerful single tank conveyor dishwasher was built to save energy and water, thus saving you money. It thoroughly washes 150 racks per hour, while using only 119-gallons of water to get the job done. Two tough 1 H.P. wash pump motors efficiently move water over your dishes while utilizing less than .8-gallons of water per rack. Plus, the auto-start feature kicks the machine on instinctively once a rack is placed at the entrance, saving you energy costs while the machine isn't in use. The 46-inch insulated door prevents unwanted burns and provides easy access to the tank for cleaning and service. Single point electrical and plumbing connections save you money and hassle during installation, so it's easy to incorporate this cost-effective machine into your commercial restaurant, dining hall or cafeteria. Inside there's a built-in electric booster heater, auto-fill technology to monitor water levels, a sturdy two-speed motor, electric tank heater, a wash tank with twin filter systems, anti-clogging wash and rinse arms. On the exterior you'll find sturdy stainless steel construction, adjustable top mounted controls, a door safety switch and a removable electrical panel for access to the controls. You'll have cleaner and dryer dishes and lower water and energy costs with this reliable machine. Features: Energy and water saving design. 2 powerful 1 H.P. wash pump motors to move water effectively. 2-speed motor. Uses less than .8 gallon of water per rack. Built-in electric booster heater. Auto-fill technology ensures proper water levels. Vacuum breaker. Wash tank with twin filter system to keep water clean. Individual stainless steel anti-clogging wash and rinse arms. Heavy-duty stainless steel construction throughout. Door safety switch. Top mounted controls. Single point electrical and plumbing connections for easy installation. 46" insulated door to prevent burns. En Features Energy and water saving design. Built-in electric booster heater. Auto-fill technology ensures proper water levels. Wash tank with twin filter system to keep water clean. Heavy-duty stainless steel construction throughout.

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