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Food Service Managers

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

  • Details

  • Work Activities

    • Maintain food and equipment inventories, and keep inventory records.
    • Establish standards for personnel performance and customer service.
    • Maintain food and equipment inventories, and keep inventory records.
    • Schedule staff hours and assign duties.
    • Schedule use of facilities or catering services for events such as banquets or receptions, and negotiate details of arrangements with clients.
    • Review work procedures and operational problems to determine ways to improve service, performance, or safety.
    • Schedule and receive food and beverage deliveries, checking delivery contents to verify product quality and quantity.
    • Record the number, type, and cost of items sold to determine which items may be unpopular or less profitable.
    • Coordinate assignments of cooking personnel to ensure economical use of food and timely preparation.
    • Organize and direct worker training programs, resolve personnel problems, hire new staff, and evaluate employee performance in dining and lodging facilities.
    • Perform some food preparation or service tasks, such as cooking, clearing tables, and serving food and drinks when necessary.
    • Monitor budgets and payroll records, and review financial transactions to ensure that expenditures are authorized and budgeted.
    • Schedule and receive food and beverage deliveries, checking delivery contents to verify product quality and quantity.
    • Monitor employee and patron activities to ensure liquor regulations are obeyed.
    • Assess staffing needs and recruit staff, using methods such as newspaper advertisements or attendance at job fairs.
    • Organize and direct worker training programs, resolve personnel problems, hire new staff, and evaluate employee performance in dining and lodging facilities.
    • Schedule use of facilities or catering services for events such as banquets or receptions, and negotiate details of arrangements with clients.
    • Keep records required by government agencies regarding sanitation or food subsidies.
    • Order and purchase equipment and supplies.
    • Investigate and resolve complaints regarding food quality, service, or accommodations.
    • Count money and make bank deposits.
    • Review menus and analyze recipes to determine labor and overhead costs, and assign prices to menu items.
    • Review work procedures and operational problems to determine ways to improve service, performance, or safety.
    • 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.
    • Arrange for equipment maintenance and repairs, and coordinate a variety of services, such as waste removal and pest control.
    • Monitor compliance with health and fire regulations regarding food preparation and serving, and building maintenance in lodging and dining facilities.
    • Plan menus and food utilization, based on anticipated number of guests, nutritional value, palatability, popularity, and costs.
    • Assess staffing needs and recruit staff, using methods such as newspaper advertisements or attendance at job fairs.
    • Monitor food preparation methods, portion sizes, and garnishing and presentation of food to ensure that food is prepared and presented in an acceptable manner.
    • Establish and enforce nutritional standards for dining establishments, based on accepted industry standards.
    • Greet guests, escort them to their seats, and present them with menus and wine lists.

    Skills

    • Operation and Control
      • Using equipment or systems.
    • Equipment Maintenance
      • Planning and doing the basic maintenance on equipment.
    • Persuasion
      • Talking people into changing their minds or their behavior.
    • Mathematics
      • Using math to solve problems.
    • Reading Comprehension
      • Reading work-related information.
    • Complex Problem Solving
      • Noticing a problem and figuring out the best way to solve it.
    • Time Management
      • Managing your time and the time of other people.
    • Negotiation
      • Bringing people together to solve differences.
    • Coordination
      • Changing what is done based on other people's actions.
    • Management of Financial Resources
      • Making spending decisions and keeping track of what is spent.
    • Critical Thinking
      • Thinking about the pros and cons of different ways to solve a problem.
    • Technology Design
      • Making equipment and technology useful for customers.
    • Systems Analysis
      • Figuring out how a system should work and how changes in the future will affect it.
    • Science
      • Using scientific rules and strategies to solve problems.
    • Operations Analysis
      • Figuring out what a product or service needs to be able to do.
    • Writing
      • Writing things for co-workers or customers.
    • Social Perceptiveness
      • Understanding people's reactions.
    • Active Learning
      • Figuring out how to use new ideas or things.
    • Troubleshooting
      • Figuring out what is causing equipment, machines, wiring, or computer programs to not work.
    • Operations Monitoring
      • Watching gauges, dials, or display screens to make sure a machine is working.
    • Programming
      • Writing computer programs.
    • Service Orientation
      • Looking for ways to help people.
    • Management of Material Resources
      • Managing equipment and materials.
    • Repairing
      • Repairing machines or systems using the right tools.
    • Instructing
      • Teaching people how to do something.
    • Monitoring
      • Keeping track of how well people and/or groups are doing in order to make improvements.
    • Systems Evaluation
      • Measuring how well a system is working and how to improve it.
    • Management of Personnel Resources
      • Selecting and managing the best workers for a job.
    • Installation
      • Installing equipment, machines, wiring, or computer programs.
    • Active Listening
      • Listening to others, not interrupting, and asking good questions.
    • Learning Strategies
      • Using the best training or teaching strategies for learning new things.
    • Judgment and Decision Making
      • Thinking about the pros and cons of different options and picking the best one.
    • Quality Control Analysis
      • Testing how well a product or service works.
    • Speaking
      • Talking to others.
    • Equipment Selection
      • Deciding what kind of tools and equipment are needed to do a job.

    Abilities

    • Written Expression
      • Communicating by writing.
    • Wrist-Finger Speed
      • Making fast, simple, repeated movements of your fingers, hands, and wrists.
    • Trunk Strength
      • Using your lower back and stomach.
    • Sound Localization
      • Noticing the direction that a sound came from.
    • Category Flexibility
      • Grouping things in different ways.
    • Speed of Closure
      • Quickly knowing what you are looking at.
    • Flexibility of Closure
      • Seeing hidden patterns.
    • Perceptual Speed
      • Quickly comparing groups of letters, numbers, pictures, or other things.
    • Visualization
      • Imagining how something will look after it is moved around or changed.
    • Stamina
      • Exercising for a long time without getting out of breath.
    • Oral Comprehension
      • Listening and understanding what people say.
    • Glare Sensitivity
      • Seeing something even if there is a glare or very bright light.
    • Dynamic Flexibility
      • Quickly and repeatedly bending, stretching, twisting, or reaching out with your body, arms, and/or legs.
    • Fluency of Ideas
      • Coming up with lots of ideas.
    • Originality
      • Creating new and original ideas.
    • Problem Sensitivity
      • Noticing when problems happen.
    • Inductive Reasoning
      • Making general rules or coming up with answers from lots of detailed information.
    • Mathematical Reasoning
      • Choosing the right type of math to solve a problem.
    • Spatial Orientation
      • Knowing where things are around you.
    • Selective Attention
      • Paying attention to something without being distracted.
    • Response Orientation
      • Quickly deciding if you should move your hand, foot, or other body part.
    • Reaction Time
      • Quickly moving your hand, finger, or foot based on a sound, light, picture or other command.
    • Near Vision
      • Seeing details up close.
    • Arm-Hand Steadiness
      • Keeping your arm or hand steady.
    • Gross Body Equilibrium
      • Keeping your balance or staying upright.
    • Gross Body Coordination
      • Moving your arms, legs, and mid-section together while your whole body is moving.
    • Dynamic Strength
      • Exercising for a long time without your muscles getting tired.
    • Control Precision
      • Quickly changing the controls of a machine, car, truck or boat.
    • Depth Perception
      • Deciding which thing is closer or farther away from you, or deciding how far away it is from you.
    • Peripheral Vision
      • Seeing something to your side when your are looking ahead.
    • Far Vision
      • Seeing details that are far away.
    • Speech Recognition
      • Recognizing spoken words.
    • Speed of Limb Movement
      • Quickly moving your arms and legs.
    • Information Ordering
      • Ordering or arranging things.
    • Night Vision
      • Seeing at night or under low light.
    • Rate Control
      • Changing when and how fast you move based on how something else is moving.
    • Manual Dexterity
      • Holding or moving items with your hands.
    • Speech Clarity
      • Speaking clearly.
    • Number Facility
      • Adding, subtracting, multiplying, or dividing.
    • Time Sharing
      • Doing two or more things at the same time.
    • Finger Dexterity
      • Putting together small parts with your fingers.
    • Multilimb Coordination
      • Using your arms and/or legs together while sitting, standing, or lying down.
    • Extent Flexibility
      • Bending, stretching, twisting, or reaching with your body, arms, and/or legs.
    • Visual Color Discrimination
      • Noticing the difference between colors, including shades and brightness.
    • Hearing Sensitivity
      • Telling the difference between sounds.
    • Written Comprehension
      • Reading and understanding what is written.
    • Oral Expression
      • Communicating by speaking.
    • Deductive Reasoning
      • Using rules to solve problems.
    • Static Strength
      • Lifting, pushing, pulling, or carrying.
    • Explosive Strength
      • Jumping, sprinting, or throwing something.
    • Memorization
      • Remembering words, numbers, pictures, or steps.
    • Auditory Attention
      • Paying attention to one sound while there are other distracting sounds.

    Knowledge

    • Fine Arts
      • Knowledge of the theory and techniques required to compose, produce, and perform works of music, dance, visual arts, drama, and sculpture.
    • Mechanical
      • Knowledge of machines and tools, including their designs, uses, repair, and maintenance.
    • Philosophy and Theology
      • Knowledge of different philosophical systems and religions. This includes their basic principles, values, ethics, ways of thinking, customs, practices, and their impact on human culture.
    • Public Safety and Security
      • Knowledge of relevant equipment, policies, procedures, and strategies to promote effective local, state, or national security operations for the protection of people, data, property, and institutions.
    • Design
      • Knowledge of design techniques, tools, and principles involved in production of precision technical plans, blueprints, drawings, and models.
    • Psychology
      • Knowledge of human behavior and performance; individual differences in ability, personality, and interests; learning and motivation; psychological research methods; and the assessment and treatment of behavioral and affective disorders.
    • Economics and Accounting
      • Knowledge of economic and accounting principles and practices, the financial markets, banking, and the analysis and reporting of financial data.
    • Food Production
      • Knowledge of techniques and equipment for planting, growing, and harvesting food products (both plant and animal) for consumption, including storage/handling techniques.
    • Chemistry
      • Knowledge of the chemical composition, structure, and properties of substances and of the chemical processes and transformations that they undergo. This includes uses of chemicals and their interactions, danger signs, production techniques, and disposal methods.
    • Building and Construction
      • Knowledge of materials, methods, and the tools involved in the construction or repair of houses, buildings, or other structures such as highways and roads.
    • Administration and Management
      • Knowledge of business and management principles involved in strategic planning, resource allocation, human resources modeling, leadership technique, production methods, and coordination of people and resources.
    • Customer and Personal Service
      • Knowledge of principles and processes for providing customer and personal services. This includes customer needs assessment, meeting quality standards for services, and evaluation of customer satisfaction.
    • Education and Training
      • Knowledge of principles and methods for curriculum and training design, teaching and instruction for individuals and groups, and the measurement of training effects.
    • Physics
      • Knowledge and prediction of physical principles, laws, their interrelationships, and applications to understanding fluid, material, and atmospheric dynamics, and mechanical, electrical, atomic and sub-atomic structures and processes.
    • Therapy and Counseling
      • Knowledge of principles, methods, and procedures for diagnosis, treatment, and rehabilitation of physical and mental dysfunctions, and for career counseling and guidance.
    • Production and Processing
      • Knowledge of raw materials, production processes, quality control, costs, and other techniques for maximizing the effective manufacture and distribution of goods.
    • Telecommunications
      • Knowledge of transmission, broadcasting, switching, control, and operation of telecommunications systems.
    • Foreign Language
      • Knowledge of the structure and content of a foreign (non-English) language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition and grammar, and pronunciation.
    • Geography
      • Knowledge of principles and methods for describing the features of land, sea, and air masses, including their physical characteristics, locations, interrelationships, and distribution of plant, animal, and human life.
    • Computers and Electronics
      • Knowledge of circuit boards, processors, chips, electronic equipment, and computer hardware and software, including applications and programming.
    • History and Archeology
      • Knowledge of historical events and their causes, indicators, and effects on civilizations and cultures.
    • Administrative
      • Knowledge of administrative and office procedures and systems such as word processing, managing files and records, stenography and transcription, designing forms, and workplace terminology.
    • Medicine and Dentistry
      • Knowledge of the information and techniques needed to diagnose and treat human injuries, diseases, and deformities. This includes symptoms, treatment alternatives, drug properties and interactions, and preventive health-care measures.
    • Engineering and Technology
      • Knowledge of the practical application of engineering science and technology. This includes applying principles, techniques, procedures, and equipment to the design and production of various goods and services.
    • Personnel and Human Resources
      • Knowledge of principles and procedures for personnel recruitment, selection, training, compensation and benefits, labor relations and negotiation, and personnel information systems.
    • Sociology and Anthropology
      • Knowledge of group behavior and dynamics, societal trends and influences, human migrations, ethnicity, cultures, and their history and origins.
    • Communications and Media
      • Knowledge of media production, communication, and dissemination techniques and methods. This includes alternative ways to inform and entertain via written, oral, and visual media.
    • English Language
      • Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.
    • Mathematics
      • Knowledge of arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, statistics, and their applications.
    • Law and Government
      • Knowledge of laws, legal codes, court procedures, precedents, government regulations, executive orders, agency rules, and the democratic political process.
    • Biology
      • Knowledge of plant and animal organisms, their tissues, cells, functions, interdependencies, and interactions with each other and the environment.
    • Transportation
      • Knowledge of principles and methods for moving people or goods by air, rail, sea, or road, including the relative costs and benefits.
    • Sales and Marketing
      • Knowledge of principles and methods for showing, promoting, and selling products or services. This includes marketing strategy and tactics, product demonstration, sales techniques, and sales control systems.

    Education

    Education
    High school diploma or equivalent
    Work Experience
    Less than 5 years work experience
    Training
    Less than 1 month on-the-job training

    Pay

    Washington Annual Salary
    92290/yr
    Washington Hourly Wage
    44.37/hr

    Washington Employment Trends

    Currently Employed
    5,620
    Yearly Projected Openings
    770

    Personality

    Enterprising: People interested in this work like activities that include leading, making decisions, and business. They do well at jobs that need:
    • Dependability
    • Leadership
    • Self Control
    • Cooperation
    • Stress Tolerance
    • Attention to Detail

    Tools

    • Cash registers
    • Laser printers
    • Notebook computers
    • Personal computers
    • Personal digital assistant PDAs or organizers

    Technology

    • Accounting software
    • Analytical or scientific software
    • Calendar and scheduling software
    • Cloud-based data access and sharing software
    • Communications server software
    • Data base user interface and query software
    • Desktop publishing software
    • Electronic mail software
    • Enterprise resource planning ERP software
    • Financial analysis software
    • Human resources software
    • Inventory management software
    • Object or component oriented development software
    • Office suite software
    • Point of sale POS software
    • Presentation software
    • Project management software
    • Spreadsheet software
    • Time accounting software
    • Web page creation and editing software
    • Word processing software