If you are interested in a career as a restaurant manager, there are a few steps you can take to set yourself up for success in the hospitality field. The following steps detail the process of how to become a restaurant manager.
Gain Experience in a Restaurant
The first step to becoming a restaurant manager is to earn experience that will help you grow your skills and knowledge.
In the restaurant industry, experience is priceless. You may start as a server and move to a shift supervisor to gain an understanding of the industry and how to operate a restaurant business. Having experience in various positions within a restaurant will help prepare you for becoming a restaurant manager.
Earn a Hospitality Management Degree
If you have been to many restaurants, you probably already know that not all restaurants are alike, and they have different practices. Some restaurants may not require you to earn a college-level degree, but rather they may put you through training on how to manage a restaurant. However, there are national restaurant chains that have internship programs designed specifically for college students enrolled in a hospitality or culinary undergraduate degree program. These internships offer opportunities to learn the multiple functions of a restaurant, including management training.1,2
Do you need a degree to be a restaurant manager? While front-of-house and back-of-house experience is crucial to becoming a restaurant manager, earning a relevant degree can teach you additional competencies that are not often learned on the job. For example, aspiring restaurant managers may choose to pursue a bachelor’s degree in hospitality management. This degree helps students develop skills and qualities in areas such as:
- Accounting and finance
- Human resource management
- Business ethics
- Supply chain management
- Marketing
Become Certified
It is important to make sure you have any necessary certifications for how to become a restaurant manager. This can differ depending on the city and state your restaurant is in, as well as the specific restaurant. Two common certifications you may need as a restaurant manager is a Food Handler's Certificate and a Certified Food Protection Manager credential.3 If you work in a fine-dining restaurant, you may also consider becoming a certified sommelier.3
Grand Canyon University’s Colangelo College of Business offers degree programs such as the Bachelor of Science in Hospitality and Tourism Management and the Bachelor of Science in Business Management programs. If you are interested in learning more about the online or campus degree programs available at GCU, complete the form on this page to connect with a university counselor.
1 Hillstone Restaurant Group. Careers and Summer Internships. Retrieved on June 13, 2023.
2 Pappas’ Restaurants. College Internships. Retrieved on June 13, 2023.
3 Maricopa County. (n.d.). Food & Restaurants. Maricopa County. Retrieved April 13, 2023.
Approved by the academic program coordinator for the Colangelo College of Business on June 14, 2023.
