What’s the Career Path of a Restaurant Manager?

What’s the Career Path of a Restaurant Manager?

by | Apr 28, 2017 | Career

If you like being the host (or life) of the party or if you enjoy bringing people together for a good time, then you’ll enjoy working as a manager in the service industry. The hours can be long, but the rewards are worth it. You’ll form close friendships with your employees and with your patrons. Some of these connections will last a lifetime.

You know, we would never tell someone they don’t have to go to college to be successful. But with the internet bringing the world closer together and with the world changing rapidly, the fact is A) success is being measured differently and B) there are other ways to achieve success.

In 2017, restaurant and foodservice jobs make up 11% of employment in the state of Colorado. The National Restaurant Association predicts that number to grow by 12.3% by the year 2027. Here are more stats illustrating why pursuing a management career in the service industry is a viable option.

Within the industry, there are just a few steps to becoming your own (or THE) boss, but each step requires a complete grasp of the level before. Most managers work within the industry, either starting out as a bartender or server, but it’s increasingly common that employees from the Back of the House become heads of restaurants, too.

Whether you pursue a career by learning the business as you go or by working in the business while going to school, this is pretty much the path a manager takes.

1. Host/Server, Prep Cook/Dishwasher

If you’re in the front of the house, you’ll start out as a host or server. If you’re in the back of the house, you’ll start out as a prep cook or dishwasher.

Managers must always know how every aspect of their restaurant functions. Starting out at the bottom is a great way to learn how a foodservice establishment operates. Knowing exactly what your employees go through on a shift to shift basis is a great way to earn their respect.

Also, there will be times when you have to jump in and help out. You’ll want to know what you’re doing. If you’re hired into a company as a management trainee, it’s very likely their training program will have you working in every position of the restaurant at some point.

2. Bar or Service Manager

After learning the restaurant positions and functions, you’ll be able to move to higher level positions such as the Bar Manager or Service Manager.

In these positions, you’re given the responsibility of managing small teams of employees, mentoring and training, and handling opening and closing duties to ensure the restaurant functions at its highest level.

3. Assistant General Manager

After Bar/Service Manager, the next step is taking the reins as Assistant General Manager. At this level, it’s common to be paid a salary instead of on an hourly basis. This level of management is also typically offered benefits.

The trade off is, the hours are loooong. You’ll be the first to arrive in the mornings or the last to leave at night. But, you’re also learning the upper-level management skills needed to someday run your own restaurant.

4. General Manager/Owner

This is typically the highest position in the restaurant. You have final say in all business decisions. You’re in charge of making sure the business is a success. You’re responsible for all employees. If you’re working for a corporation, you can still progress higher than GM. If you’re working for a small company, this could be the highest you can get before you move to the next step of owning your own business.

If you decide to go the corporate route, other possible positions to achieve could be:

  • Area Manager
  • Regional Manager
  • Division Executive

Rest assured, the service industry as a career choice is here to stay. Taste trends are changing faster than ever, which means more new restaurants are on the horizon. An added benefit of a career in the service industry is it’s very easy to travel, so keep that in mind as your think about your future. Restaurants and bars are everywhere!

If you’re ready to see what’s waiting for you, browse our latest openings now.

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Different Types of Restaurant Establishments and How They Differ

Different Types of Restaurant Establishments and How They Differ

by | Apr 26, 2017 | Career

As you consider which restaurant you’d like to start a career in, you may come across the many different types of establishments. You’re probably wondering what the differences between them are.

In essence, restaurants are most commonly classified by the type of service they offer to their customers. The work and pay will be different at each so we thought we’d give you a quick rundown of what each service type is and what you can expect at each.

Fast Food

Fast food restaurants have a bad reputation in the industry and within pop culture. Normally, these are restaurants where the food is cheaper, ordered at a counter, and paid for before the food is presented. Typical fast food establishments serve hamburgers, pizza, and fried foods. The bad reputation comes from the fact that these restaurants are associated with unhealthy menu options as well as low wages.

Before you condemn working in a fast food establishment, think about these two things:

 

  • These are usually the big chain restaurants with locations all over the country, maybe even the world. Their size enables them to provide benefits to their employees other types of restaurants may not be able to.
  • These restaurants also provide a well-established training system which translates across the industry, so starting with a fast food chain gives you a solid foundation to take to higher level management positions.

Fast Casual

The main difference between fast food and fast casual is that more of the food is actually prepared on location at a fast casual restaurant. Normally, the food and ingredients used will be of a higher quality than at fast food restaurants, too. Customers will still order at a counter and pay first, but the perception given is the food is better quality, meaning it must be healthier, and therefore worth the slightly higher prices.

Restaurants in this category make up some of the fastest growing chains in the country. A number of the big fast food chains also own fast casual concepts under different names. The good thing about that is, the training and benefits will still be available. It also opens up many career paths for anyone who chooses this type of restaurant to specialize in.

Cafe/Bistro

Just a hair different from fast casual, but still a step up. The cafe/bistro originated in Europe but still does not always offer table service. Customers can either order at the counter or the bistro may offer a limited menu with a limited team of waiters willing to take your order while they manage a host of other duties such as making/serving drinks and coffee at the bar.

Cafes and bistros are known for the quality of their beverages, their pastries and light snacks, and the relaxed atmosphere where patrons are encouraged to stay for longer periods of time than at fast food and fast casual style establishments.  

Casual/Family Style

At casual/family style restaurants customers normally order at their table from a waiter assigned to take the order and guide the diners through the experience. The meals are prepared to order and are another step up in quality and complexity from the fast casual restaurant or bistro.

Although many casual/family style restaurants are owned by big chains, more and more are increasingly owned by individuals or small companies. This style of restaurant is also known for having a much wider menu selection. Some casual/family style restaurants have an eclectic menu while others focus on one cuisine or concept.

Non-management employees at these types of restaurants can expect to earn more than at fast food or fast casual restaurants due to tips becoming a part of their income.

Fine Dining

The term “fine dining” has traditionally brought white tablecloths, evening gowns, suits, fancy cocktails, and white-gloved waiters to mind. Usually, these restaurants employed a team of highly trained chefs who put out gourmet menus seasonally to impress the A-list clientele.

But now, it doesn’t always mean that anymore. Those restaurants still exist, but the chefs and other skilled restaurant employees have begun bringing their talents over the casual/family style of service. The good news is, the quality of the menu and service ensures the wages paid at these establishments are very high. These restaurants will also normally offer benefits to their employees.

Many restaurants may fall into more than one of these types so we hope we’ve given you a general idea of what to expect when eating out or searching for a position. If you have any more questions on dining in the Denver area or are ready to get to work, visit us at Sirvo.com now.

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Sirvo Stories: Sirvo Spends Some Time with Chris Kobayashi of Tupelo Honey Southern Kitchen and Bar

Sirvo Stories: Sirvo Spends Some Time with Chris Kobayashi of Tupelo Honey Southern Kitchen and Bar

by | Apr 7, 2017 | Sirvo Stories

The highly anticipated arrival of Tupelo Honey Cafe in Spring of 2017 brings the talents of Chef Chris Kobayashi to Denver. A graduate of the Culinary Institute of America and a two-time semifinalist for the James Beard “Best Chef Pacific” award, Chef Kobayashi fits well with Tupelo Honey’s belief in using local and sustainable food products on their menu.

Chef Kobayashi has been the Chef/Owner of Kitchenette and Artisan in California since 2006. Before that, he worked as Executive Chef and Executive Pastry Chef for Robin’s and Brix, also in California.

We were lucky enough to squeeze in a moment or two with the talented Chef to ask him a few questions as we prepare for the Tupelo Honey Cafe arrival in Denver in 2017.

So Chris, where are you from?

CK: Bishop, CA

What’s your favorite dish on the menu at Tupelo Honey and why?

CK: The fried chicken! Who doesn’t like crispy breading and skin?

What do you look for in a Sous Chef or teammate?

CK: Organization. Being organized is the key to any successful service. Front or back of house.

What’s your favorite ingredient to work with?

CK: Although there are many… my go to ingredients usually contain something cured or fermented. Something like miso or fermented chilies are readily accessible and add complexity and depth without [needing] a lot of ingredients.

Name the person you would most like to cook for and why?

CK: The person who I like cooking for the most is my 10-year-old son. Being in the industry it’s tough to get in some quality time. He’s at the age where he wants to participate in cooking and really gets into helping out. What’s really funny is when he goes to a sleepover and is trying to give his friend’s mom cooking tips on how to execute a better breakfast.

Do you have any kitchen/ restaurant pet peeves?

CK: When part of your team doesn’t work to the best of their ability. Everyone makes mistakes, but when someone doesn’t try, that’s just lazy.

What was your nickname at the restaurant (and how did you get it)?

CK: Koby. Short for Kobayashi. This name has followed me around from kitchen to kitchen. Since there are so many people with the name Chris, it’s always been a good shoe in. As a matter of fact, the Sous Chef’s name is Chris and the Executive Sous name is Crystal.

What’s the best and worst thing that Food Network has done for the industry?  

CK: There is no doubt that the Food Network has put the cooking industry in the spotlight. We were all just a bunch of misfits and a dysfunctional group of people. It was considered a second rate job that was for the lower socio-economic class. The Network broke the stigma and made chefs rock stars. Which was also the worst thing. Kitchens are a tough working environment and that is not what is portrayed on TV. However, the Network has elevated the craft and has made food a priority in many households. This country is based on so many cultures and the best way to portray our ethnicities is through food. Food Network has made this accessible and possible for chefs to make a living.

What did you have for dinner last night?

CK: Pork collar dumplings with first of the season sugar snap peas!!! And rice grits.

Last weekend on earth – what city are you eating in?

CK: On my last weekend? I would finish out in Hong Kong. Noodles, dumplings, chilies, fermented vegetables and did I mention dumplings? #dimsum #forever

If you got $5,000 how would you spend it?

CK: Let’s pretend I didn’t have a mountain of culinary school loans to pay off! I would definitely go on a trip to Asia and eat my way through. There definitely is a lot to be learned about food through experiencing different cultures. I feel that there is a lot that I could learn from the Asian cultures to incorporate techniques used in my own cooking style.

What are you reading now?

CK: Mostly trade publications in the form of magazines and net. *Lucky Peach! Food smut.

You can catch up with Chris and find out what he’s up to on Tupelo Honey’s Facebook and Instagram pages. Tupelo Honey will be bringing its long-awaited Southern Revival scratch-made menu to the Platform near Denver Union Station in May 2017. Stay tuned to Sirvo for hiring announcements and more on Tupelo’s locally sourced, seasonal menu and cocktails.

Interested in working for Tupelo Honey? Check out their open interviews!

When:     Daily 4/11/17 thru 4/21/17 @ 10:00am – 5:30pm
Where:    Tupelo Honey Southern Kitchen & Bar (1650 Wewatta St. Denver, CO 80202)

View open positions

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Why You Should Never Hesitate To Cut Guests Off

Why You Should Never Hesitate To Cut Guests Off

by | Mar 17, 2017 | Career

If your establishment serves alcohol, you have experienced at least one drunk customer. He or she ordered drink after drink, getting louder and sloppier with each one, and you were faced with a dilemma. You wanted to keep the customer happy, and clearly you are there to provide what the customer asks for. However, the drunk customer quickly became a problem. When you are faced with this situation, you should never hesitate to cut a guest off, and here is why:

1. The Other Customers

In a seated restaurant, there are few things worse than sitting near a drunk and belligerent diner, unless it is sitting next to a drunk and over-friendly diner. They are loud and intrusive. Your other guests want to relax and not worry about the person next to them stumbling into them or getting into a shouting match. If your other guests are uncomfortable, they leave early, possibly not ordering things they normally would have.

They aren’t wrong to do this, either. Drunk guests present a danger to other people, knocking into them and starting fights. They also get into car accidents. Sober customers that drive will want to get out of the parking lot before the drunk guest gets in a car and drives into someone.

Your other guests want to relax and not worry about the person next to them stumbling into them or getting into a shouting match.

2. Your Waitstaff

Drunk guests are hard to serve, and the waitstaff’s job is hard enough. No one gets paid enough to clean up after someone who got sick from too much alcohol, fend off someone who is drunkenly hitting on them, or trying to help customers stumble out the door. There just isn’t enough money in the world to make up for dealing with that sort of thing all the time, and it can contribute to employees quitting.

3. Your Reputation

It never takes long for the locals to figure out where they can sit and imbibe all day. This attracts the type of guests who monopolize bar stools and scare away other paying customers.

People do not take their kids or parents to a restaurant where they think they will have to watch somebody drink themselves sick. They don’t want to take their dates places where they would be subjected to somebody tottering around drunkenly. It only takes a few bad apples to drive away people, and cutting off guests early keeps those bad apples in check.

It only takes a few bad apples to drive away people, and cutting off guests early keeps those bad apples in check.

4. The Customer’s Safety

With each drink, customers become more prone to accidents. They become more vulnerable to robbery and more prone to bad judgment. All this means that it isn’t just the other customers who are in danger when one customer gets drunk. The drinker could decide to drive home and get in an accident, they could drop glasses and cut themselves, or any number of bad scenarios.

5. Liability

Many states hold responsible the last person to serve alcohol to someone if that person gets into a car accident. The local law enforcement officers will track the driver’s movements until they reach the last establishment they were at and charge the restaurant or bar with overserving that person. That puts you in a world of legal hurt that you just don’t need.

Even if such rules were not on the books, a restaurant or bar is open to legal trouble when drunk guests act out. If the police are constantly showing up to deal with misbehaving guests, you are going to have some trouble renewing your liquor license. At the very least, the neighboring businesses and residents will give you grief. Your guests would be scaring away other business’s customers, after all, and we all rely on our neighbors sometimes.

These factors hurt your bottom line, hurt your community, and hurt your guests. Servers can avoid all of this by cutting a guest off before they drink themselves sick. It may be hard to stop filling a drunk customer’s order, but it is always the right thing to do.

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How To Deal With Coworker Conflict

How To Deal With Coworker Conflict

by | Mar 3, 2017 | Career

Coworkers are like family: you don’t (usually) get to choose them. Instead, coworkers are typically, and dare we say hopefully, hired because of their resume and not because of their easy-going personality. What this inevitably means is that a good portion of your professional life is going to be spent sharing a space with individuals you’d rather never see at all. Not only is that bad news for you, it’s bad for business because coworker problems inhibit productivity and customer service.

When CPP Inc., publishers of the Myers-Briggs Assessment and the Thomas-Kilmann Conflict Mode Instrument, commissioned a study on workplace conflict they found that U.S. employees spend an average of 2.8 hours dealing with conflict on a weekly basis. That’s the equivalent of 385 million working days! Thus, no matter how laid back you are, it’s only a matter of time before you have to deal with some coworker friction.

Here are the three major ways coworkers clash, and what you can do to solve it.

1.) You have the same goal, but a different perspective on how best to make it happen.

Maybe you went to two different culinary schools that stressed two different techniques to do the same job. Maybe your coworker is a tank, and they can’t handle any job or conversation if it isn’t done in the most efficient manner possible. Or maybe you’re the tank, and your coworker gets so caught up in the details the food starts turning cold.

Despite the fact that there is conflict, it’s because both of you care a lot.

If you’re in this situation, where all parties ultimately are hoping for the success of the meal service but are struggling to make it happen due to differences in style or opinion, take heart. Despite the fact that there is conflict, it’s because both of you care a lot.

In this situation you need to:

A.) Value the strengths your coworkers bring to the table, and act like it. If Bill’s plating is the best in the city, tell him. Tell him you appreciate his eye for detail, and his commitment to excellence.

B.) Compromise, because that’s what adults do. If you’re able to recognize that your coworkers are gifted individuals you will promote unity, you will learn from them, and you will see the strength in multiple talent sets. Work through a practical and doable compromise that will allow Bill to plate, without ruining the quality of the food.

C.) Communicate, communicate, communicate. It’s likely that if you talk to Bill with respect and appreciation, he’ll do the same. It’s likely he’s a reasonable professional who recognizes that his plating skills will be in vain if the food isn’t served promptly. So talk to him about the aforementioned compromise like you’re talking to the plating prodigy he is.

2.) You don’t have the same goal at all.

Maybe Bill isn’t actually concerned with having a stellar meal service, maybe all he cares about is his plating and making sure he gets credit for said plating. Or perhaps you’re dealing with an individual who doesn’t have thick skin and refuses to let things go even at the cost of the kitchen running smoothly. If this is the situation you find yourself in it’s going to take a bit more gumption.

Here’s what you need to do:

A.) Give them a chance. The reality is that sometimes people don’t actually realize how they’re influencing everyone else. It can seem impossible, but it’s true. So at a time when you are calm and collected, with as much kindness and gentleness as you can muster, explain the situation from your perspective. Maybe, they didn’t realize. Maybe, you’ll learn about some hard things in their personal life, and they’ll be willing to talk through some solutions. But maybe not.

B.) In that case, it’s time to bring management into the situation. Rory Rowland, an expert on the subject says the most important thing to do in workplace conflict is to, “recognize that ripping the bandage off is painful, but after it’s done everything is all better.”

In his own company, he employed that method by bringing both individuals together to act as a third-party. “One of the techniques I used was you couldn’t restate your own position until you stated the other person’s position to their approval. When you’re angry and hurt, the last thing you want to do is restate the other person’s perspective.”

“One of the techniques I used was you couldn’t restate your own position until you stated the other person’s position to their approval. When you’re angry and hurt, the last thing you want to do is restate the other person’s perspective.”

But what he found was that often when people make themselves see the situation from the other side it creates an understanding between individuals. And while understanding doesn’t always lead to total acceptance, it does often lead to politeness and respect. So ask management to act as a third-party, and make it clear that your hope is that everyone involved will thrive.

3.) Sometimes, they’re just a jerk.

Unfortunately, the workplace is full of people who only ever have their best interest at heart. Perhaps you have a coworker who isn’t satisfied with succeeding, unless everyone else around them fails. Or perhaps you’re sharing a shift with an individual whose main priority is doing as little as possible, while still getting paid. In that situation follow the steps for type 2 and then:

A.) Let go. We know–let what?! How do you let go when what you’re really hoping to do is give them a piece of your mind? You do it by realizing you have very little control over what other people do. If you have taken the steps to neutralize the situation and you have made management aware, then do not let them ruin your chances of success or happiness. Take control of what you can, namely your attitude and performance, and reap the rewards of doing so.

Every conflict is an opportunity; it’s a chance to refine your problem-solving skills.

The good news is that every conflict is an opportunity; it’s a chance to refine your problem-solving skills. It’s a chance to prove to your superiors that you have what it takes to be in charge. And it’s ultimately a chance for you to impact the people around you in a positive way.

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