Job Opportunities for Food Service Managers

Job Opportunities for Food Service Managers

by | May 16, 2016 | Career

While Cooks and Chefs prepare the food and Servers serve it up, it’s up to Managers to ensure that the show runs smoothly. And it’s not just in the restaurant industry that they’re needed. Everyone needs to eat, and because of that, food service managers are a part of most industries, further increasing the number of management opportunities available to those looking. They are the conductors that keep all the moving parts working together and this integral role equates to some great perks, including a high paycheck and job security! Don’t worry, we’ve got the specifics.

Opportunities by Industry

The responsibilities and background of food service managers typically make them the highest paid professionals on the restaurant floor and food service industry in general according to figures from the US Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS).

The average salary for food service managers is $53,640 per year ($25.79 per hour). The lowest paid 10 percent earn under $28,780 per year ($13.84 per hour) while those at the top can make more than $83,010 per year ($39.91 per hour).

When it comes to available positions, the best opportunities for food service managers are, of course, in restaurants and other eating places, where nearly 142,100 of these professionals are employed. Next comes special food services with 12,300 positions, followed by traveler accommodations with 9,020 jobs.

As for salary, it’s outside restaurant industry that you’ll get paid top dollar.

The industry paying the most for these professionals is insurance, where food service managers make an average of $94,330 per year to take care of in-house cafeterias and food service facilities.

Coming in second is the real estate industry, averaging $83,100 annually. Ranking third is healthcare, specifically specialty hospitals where the average annual salary runs at $82,120.

Opportunities by Location

California, the most populous state, comes in first in terms of necessity with 35,510 food service manager jobs. Texas, the second most populous state, has the second highest employment level at 12,010 jobs, followed by Tennessee, where 10,540 food service managers work.

When in comes to cities, the most opportunities are available in the Los Angeles, Long Beach, and Glendale, California area with 9,970 positions. Offering 5,130 jobs is the Chicago, Naperville, and Arlington Heights, Illinois, division, followed by Atlanta, Sandy Sprint, and Roswell, Georgia, with 4,630 managers.

The state with the highest pay for food service managers is New Jersey, averaging $71,440 per year. Delaware ranks a close second at an average of $71,130 annually. In third is Rhode Island at $69,000 yearly.

Among cities, Tallahassee, Florida tops the pay chart, averaging $84,050 per year, followed by the Atlantic City and Hammonton area in New Jersey where the average salary for food service managers is $80,930 yearly. In third is Wilmington, Delaware, and the surrounding metropolitan area in Maryland and New Jersey, at a mean $79,260 a year.

Projections

According to the BLS, food service manager positions is forecast to increase by 5 percent from 2014 to 2024, the reasons being a growing population and an improving economy: more people with more money to spend on eating out, food delivery, and takeout.

And, to meet this expected demand, more restaurants, catering services, and other food service establishments will open, requiring the expertise of managers to run efficiently.

Managers with many years of experience in the food service industry will have the best opportunities. As experienced managers leave the profession, the majority of job openings will be to replace these individuals, especially in upscale locations that pay higher salaries.

If these figures tempt you into finding better restaurant employment for yourself, search for opportunities sirvo.com/search →

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Serving Tables for Tuition

Serving Tables for Tuition

by | May 11, 2016 | Career

Finding a job that gives you the flexibility you need to make it to class on time and get your school work done is challenging in and of itself. Add getting paid enough to cover tuition and/or living expenses, groceries, and still have a little fun money left over, well that’s near impossible…unless you land a job as a server.

Serving tables is a great way to make some extra cash while you’re in college. Plus, you can learn some important business skills that will be an asset when you graduate and move on to a job in your field (or another job in the restaurant industry). Here are some things you need to know about serving tables for tuition so you can make the most of your time in the restaurant industry.

Scheduling ⌚

A tough thing about being a college student is that your schedule changes every few months. If you’re really concerned about finding a place to work in between your schedule from semester to semester, consider looking at 24/7 dining establishments.

These are great because they need employees at all hours of the day, so it’s easy to work around a class schedule.

Another perk of the 24/7 restaurants is that they’re few and far between and a hot commodity on college campuses, so you’ll be busy for the majority of your shift.

Living off tips ?

We’ve all heard horror stories of large tables that barely leave a tip after taking up a couple hours of a server’s time. While there’s no guarantee that you won’t experience this type of behavior, know that customers who stiff their servers are not the norm.

According to an article in the Atlantic, while the median tip amount varies based on location and gender, on average servers make between $7 and $13 per hour in tips.

Get to know your customers ?

Get to know your customers, especially your regulars. Working in the restaurant industry is a fantastic way to network, even though that’s rarely talked about.

Think about it: people from all walks of life go out to eat, which means you’ll have the chance to rub elbows with those who work in all types of industries.

You might make a connection with someone in the field in which you’ll someday work.

Secondly, you may make a great friend or even meet your future husband or wife while serving. Especially in college when you may have fewer close by friends than in the past, working in a restaurant is a great place to meet new people!

Fine-tune your people skills ?

You may think you understand people, but working in a restaurant is one of the best ways to interact with people from all walks of life. You’ll be serving the most polite and generous people along with the rudest (and cheapest). And you’ll have to do it all with a smile on your face and in a calm tone of voice.

During those rough shifts, keep in mind that all of this interpersonal experience will help you in your future career. It’s inevitable that you’ll work with a wide variety of clients, co-workers and managers, and being able to handle their personalities and quirks will lead to higher job satisfaction and make you an invaluable asset.

It could pan out to a career you love ?

You may not have dreamt of being a server as a little kid, but there are a lot of great career options within the restaurant industry. From Marketing to Management, a graduate degree combined with restaurant experience can turn into a lucrative, long-term career.

Keep an open mind and it may lead to something extraordinary.

When you can, take on extra responsibilities. You might end up with a promotion, which would mean extra cash in your pocket along with a new world of career opportunities available after graduation!

Working in a restaurant can be a lot of fun, especially if you like your co-workers and are able to work around your school schedule. Along with making enough money to cover your tuition, living expenses, and/or entertainment, you’ll be gaining valuable career skills that will help you after you graduate.

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When it comes to finding jobs in the restaurant industry, the grass is always greener in the next city over. However, the places you think of as restaurant meccas may not be the ones you want to pack up and move to. We've compiled a list of cities that we think are...

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It's not uncommon for there to be tensions between restaurants' front and back of house staff. From opposing personality types to the contentious fact that only the FOH gets tipped, animosities can run high and ultimately cause the quality of service to suffer....

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How Skype & Digital Technology are Advancing Hospitality Hiring

How Skype & Digital Technology are Advancing Hospitality Hiring

by | May 9, 2016 | Business Toolkit, Management

Choosing hospitality as a career has some great benefits, but, in the past, the hiring process and HR in general has not been a strong point. However, that’s all changing with the advancement of digital technology specifically made for the industry.

Take Skype for example, which is being utilized to conduct interviews remotely helping job seekers to apply for more jobs and allowing businesses to expand their talent network.

Skype is the most accessible video communications technology on the market and it’s making interviews possible from any distance. One of the benefits of working in the restaurant and hospitality industry is the ability to find work in any city across the world. In any given month,

In any given month, workers who are willing to relocate are looking for these job openings, but the holdup is not being able to get in front of managers.

Skype is changing that by making it possible for hiring managers to conduct interviews with prospective applicants at any time and from anywhere.

The interview is critical in any industry, but especially in hospitality, where workers not only have to get along with co-workers but also interact with patrons.

Skype enables decision makers to assess potential hires in real-time. Not to mention, it can be used from a desktop, laptop, smartphone, or tablet.

As Skype is creating an innovative solution for interviewing, Sirvo is using technology to streamline the application process.

Sirvo is a premium recruitment service for the hospitality industry, where finding qualified applicants and choice companies to work for has never been easier. If you’re interested in learning more about our service, please contact us today at [email protected].

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Best Places in Denver for an Outdoor Happy Hour

Best Places in Denver for an Outdoor Happy Hour

by | May 6, 2016 | IndiNews

It’s May and that means it’s the official start of patio season! To kick off this glorious time, DiningOut did some research on where to go in Denver for a great outdoor happy hour. Here are a few of their picks!

Izakaya Den

1487 South Pearl Street, Denver; 303.777.0691

The rooftop here is not to be missed! Made to be utilized year-round, it moves at the touch of a button and can be covered for chilly days or opened for patrons to enjoy the sunshine. Happy hour lasts from 5-6pm Tuesday-Friday and boasts some really great eats, like Crispy Brussels Sprouts, Steamed Duck Buns, and beautiful pieces of sashimi and nigiri. Don’t miss it!

Ophelia’s

1215 20th Street, Denver; 303.993.8023

We love the history of Ophelia’s Electric Soapbox and never miss a chance to grab a bite there. Monday through Friday, you can enjoy happy hour from 4-6pm and get down on discounted beer, wine, cocktails, and small plates. Did someone say cheese curds and Wagyu beef sliders? Count us in!

Steuben’s Food Service

523 East 17th Avenue, Denver; 303.830.1001

Two words: gravy fries. We’ll never believe that life gets better than hanging out on the Steuben’s patio and indulging in as many small bites are our bodies can hold. Happy hour lasts from 2-6pm Monday-Friday and offers a great selection of plates and booze for the whole crew.

Illegal Pete’s

270 South Broadway, Denver; 720.287.5233

These people take happy hour seriously. Chill on the massive patio from 3-8pm any day you like to enjoy discounted libations and some of the best tacos and burritos that Denver has to offer.

Linger

270 South Broadway, Denver; 720.287.5233

We know, we know—there’s a lot of Linger happy hour hype and has been for years. But that’s only because it rules. Great views of the city and discounted bites and drinks is music to our ears, available Monday-Friday, 4-6pm.

Tamayo

1400 Larimer Street, Denver; 720.946.1433

There’s just nothing like dining alfresco with too many margs and tacos after a long day on the job. Tamayo has perfected this experience, with an inventive take on our favorite Mexican dishes and flavorful margaritas you’ll want to order by the pitcher. Stop by between 2-6pm daily.

Check out what the rest of the best outdoor happy hour spots Denver has to offer on DiningOut.com→

Why Master Sommeliers Are Going Corporate

Why Master Sommeliers Are Going Corporate

by | May 2, 2016 | IndiNews

The atmosphere and wine selections at this year’s closing dinner for the Symposium for Professional Wine Writers reflected the commercial path that many of the 12 Master Sommeliers in attendance chose to follow after achieving the diploma. No longer as familiar with the restaurant floor and patrons as they are with the wine wholesalers, producers and marketing teams that employ them, the Sommeliers who paired the evening’s courses turned away from the semi-oxidized, organically fermented selections of years past in favor of more commercial choices.

It’s clear that this new generation of Master Sommeliers is charting its own path, chasing the ‘corporate dollar’ rather than the choicest wines. The question is why.

According to Chris Blanchard, the former Sommelier at Napa Valley restaurant REDD, after achieving the Master Sommelier diploma, it is difficult to resist the siren call of the larger paycheck and regular schedule offered by the corporate wine world as opposed to the demanding hours, uncertain pay and insufficient personal time that goes along with working in the food and beverage service.

However, for some Master Sommeliers, the plan all along was to leave the stress of a restaurant career behind by going corporate.

While a Sommelier who has no other commitments beyond the restaurant doors may tolerate the long hours, low pay and poor work-life balance, those with families tend to grow tired of constantly chasing the most profitable positions at all costs.

Jay James, going from Director of Wine at Bellagio Las Vegas’ wine program to Brand Ambassador of Chappellet Winery, can relate to this sentiment. As he explains, “One must typically go to where the best jobs are for maximum income potential, and that can be inconvenient or the location undesirable.”

For Doug Frost, a managing partner of the Beverage Alcohol Resource program and one of only four people in the world to currently hold both the Master Sommelier and Master of Wine diplomas, the move away from restaurant life had more to do with what he was doing than what he was not.

In fact, Frost says that if the job had only been about working the restaurant floor, he’d still be there.

But that was not the case. In addition to the work he did as the restaurant’s Sommelier, he also, “spent a lot of time worrying about the POS program […] and fussing about the price of Pepsi.”

Still, for all of the benefits that the corporate wine world has to offer over restaurant work, some think of going corporate as selling out. According to Blanchard, Master Sommeliers that enter the commercial sphere are playing straight into the dubious hands of the corporation.

“They hire an MS because it adds some kind of legitimacy to wines they produce […] these are the same kinds of wines that many of the new Masters would never have even considered for their wine programs when they were working the floor.”

Whether the new class of Master Sommeliers will bring a touch of art to the commercial wine world or become absorbed by it remains to be seen, but what is evident is that the ‘corporate dollar’ is not the only reason for shifting career paths. However, the way the wine trend is progressing, with an increasing demand for accessible wines, more may take the commercial path than would ever have considered doing so before.