The Highest Paid Restaurant and Hospitality Jobs

The Highest Paid Restaurant and Hospitality Jobs

by | Apr 4, 2016 | Career

One of the biggest misconceptions of the restaurant and hospitality industry is that the pay is low across the board. However, there are several high-paying industry jobs that are worth looking into, especially if you’re working toward a long-term career in the business, rather than a short-term layover in between jobs. Just to give you an idea, here are the highest paid jobs in the world of restaurants and hospitality.

The Regional Chef

Median salary: $125,000 per year

Just as the title suggests, Regional Chefs oversee the kitchens of a number of hotels and resort properties in one region. You’ll mostly find Regional Chefs in the hospitality industry (resorts, hotels and large chains) rather than the restaurant industry proper, but the job itself is similar to any other culinary management position.

Regional Chefs are responsible for all operational aspects, from product to staff. Specific responsibilities include menu planning, food purchasing/budgeting, inventory management, and training chefs in each location. In order to qualify for being a Regional Chef, you’ll need a minimum of a bachelor’s degree and at least 10 years of experience as a chef.

The Restaurant Manager

Median salary: $49,912 per year + overtime + bonuses

From fine dining to fast casual, when it comes to restaurant jobs, managers are at the top of the line, not only in terms of responsibility but also salary. Combining strategic planning and day-to-day management activities, the role is both business-like and creative, particularly in terms of marketing and business development.

Restaurant managers must coordinate a variety of activities, whatever the size or type of the outlet; and are responsible for the business performance, quality standards and health and safety of the restaurant. There is no single route into restaurant management; a degree is not necessarily required as it is possible to work your way up through the ranks. What’s really important is that you are qualified and have a combination of experience, interpersonal skills and are willing to work the often long and odd hours required.

The Casino Shift Manager

Median salary: $68,000 per year

Casinos are a huge player in the hospitality industry, and, as more and more cities legalize gambling, they only promise to continue to grow. What does this mean for you? Lots and lots of exciting opportunities, one of which being the casino Shift Manager.

Falling under the broader career category of Gaming Supervisor, responsibilities include overseeing operations on the gaming floor, managing workers in assigned gaming areas, and addressing customer service issues. Shift Managers can either be hired outright if they demonstrate that they have at least five years of experience in a casino setting, or they can work their way through the echelons of backend management.

The Housekeeping Director

Median salary: $77,000 per year

When it comes to lucrative careers, most people wouldn’t think of housekeeping. Wrong! One of the best-paying jobs in hotels belongs to the Housekeeping Director! You’ll mostly find Housekeeping Directors as employees of a hotel chain or in a resort-style setting, but they may also work for an independent company and contracted out to businesses, rather than as an immediate employee of the hotel or resort.

In addition to having top-notch communication skills and a strong understanding of finance, they need to travel to the different hotels and/or resorts to make sure that cleanliness is being held up to the highest of standards. While this position doesn’t require any formal schooling per se, it does require a strong background in housekeeping and management, especially at the hospitality level.

What are some tips & tricks for getting these high-paying jobs?

Not everyone in the restaurant and hospitality industry qualifies for these high-paying jobs, of course. So, how do you get a chance to get a crack at these jobs?

First, and foremost, get some experience under your belt. If you truly want to be in the restaurant and hospitality industries for the long haul, you need to pay your dues. Second, make sure that you remain as professional and cordial as possible in each and every job, so that you can be assured of getting a good letter of recommendation each time you leave.

Finally, but certainly no less importantly, make sure that you foster as many industry connections as possible and stay up-to-date on professional opportunities.

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New Overtime Rules Are Coming Faster Than You Think

New Overtime Rules Are Coming Faster Than You Think

by | Mar 30, 2016 | Business Toolkit, Management

Restaurants could be forced to change the way they pay managers in just a few months as the federal government moves forward on new rules that dramatically expand who is eligible for overtime.

Earlier this week, the U.S. Department of Labor sent its final set of overtime rules to the Office of Management and Budget, a mandatory step that precedes publication of those final rules.

“The OMB has 30 to 90 days to review the rules, after which they will be published,” said Elizabeth Washko, an attorney in Nashville, Tenn., with the Ogletree Deakins labor and employment firm. After that, employers will have 60 to 90 days to comply.

Add it all up and restaurants have three to six months to figure this out.

However, it will most likely be closer to the three-month mark. According to Washko, “they’re pushing to have that done earlier than expected.”

The rules do not require an act of Congress, but there is an incentive for the Labor Department to get the rules out sooner rather than later – the prospect that the November election could usher in a new administration that stops the change.

The final rules are not yet known. But, as proposed, they would dramatically increase the weekly pay threshold for those who can be classified as exempt, from $455 per week to $970 per week, or from $23,660 per year to $50,440.

That would make the lowest paid 40 percent of the workforce eligible for excess pay if they work more than 40 hours a week.

The rules could have a significant impact on employers’ costs and management strategies. The National Retail Federation has estimated that it would cost retail and restaurant businesses $745 million to comply with the new regulations.

“I think it’s going to cost money in the long run for most restaurants,” Washko said. “Some restaurant companies will handle it more effectively and mitigate costs.”

In a note this week, Piper Jaffray analyzed several restaurant and retail companies and listed their average pay for store managers, based on numbers from Glassdoor. The analysis listed several chains that pay their unit managers less than $50,000 a year, on average.

Those chains or their franchisees, which include Dunkin’ Donuts, Burger King and Noodles & Company, could be required to hike pay for managers for them to qualify as exempt from overtime rules.

On the flip side, companies like Del Frisco’s Restaurant Group Inc. and Ruth’s Hospitality Group Inc. that operate upscale concepts would be less affected because their managers are paid higher wages and would be exempt under the rules.

Washko said that companies could reclassify unit managers as non-exempt and then pay them overtime wages. The problem with that is that unit managers work a lot of overtime.

“Exempt managers work hard, and they work hard for good reason, because of incentives, bonuses and things to make the restaurant more successful.”

“They’re either going to have to bump them up to the new minimum or reclassify them as non-exempt, which may result in overtime,” she said.

The National Retail Federation expects that the new rules will affect 2.2 million retail and restaurant workers, and that 32 percent of those would actually be converted to hourly.

But 21 percent of the affected workers would have their base wages lowered to reflect the number of hours they work, so even though those employees will get overtime, they won’t be paid more.

Washko believes that such a move could impact a restaurant’s morale. “It feels like a demotion,” she said. “You’re having to clock in and out and watch your hours. It could affect morale.”

Another potential concern is that the final rule could say something about the type of work that managers do.

Washko said the final rule could include a “duties test” that would govern how much basic labor managers are doing. The idea, potentially, is that managers must spend most of their time managing and not cooking food or serving customers.

“It’s hard to know anything concrete until we know the final rule,” she said.

Still, in the meantime, operators can prepare for the rules by getting a sense of what managers do, their job descriptions and what they do during a typical day. She also said restaurants should collect data for exempt managers and figure out how many hours they work in a typical week.

This article originally appeared on Nation’s Restaurant News.

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How To Avoid Burnout For Hospitality Managers

How To Avoid Burnout For Hospitality Managers

by | Mar 25, 2016 | Management

Hospitality management is one of the most rewarding fields in the industry, with the potential for strong earning power, industry accolades and public recognition for a job well-done. With all of its benefits, however, the field is definitely not all sunshine and rainbows. The challenges of a busy work environment, long (and odd) hours, and dealing with customers nonstop could easily lead to a career rut. But it doesn’t have to. Here’s the 411 on staying focused and engaged in your hospitality management position. 

Make learning a career-long endeavor

One of the best aspects of being in hospitality management is that there is always more to learn. Why’s this an advantage over other careers? Because, as a manager, it’s actually part of your job to learn as much as possible. Not only will it advance your career, it will also keep you stimulated at work. Plus, staff will appreciate you all the more!

There are a few ways to go about this. The first is with experience, so spend time alongside those working in areas beyond your own. Shadow them, ask questions and get to know their day-to-day responsibilities, the challenges they most often face and the roles they play in the business as a whole.

The second is with good old-fashioned studying. After all, there are some things that are best learned in a classroom setting. The most up-to-date standards and practices, trends in guest expectations, marketing innovations and business strategies are just a few of them. While you most likely don’t have the time to actually go to a traditional school, you can easily access areas of interest with online courses or free classes.

Pro-tip: It can be hard to get the ball rolling on continuing education, so choose an area that you’re actually interested in and think you’ll enjoying learning more about.

Enlist the help of a mentor

This tip is as relevant to the industry veteran as it is to the newbie because there is always someone who has more experience, more expertise or is just outright better (in a good way). So, take advantage of their know-how by developing a mentor-mentee relationship.

Whether it is official or casual, reach out to someone whom you respect and admire, and make checking in with them a regular habit.

This person can be a great source of knowledge and advice, especially when you hit a rough patch because they likely had a similar experience. Another benefit of cultivating this type of relationship is the possibility of a recommendation, formal or not, from a verified source that has industry clout.

Be the best you can be

Yes, it’s a slogan for the army, but it’s also a great piece of advice to keep in mind while on the job. Why? Because it means you’re working towards a goal. This equates to purpose, focus and motivation. Basically, it keeps work interesting.

This requires more action on your part than you think.

Yes, do the very best at every task and go above and beyond to take on new unassigned responsibilities. But also, engage with the industry at large outside of working hours as well as during them. Attend conferences and networking events, read trade publications and engage in industry-specific social media groups. Not only will you excel in your career, you’ll also meet great people along the way.

Keep lines of communication with other staff wide open

A surefire way to that career rut is by being in conflict with coworkers. The best way to keep this from happening is by communicating openly and honestly with both owners and more senior managers as well as colleagues and employees that are in more junior positions.

Keeping everyone on the same page by sharing as much work-related information as possible will go a long way toward preventing problems that miscommunication can cause. Give clear instructions and directions, ask for clarifications and explanations from other staff when necessary and address concerns and problems promptly.

Whatever you do, do not avoid the difficult conversations because this tactic will always make things worse in the end.

Make good hiring decisions

Taking the time to hire the right people for every position is especially important in the hospitality industry where the job performance of every person is evident not only to co-workers and management but also to guests and reviewers as well.

While taking shortcuts may seem to save time initially, the consequences of failing to hire competent, qualified, honest employees will be the time wasted cleaning up the metaphorical messes that they make.

Take the time to complete a thorough interview process, find the funds to pay the salaries that qualified candidates command and do not hesitate to fire employees who have proven themselves to be incapable, untrustworthy or unreliable. This will pay off in the end and save you plenty of those headaches that inevitably lead down the road that you’re trying to avoid.

The hospitality management field is ripe with long-term opportunity for those professional men and women who are not only willing to put in the effort to excel but also the effort to remain engaged. By following the tips above, any manager can get started down the path to continued job satisfaction and success.

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Sneak Peak at Via Perla’s Menu

Sneak Peak at Via Perla’s Menu

by | Mar 23, 2016 | IndiNews

DiningOut, along with excited foodies from the Denver/Boulder area, has been eagerly tracking Via Perla’s path to opening for months and they just got their hands on a key piece of the puzzle: Via Perla’s menu.

Now open, the third concept from The Walnut Restaurant Group, famous for Brasserie Ten Ten and The Mediterranean, you can ogle the descriptions of dishes in advance. In addition to a weekly-changing family-style dinner served on Sundays, here are some dishes from the opening menu of Via Perla.

Antipasti

Olive Fritte
Fried, anchovy-stuffed green olives

Ricotta
Housemade ricotta with lemon zest, thyme, Paniole 2015, and grilled ciabatta

Crudo
Hamachi, pickled radishes, red grapefruit, Calabrian chiles, and pink peppercorns

Polpette
Pork-veal meatballs, tomato sugo, basil pesto, currants, and pinoli

Carciofi alla Giudia
Roman-style fried artichokes, garlic, fonduta, and anchovy-focaccia crumbs

Zuppa e Insalata

Cacciucco
Tuscan seafood stew with seasonal fish, clams, and green olive tapenade, served with grilled ciabatta

Cavolo alla Griglia
Grilled Savoy cabbage, toasted hazelnuts, piave, garlic fonduta, brown butter, and balsamico

Via Perla new menu

 

For the Primi and Secondi dishes that Via Perla will be offering, see the full article on DiningOut→

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How To Answer 5 Of The Most Common Interview Questions

How To Answer 5 Of The Most Common Interview Questions

by | Mar 21, 2016 | Career

To even have a chance at getting a restaurant or hospitality job, acing the interview is a must, and that requires at least some preparation. While you can’t anticipate answers to every question asked, there are some interview questions that nearly every restaurant and hospitality job seeker will face. These are also some of the most difficult questions to answer, and that’s why planning strong responses can drastically increase your chances of nailing the interview and ultimately landing the job.

What is your biggest strength?

A good place to start when planning your answer to this question is by asking yourself: in which aspect of the job am I most confident and which do I enjoy the most? The skill or responsibility that answers both questions makes for a great response because it’s genuine.

A general rule of thumb that applies to this question in particular is that the interview is not the time to be modest. A manager can only have as much confidence in an applicant as the applicant has in his or herself.

Selling oneself by emphasizing strengths as strongly as possible is key here.

Remember, though, that while embellishment is to be expected and perhaps even recommended in situations where experience is lacking, telling outright lies is ill-advised. Not only will getting caught cause others to question your moral compass, but it will likely land you in a position for which you are unprepared.

What is your biggest weakness?

Do not answer this question without careful thought; the person asking is a potential employer, not a therapist. Plus, a wise candidate will turn this into yet another opportunity to highlight his or her strengths.

A good example would be something like taking on more shifts than desired in a past position because it describes a person who will work to the point of exhaustion in order to avoid letting down his or her team. A good quality in the end.

Again, be as genuine as possible when answering this question because chances are your interviewer has heard it all, or said it all. So, if you’re lying your pants off, it will most definitely show. PRO-TIP: if you can’t think of anything, ask a coworker what they think you could work on and take it from there.

What is your favorite part of the job?

When answering this question, take the opportunity to illustrate to the interviewer that you know the ins and outs of the job and the industry culture. An easy way to do this is by using the jargon and slang that you would typically here around the workplace.

This question also provides an opportunity to express what it is about working in a restaurant or service establishment that makes it where you want to be, rather than where you have to be. Whether it’s getting to work with all types of people, facing a different challenge every day or something that’s unique to you, it’s worth sharing.

Go a step further by relating your answer to the business for which you’re interviewing.

For example, if you’re interviewing for server position and your favorite part of the job is giving customers recommendations, add that this job in particular is exciting because of the variety of dishes on the menu. This shows motivation and dedication.

What is your least favorite?

While this is not the time to air grievances, either about past employers or the industry itself, a successful candidate must not fall into the trap of saying that there is nothing that he or she does not like about the job.

While this would be ideal if true, in a perfect world, it is simply not possible and will sound as disingenuous as it is. Answering with an aspect of the job that everyone universally dislikes is a better move. It will ring true and serve the additional purpose of making you relatable to the interviewer.

One possibility? Griping about bad tips. Just be sure to express the understanding that it comes with the territory and be sure to mention that you wouldn’t let it affect your performance.

Why would you make a good addition to the team?

Working in the restaurant and hospitality business is always a team effort, no matter how you slice it because, in the end, all that matters is the experience of the customer or guest. Making this experience a positive one depends not only on your performance but also on the performance of your coworkers.

That said, being a good addition to a team ultimately means that you’re doing what you can to support it.

With this in mind, a winning answer doesn’t have to be overly complicated, it just has to emphasize the fact that you’re willing to be helpful. A wise way to express this is by stressing your readiness to help co-workers without no need of extra incentives; that it’s part of the job to do whatever you can to help the team.

 

Planning is just half of the battle, though; you also need practice…

Have a friend or family member conduct a mock interview that includes the above questions in the days leading up to the real interview. This will help to work out any kinks in responses and to avoid awkward pauses or excessive use of filler words. Plus, it will boost your confidence, giving you a leg up on the competition!

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