Employers

Approximately 356,400 restaurant managers are employed in the United States. Hotels located in large urban areas, or those near airports, most often house restaurants. Also, many hotels have cocktail lounges, pubs, banquet facilities, room service, and counter-type eateries that need capable people to manage them. A top name in the industry is Marriott International, which gives additional training and support to women and minority employees on the management track.

Starting Out

Job openings are posted at job fairs, in hotel trade magazines, and in newspapers. National organizations are also great sources of information for jobs. Check with the National Restaurant Association or the American Hotel and Lodging Association for information, or better yet, visit their Web sites for job descriptions and openings nationwide. Don’t forget to use the resources that regional or state lodging or restaurant associations may have to offer. Visit the Web site of the Council of State Restaurant Associations http://www.staterestaurantassociations.org) to access a list of state-level associations. 

Use any contacts you made during part-time work or your internships. Networking is a helpful strategy when job hunting. Let everyone know you are ready for full-time employment.

Many restaurant managers move into management services—food services provided by hotels for business cafeterias, banks, and schools. Another area for advancement is into industrial food service, hotel food and beverage departments that work with health care or assisted-living institutions. The industrial side is not necessarily more lucrative, but the hours are more stable. Managers usually work nine to five and have weekends and holidays off unless special projects or events are planned. Another advancement possibility is into the job of restaurant director. This person supervises the overall management of food service within the hotel. Restaurant managers report to the restaurant director.

Many experienced hotel restaurant managers are promoted to the executive side of hotel management. Having the responsibility of running a business that contributes large revenues to the hotel makes restaurant managers good candidates for higher rungs on the corporate ladder.

Visit the following Web sites for job listings:

• http://www.hospitalityonline.com
• http://www.careerbuilder.com
• http://www.hcareers.com

Read publications such as Communiqué (https://www.chrie.org/i4a/pages/index.cfm?pageid=3331) to learn more about trends in the industry and potential employers.

Attend conventions of the National Restaurant Association and other organizations to network and interview for jobs.

Join professional associations to access training and networking resources, industry publications, and employment opportunities.