Top 20 Restaurant Manager Interview Questions & Answers 2024

Editorial Team

Restaurant Manager Interview Questions & Answers

Who is a restaurant manager? This is an individual who is responsible for overseeing the daily operations of a restaurant.

Below are the top 20 questions and answers that will guide you in your interview.

1.   Why Are You Interested In This Role?

When you are asked this question, you should talk about why you want to work for the interviewer’s company. Consider talking about nurturing your experience and advancing your skills as well.

Sample Answer

“After I learned that you were recruiting, I did not hesitate to apply for the post because I had all the qualifications listed and I needed a job. I want to use the skills and knowledge that I have gained from the university and past experiences to earn an income. In addition, I saw a great performance of your restaurant, and I wouldn’t be shy to say that I would like to sharpen and gain more knowledge and skills from you as well. Providing my services to better the performance of your business and at the same time earning and gaining knowledge and skills sounds perfect to me. I would like to be part of your team.”

2.   What Are The Roles Of A Restaurant Manager?

The interviewer wants to know whether you are aware of the duties and responsibilities that you are entitled to. Talk about the main duties and responsibilities of a restaurant manager.

Sample Answer

“As a restaurant manager, these are the duties and responsibilities that I am expected to perform;

i)             Recruiting, training, and supervising the staff

ii)           Planning and managing the restaurant budget

iii)          Ensure compliance with licensing, hygiene, and health safety guidelines

iv)          Taking reservations made in a restaurant

v)            Making improvements to the restaurant and developing it

vi)          Handling administration paperwork

vii)         Assessing and improving profitability

viii)       Planning of menus

These are the top duties and responsibilities I would be delighted to perform in your restaurant.”

3.   What Are The Qualities That A Restaurant Manager Need To Be Successful

Your interviewer expects you to tell them the qualities you have that you think can help you succeed working as a restaurant manager.

Sample Answer

“Despite having the academic and experience qualifications, I believe that having the right personal qualities determines whether you are going to perform well in this role or not. As a restaurant manager, I should have good customer to business communication skills. Secondly, customer service skills are essential since you are dealing with your customers directly. Having problem-solving skills is also essential since you have to solve issues that may arise in the workplace. Lastly, a restaurant manager should be able to work in a team since there are several departments they have to work with to succeed in this role,”

4.   What Major Challenges Did You Face During Your Last Role? How Did You Manage?

The interviewer wants you to tell them the difficulties that you faced in your previous role. Talk about the main challenge and the ways you used to manage them.

Sample Answer

“Cultural barriers was one of the challenges I faced in my previous role. Since I could get customers from different countries, the language barrier would be a challenge. Some would expect to find their local foods in our restaurant, but we didn’t have any. I could get a challenge communicating to such customers when there was the need to. To curb this, I had to use technology where I could get applications that would translate a speech immediately.”

5.   Describe Your Daily Routine As A Restaurant Manager?

Your interviewer wants to know what your daily schedule looks like. Give them a very organized schedule starting from the first activity until the last activity of the day.

Sample Answer

“After arriving at the restaurant, I open the backdoor for the kitchen staff to start working. I check the temperatures in all coolers and freezers. I then create a schedule for servers and bussers with chores that need to be tacked for that day individually. I turn the lights, sound system and ensure that everything is in place. I then open the front door and turn the open sign on. As customers start to come in, I welcome them and ensure that they are attended to as they should. I continue going around the restaurant and the kitchen this time of the day to ensure that everything is in place. After serving many customers, I change the open sign to closed and close the front door. I ensure that everything is set for the next day and leave the restaurant.”

6.   Describe Briefly About Your Experience

The interviewer wants to know where you have worked before, for how long you have worked, and the experience you have gained.

Sample Answer

“After completing my Bachelor’s degree in hotel management, I was employed as a restaurant manager at a restaurant in the central business district. I worked there for four years, and I was able to gain a lot of experience. After four years, I was employed in another restaurant that mostly dealt with tourists near a game park. I was able to meet different types of people from different cultural backgrounds. Meeting them was an advantage to me since I learned a lot from them. I worked there for three years, and my contract expired.”

7.   What Kind Of Strategies And Mindset Is Required For This Role?

The interviewer asks this question to learn what attitude you have towards this role. Talk about what restaurant managers should always focus on.

Sample Answer

“The success of a restaurant depends on the managerial strategies and mindset. A restaurant manager will be the main cause of any success or failure in the restaurant. As a restaurant manager, I should always focus on customer satisfaction as my core agenda. If the customers are satisfied, we expect the business to perform well. The feedback that I will get from customers will determine whether we need to improve on a certain sector or not. As a restaurant manager, focusing on customer’s feedback is very important. It will help me know what it is that I am doing best and what it is that I need to improve in the restaurant.”

8.   What Is The Biggest Challenge That You Foresee In This Job?

When you are asked about this question, you need to talk about the difficulties that you think might affect this sector in future.

Sample Answer

“The main challenge that I foresee in this industry is unpredictability. As we know that the world keeps on changing, there is no guarantee that the customers that you had today will come today to eat the same menu. Tomorrow they may want to eat something that you never expected them to order. Or even, you might have very few customers turn up today than yesterday. Of course, you had planned and budgeted your menu. A lot of food will go to waste.”

9.   How Do You Stay Motivated In Your Work?

The interviewer wants to know what it is that gives you psych when it comes to your work. Consider talking about your achievements as your motivators.

Sample Answer

“As I have said earlier, my main focus while working is customer satisfaction. When customers are satisfied with the types of foods and drinks that we serve, I always feel motivated to keep on growing in this career. Some customers will even offer some tips to waiters or me for a good job. This will make us feel that we are doing a great job towards customer satisfaction. That would be a great motivation to me.”

10.   Describe A Time When You Failed In This Role And The Lessons You Learned.

Your interviewer wants you to tell them when you made a mistake in your role, and it did not go as you expected. Talk about the biggest mistake that you made and the lesson that you learned.

Sample Answer

“In my entry-level as a restaurant manager, I did not know that customer engagement is very crucial in this role. I did not dwell so much on engaging the customers to collect their views and feedback. Most of the customers did not return when they came to our restaurant. After having a detailed study and research, I learned that customer engagement would help you build a close relationship with customers. When I started engaging them, sales began to rise. We need to engage our customers as restaurant managers.”

11.   Why Do You Feel You Are Most Suited For This Role?

Your interviewer wants to know why you think you are the only candidate you are looking for. Talk about the unique qualities and experience that adds an advantage to you.

Sample Answer

“Firstly, I think that I am the only candidate you are looking for because of the experience, knowledge, and skills that I have been equipped with in this sector. I have gained seven years’ experience while working as a restaurant manager. This is the kind of experience needed for a big restaurant like yours. I believe that you will consider it as an added advantage to me.”

12.   Share With Us Your Greatest Achievement

When the interviewer asks you this question, they expect you to talk about the most significant goals that you have attained in your career. Talk about the awards, promotions, and goals that you have received.

Sample Answer

“Having worked for seven years in this role, you must expect some achievements, rewards and promotions. In my last role, I was awarded as the best manager of my branch. Since the hotel had several branches, the best manager would be recognized and awarded as the best manager of the overall hotels. This was a very great achievement in my career. I hope that I will get a chance in your institution to achieve more in my career by giving the best services to your esteemed customers.”

13.   What Top Five Mistakes You Are Supposed To Avoid As A Restaurant Manager?

Since this role can have many mistakes and errors made, the interviewer wants you to tell them what mistakes you would avoid at all costs.

Sample Answer

“As a restaurant manager, it is very easy to make a small mistake that can cost you largely as far as sales are concerned. These are the top five mistakes and errors I would avoid at all costs.

i)             Poor menu designing

ii)           Overprizing foods and drinks that don’t match the quality

iii)          Failing to create customer engagement

iv)          Not creating a conducive environment for your customers and employees

v)            Mismanaging funds

Those would be my top five mistakes I would avoid.”

14.   What Tips Will You Put In Place To Ensure Everything Is At Place?

The interviewer wants to know what you can do to ensure that everything is running smoothly in the restaurant. Talk about the strategies that may help you in this role.

Sample Answer

“The strategies that I would put in place to ensure success in this role would be;

i)             Leading my employees by example

ii)           Being always accountable

iii)          Displaying a positive attitude towards my job

iv)          Promoting transparency with my employees

v)            Celebrating success with all the staff and recognizing their efforts

These would be nice strategies to put in place for success and help your employees maximize the productivity of the restaurant.”

15.   Take Us Through What Would Be Your Reaction When a Customer Enters The Restaurant.

Your interviewer wants to know the steps you will take to welcome your customers when they arrive at the restaurant. Talk about how you would welcome them and take them through.

Sample Answer

“I would first greet them just the second they step in the door. I would then welcome them using appropriate and respectful titles and show them where to sit. This time I will present the menu to them and answer any questions that they need to ask. I would also explain the ingredients and types of food that we have and then call in a waiter or waitress to take their orders. After they finish enjoying their meal, the table would be cleared and payment received. I would then ask them if they were satisfied or they needed any help. If not, I would thank them for choosing us.”

16.   How Would You Handle A Problem Raised By A Customer?

The interviewer wants you to tell them how you would solve problems as a restaurant manager.

Sample Answer

“I would first listen to the problem from a customer without any interruptions. I would own the mistake and acknowledge the mistake and let them know that we are sorry. Even if I disagree with the customer, I would stay calm, maintain eye contact, and watch my body language. I would then listen to their suggestions and negotiate a solution that is acceptable to both parties. I would then solve the problem as agreed without causing any drama. That would be a problem solved professionally.”

17.   How Would You Collect Feedback From Customers?

The interviewer wants to know the methods you would use to know if the customers are satisfied or not.

Sample Answer

“Customer feedback is very important in this role and needs to be collected to better your performance and know where to improve. I would prefer using comment cards on each table that has four sections ‘How would you rate our services? Bad, bronze, silver, gold? Comment section, thank you.’ The customer would tick where appropriate, and the feedback would be recorded. This is a very convenient way of collecting customer’s feedback.”

18.   How Would The People Close To You Describe Your Personality?

Your interviewer wants to know how your relationship with other people would be like. Talk about the nice things they would say about you.

Sample Answer

“I believe that the close people I have well interacted with would describe me as a creative, humble, and problem-solving person. That would differ from person to person, but it would be something close to that.”

19.   How Do You Deal With Anger And Dissatisfaction In Your Job

The interviewer wants to know how you would react when you are not comfortable with something and how you would address it.

Sample Answer

“If it is something that has angered me too much, I would take a break, have a glass of cold water, breath in and out to cool down and think about how I would solve that. That would be the best way to deal with extreme anger that cannot be dealt with in front of the customers.”

20.   What Will You Offer To Us In Your First Month Of Working In Our Restaurant?

Here, the interviewer wants to know what you will put in place in the first month. Talk about implementing your strategies

Sample Answer

“I would be testing my skills and learning how to respond to situations according to the services offered by the restaurant.”

Conclusion

You need to answer the questions confidently and show them that your main focus is increasing productivity through customer satisfaction. All the best!