What a front-of-house manager does and how to find one

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Even though the product you sell is made back-of-house, the customer experience begins and ends in the front-of-house (FOH) space. Patrons judge quickly and first impressions count. The look of your dining room and the behavior of your team members dictate customer satisfaction.

Just like any workforce, things can turn sour without good management skills. A competent front-of-house manager is imperative if you want your front-of-house staff to provide excellent customer service.

This article will explain what a FOH manager’s roles and responsibilities are. Then, we’ll look into how to support your front-of-house manager. Lastly, we’ll cover what the hiring process looks like when sourcing the perfect front-of-house manager for your restaurant.

What does a front-of-house manager do?

In a nutshell, a front-of-house manager supervises all of the areas where a customer sets foot. They utilize the skills and expertise of the front-of-house team to make sure that the dining room, waiting area, bar, restrooms, and any other area that customers frequent run smoothly. They also must maintain a good rapport with back-of-house employees.

A front-of-house manager deals with the usual managerial conundrums that appear in almost any workspace. This can include handling more serious issues such as conflict between team members and customer complaints. If a meal needs to be comped, a guest wants to speak to a manager, or a server doesn’t feel like the host is fairly rotating seating, the FOH manager steps in.

A front-of-house manager is also in charge of general day-to-day operations such as scheduling shifts or hiring FOH staff members. They create job descriptions and manage the interview process. Hiring is also coupled with the unpleasant task of letting staff members go when necessary. These managers also support staff members’ development by organizing training programs.

As the workday comes to a close, a front-of-house manager usually takes care of administrative tasks such as closing out the register and declaring daily earnings to the restaurant manager. They will also plan weekly or monthly shift rosters to accommodate staffing requirements for specific days, bearing in mind the availability of part-time and full-time FOH team members.

How can you support your front-of-house manager?

Hospitality management is a potentially stressful job, especially in restaurants. A front-of-house manager has to worry about reaching service standards, overseeing all front-of-house operations, and keeping a close eye on the professional relationships of staff members. As your business grows, you may realize this is too much for one front-of-house manager to supervise.

As you grow, a good solution is an assistant manager. This will give the front-of-house manager an opportunity to delegate essential tasks that are taking up too much of their time while they are trying to deal with bigger issues. For example, an assistant manager can take care of the weekly staff schedule so that the front-of-house manager can be on the floor to handle guest needs.

As team members rise up the ranks of any organization, they will inevitably find that their professional circle of colleagues with similar levels of authority shrinks. “It’s lonely at the top” can ring true sometimes. Your front-of-house manager may also find themselves stuck in the middle of employee drama as they try to provide a solution that best suits staff and the business. This can put them in a temporary position of being disliked by members of their team.

To combat the potential isolation that this could cause, make sure your front-of-house manager is in regular communication with both the back-of-house manager and general manager. If you have an assistant manager, ensure that they are working well together. Additionally, provide regular welfare checks for your front-of-house manager. Evaluate whether they are satisfied in their professional life and provide solutions as quickly as possible if not.

How should you hire a front-of-house manager?

It’s always beneficial to do some research and advanced planning before making any big change to your restaurant. If you want to cast a wide net to find the perfect front-of-house manager, you don’t have to pay for an ad on an online job board these days. Why not target people with management experience that already have an interest in your restaurant?

You could easily put a front-of-house manager job description on your restaurant’s social media. This means that people who already like your restaurant’s brand will see the ad and either apply themselves or share the opening with someone they think is a good fit. Best of all, this costs you nothing and takes very little time.

In your post, include the job title and job duties. Provide an email address for applicants so that they can attach their resume and those without social media accounts can still apply. Despite the rising costs of restaurant management, the front-of-house manager salary should be representative of market value and competitive if you want to target top talent.

You should look for candidates with managerial experience, preferably in the restaurant space. You want your potential front-of-house manager to be empathetic to both staff members and customers when necessary. They should have experience of working directly with customers and should be committed to providing customer satisfaction. Source candidates with leadership skills who will be patient with staff and will help them through their development with both mentorship and training.

Positive change for your restaurant and your customers

A front-of-house manager can create the enjoyable restaurant experience that customers expect. They can help curate the areas that customers frequent into a pleasant atmosphere. A front-of-house manager should take care of all FOH headaches while also handling administrative tasks and staff training.

Remember that you can help your FOH managers by providing them with an assistant manager. As with all members of staff, be cognizant of their welfare both in the workplace and out.

When hiring a FOH manager, you can post a job description on social media for free. Be clear about who it is you’re looking for when calling for candidates and interviewing. Offer a fair salary and look for candidates with leadership skills and experience if you want a good return on investment.

You can also take charge of FOH management digitally by using Yelp Guest Manager. This FOH software can support your team with handling reservations, managing tables, allowing diners to check themselves in, and much more. Restaurants that start using Guest Manager experience up to 2X the traffic on their Yelp Business Page.* Get a demo for a head start on your FOH management today.