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What does a Restaurant Supervisor do?
A restaurant supervisor typically handles almost every aspect of running a restaurant at its physical location. These supervisors are normally in charge of making sure guests are happy, training employees, and seeing to it that the restaurant is complying with all rules and regulations put forth by local health and government officials. In addition to taking care of guests and employees, supervisors might also be in charge of handling and balancing the money taken in between shifts. People in this position are occasionally seen working at various jobs within a restaurant. They are normally able to wait tables, cook, and act as host or hostess if it is necessary.
Even though a restaurant supervisor might appear to be in charge of any given restaurant, there is usually a branch of management higher in authority to which he or she must answer. Many restaurants, particularly major chains, often have an official headquarters located separately from the restaurant or restaurants. Management personnel at official headquarters might hire rsupervisors to keep the restaurant running at its physical location so they can deal with other aspects of the business, such as advertising and finances. The restaurant supervisor is trained to deal with almost all day-to-day issues that may come up, but might occasionally have to get in touch with upper management if a situation comes up that he cannot handle on his own.
Some people attend college or culinary school with the desire to become a restaurant supervisor. There are many schools that offer degrees in restaurant management. It is also not uncommon for a person who has never attended college to become a supervisor in a restaurant. Some people start their career in one of the lowest paying positions within a restaurant, such as a server or cook, and work their way up to this level of management over time. Many major restaurants prefer to hire a college-educated person to be their restaurant supervisor, while others have no problem with promoting qualified individuals who have been with the company for many years but never had any formal restaurant management training.
The salary of a restaurant supervisor may vary depending on many different factors. Some things that might affect salary are how well a particular restaurant pays all its employees, whether or not the supervisor has had any formal education in the field, and how many years the supervisor has had her position with the company. A person who is interested in becoming a restaurant supervisor may benefit from taking a few courses in restaurant management. People who do well with this type of job might eventually get promoted to even higher levels of management within the company.
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![A restaurant supervisor may oversee the hiring and training of personnel.]()
A restaurant supervisor may oversee the hiring and training of personnel. -
![A restaurant supervisor may be responsible for choosing an establishment's decor.]()
By: Andrejs NikiforovsA restaurant supervisor may be responsible for choosing an establishment's decor. -
![A restaurant supervisor may handle additional roles, such as hostess, if needed.]()
By: nakaA restaurant supervisor may handle additional roles, such as hostess, if needed. -
![Restaurant supervisors may step in to wait tables if a member of the waitstaff calls in sick.]()
By: Kablonk MicroRestaurant supervisors may step in to wait tables if a member of the waitstaff calls in sick. -
![The restaurant manager at a top-flight restaurant typically has extensive experience at fine dining establishments.]()
By: araraadtThe restaurant manager at a top-flight restaurant typically has extensive experience at fine dining establishments. -
![Restaurant supervisors make sure all plates and flatware are properly cleaned.]()
By: kmiragayaRestaurant supervisors make sure all plates and flatware are properly cleaned.
Discussion Comments
@AnswerMan, when I worked at a well-known seafood chain, we had a restaurant supervisor and several assistant managers. The supervisor would spend most of his time in the office, since he was in charge of ordering supplies and scheduling employees. Every so often, he'd walk around the kitchen and make sure the line cooks had everything in order. He'd also go out to the dining room and watch the servers in action. If someone called in sick or things got backed up in the kitchen, the assistant managers would be the first ones to help out. The supervisor would take over floor management if the managers had other things to do.
My experience has been that local restaurants with local ownership tend to hire managers, not supervisors. There may be a manager assigned to the front of the house and one who works mainly in the kitchen or office. If the restaurant is part of a chain, however, there is usually a supervisor assigned to work at that location by a corporate office. It's the same basic position as a restaurant manager, but the supervisor also has a supervisor somewhere else.
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