Front of House to Operations Manager – What is Your Career Path?

Published
17 Jan 2020

17 Jan 2020

If you’re curious about how to develop your career from working as a waiter or waitress all the way to an operations manager, here’s the career path from the bottom of the professional all the way to Operations Management.

As you move through all of these positions, you’ll gain the skills and experience necessary to prepare yourself to become a general manager. While starting at entry level can be difficult, the best managers know and understand every asset of their restaurant, including how the meals get made to how the guests are seated. Plus, general managers are often tasked with jumping into various roles everything from prepping to bartending on busy nights.

The best Operations managers become one by knowing how to do it all

Many operations manager Career Paths Start at the Entry Level.

Depending on whether you start out in the front of the house or back of the house or eve in another industry, speaking for the hospitality industry specifically, you’ll either start in a host or server position, or a prep cook or dishwasher position. In these positions, you’ll gain perspective into how the foundational elements of how the industry functions. Serving, for example, gives deep insight into the guest experience, while dishwashing allows you to be present in the kitchen and a part of the food preparation process.

The front of house and back of house teams have to find ways to work together, and the various positions have to work in harmony to keep processes flowing and customers happy. Starting out at these entry-level positions is where managers get their first chance to learn how the establishments work.

An Operations manager position might seem like the job is easy and straightforward from the outside, but there’s more to it than meets the eye.

The Next step: Assistant Manager- As an Assistant Restaurant Manager you’ll be learning all the skills and controls in the business while running Management shifts solo taking responsibility of the whole establishment and this is where you learn your trade.

Deputy Manager: The next step to your operations manager career is usually to Deputy Manager where you have the additional responsibility of being No.2 in the business before progressing to General Manager. The General Manager’s position is the Mumma or Papa of the establishment. The buck of the individual business stops with you here and you’re expected to grow the business, control the stocks and of course develop your support team as they help you achieve the business’ goals. A pretty good deal.

It doesn’t stop there of course. NO NO NO ! Once you’ve mastered General Management the Next Step to climb is Area or Operations Manager where you’ll lead and mentor the Mammas and Pappas and help steer them towards success.

We are talking simply of course and as you’ll all know that there are many additional skills to perform and perfect in all areas of hospitality Management.  As an Operations Manager you are running the group operationally and to say that it’s a challenge is an understatement. Your skills through the business have been fine-tuned and your decision making needs to be sharp at all times. You’re responsible for the whole culture piece and working closely with all heads of department from operations to Back of House, HR, Marketing, Finance and IT.

No one gets here without working hard and developing others and your people focus at this level of Management is absolutely crucial.

So, there you have it- the journey to your Operations Managers career!