Manager
The most important employee in many restaurants is the manager. A manager should be able to open and close the restaurant; purchase food and beverages; open the cash register(s); track inventory; train and manage the staff; deal with suppliers; develop and implement a marketing strategy; and handle other miscellaneous duties. Beyond these responsibilities, the manager must reflect the style and character of your
restaurant. A good manager should have at least three years of non-management restaurant experience in addition to two years of managerial experience. You’ll also want a manager who has leadership skills and the ability to supervise personnel in the kitchen, service area, hospitality entrance, bar, lounge and restrooms, and who can also make customers feel welcome and comfortable.
Restaurant managers typically work 50 to 60 hours a week -- which can contribute to a high burnout rate. To combat the potential of burnout and to reduce turnover, be careful not to overwork your manager, and be sure they have adequate time off to relax.
Chefs
At some restaurants, the star attraction is the chef. A top chef creates their own culinary masterpieces for you to serve and some have been known to make or break the success of a restaurant. There are actually several types of chefs and their salaries depend on experience, location, training (such as culinary school) and the benefits package offered. Executive chefs typically earn between $53,000 and $76,000, with the median salary being $62,759. Of course, well-known star chefs can earn six figures. Such higher figures are generally offered by five-star hotels and restaurants in large cities.
Cooks
When you start out, you’ll probably need three cooks -- two full-time and one part-time. One of the full-time cooks should work days, and the other should work evenings. The part-time cook will help during peak hours, such as weekend rushes, and can work as a line cook, doing simple preparation, during slower periods. The full-time cooks can also take care of food preparation before the restaurant opens, during slow times and after the restaurant closes.Salaries for cooks vary according to their level of experience
Dishwashers
As the job title implies, dishwashers keep clean dishes available in your restaurant. You can probably get by with two part-time dishwashers, one working the lunch shift
and the second covering the dinner shift. If you’re open for breakfast, you can go with either one full-time and one part-time person or three part-time dishwashers.
Serving Staff
Finding the right serving staff is just as important as finding the right manager. The servers are the people with whom your customers will have the most interaction, so they must make a favorable impression to keep customers coming back. Servers must be able to work well under pressure, meeting the demands of customers at several tables while maintaining a positive and pleasant demeanor.There is also a training program to help your employees understand your philosophy and the image you want to project.
Hosting Staff
Depending on the size and style of your restaurant, you may need someone to seat guests, take reservations and sometimes act as cashier.
Buspersons
Buspersons are responsible for setting up and clearing tables and filling water glasses after customers are seated.
Bartenders
If you have a small bar in your restaurant and it’s only open at night, one bartender, with a couple of backups available, will probably be sufficient. The bartender also needs to check the liquor requisition sheet and the liquor inventory and restock the bar. If you use a computerized beverage-dispensing and inventory management system, the bartender will check the meters and hook up the necessary bottles.The night bartender will close the bar. Last call for drinks should occur 30 minutes before the legally required closing time. The closing process usually includes packaging the garnishes and placing them in the refrigerator, wiping down the bar area and
stools and restocking the bar. It’s important to look for a bartender who knows how to pour regular, well-known drinks as well as special requests. Experienced
bartenders can make small talk and relate to people individually while juggling several drink orders in their heads. They also know when to stop pouring drinks for intoxicated customers and call a taxi or other transportation to take such customers home.
