Torchora
Back to Home

Key Responsibilities and Required Skills for Food & Beverage Assistant Manager

💰 $40,000 - $70,000

HospitalityFood & BeverageManagement

🎯 Role Definition

The Food & Beverage Assistant Manager supports the Food & Beverage (F&B) Manager in planning, directing, and coordinating all food and beverage operations to deliver outstanding guest experiences while maximizing revenue and controlling costs. This role ensures compliance with food safety and liquor laws, coaches and develops service teams, executes operational standards across outlets (restaurant, bar, banquets, room service), and contributes to merchandising, menu implementation, and event execution.

📈 Career Progression

Typical Career Path

Entry Point From:

  • Food & Beverage Supervisor / Shift Supervisor
  • Restaurant Supervisor / Team Leader
  • Senior Server / Bartender with supervisory experience
  • Duty Manager or Outlet Lead

Advancement To:

  • Food & Beverage Manager
  • Restaurant or Outlet Manager
  • Cluster F&B Manager
  • Director of Food & Beverage / Operations Manager

Lateral Moves:

  • Banquet Manager
  • Bar Manager / Beverage Manager
  • Events Manager
  • Catering Sales Manager

Core Responsibilities

Primary Functions

  • Assist in the day-to-day operational management of restaurant(s), bars, banquets and in-room dining, ensuring consistent delivery of service standards, SOPs and brand expectations across all shifts.
  • Supervise, coach and develop frontline staff (hosts, servers, bartenders, bussers, cooks) through structured training, regular feedback, performance reviews and career development plans to build a high-performing team.
  • Lead opening and closing procedures for outlets including staff briefings, cash reconciliation, security checks, and ensuring service areas are prepped and stocked to operational standards.
  • Oversee point-of-sale (POS) operations, ensure accurate billing, voids and discounts processing, and train staff on POS best practices to reduce errors and shrinkage.
  • Manage inventory control processes, including weekly and monthly stocktakes, par-level reviews, FIFO compliance, and cycle counts to reduce waste and improve stock accuracy.
  • Support food cost and beverage cost control programs by analyzing daily/weekly sales, portion controls, recipe adherence and making recommendations to improve margins.
  • Assist with labor management—create and adjust staff schedules, manage timekeeping, approve overtime, and balance labor cost against forecasted business levels.
  • Ensure full compliance with local health department regulations, HACCP requirements and company sanitation standards; conduct regular sanitation and safety inspections.
  • Administer and renew required certifications and permits (e.g., food handler cards, alcohol service permits) and ensure team compliance with responsible alcohol service policies.
  • Build and maintain strong vendor relationships: assist with ordering, negotiate pricing, manage deliveries and returns, and ensure supplier quality and invoicing accuracy.
  • Implement and monitor preventive maintenance for kitchen and front-of-house equipment, coordinate with engineering/maintenance teams to minimize downtime.
  • Lead guest recovery and complaint resolution with empathy and speed, turning dissatisfied guests into repeat customers and documenting incidents for continuous improvement.
  • Execute upselling strategies and service initiatives to increase average check and promote specials, seasonal menus, and signature beverage programs.
  • Participate in menu rollouts by coordinating with culinary teams to ensure portioning, plating and presentation standards are followed and front-of-house staff are trained.
  • Support banquet and private event planning and execution: manage set-up, staffing, run of show, timing, and on-the-day service to meet client and internal expectations.
  • Monitor daily revenue and guest counts, prepare shift reports, and support weekly and monthly financial reporting to the F&B Manager or Director.
  • Enforce cash handling and reconciliation procedures, conduct nightly deposits where required, and oversee secure storage of cash and drop safes.
  • Implement quality control checks for food and beverage deliveries including temperature checks, product labeling and rejection of out-of-spec items.
  • Drive initiatives for guest engagement and loyalty program enrollment, coordinate promotions with marketing, and collect guest feedback through surveys or review channels.
  • Maintain and update standard operating procedures (SOPs), service checklists and training materials to ensure operational continuity and regulatory compliance.
  • Mentor and lead cross-functional teamwork with kitchen, housekeeping, front desk, and events to ensure seamless guest service during peak periods and special functions.
  • Assist in cost-benefit analyses for new beverage programs, menu engineering decisions and equipment purchases to support profitable program rollouts.
  • Support implementation of sustainability programs (waste reduction, recycling, local sourcing) and document progress for both internal reporting and guest-facing communications.
  • Act as duty manager in the absence of the F&B Manager, making operational decisions, representing the outlet to senior leadership and escalating issues when necessary.

Secondary Functions

  • Conduct regular training refreshers and cross-training sessions to ensure staff versatility across multiple outlets.
  • Support marketing and promotions by providing input on menu items, beverage pairings and guest experience ideas that align with brand standards.
  • Assist with recruitment efforts: screening resumes, conducting interviews, onboarding new hires and coordinating probation reviews.
  • Maintain updated incident logs, accident reports and employee coaching records in line with company HR policies.

Required Skills & Competencies

Hard Skills (Technical)

  • Food safety and sanitation knowledge (HACCP, ServSafe or equivalent certification) and active adherence to public health standards.
  • Proficiency with Point of Sale (POS) systems (e.g., Micros, Toast, POSitouch) for order entry, reporting and cash management.
  • Inventory management and purchasing skills, including cycle counts, par level setting, invoice reconciliation and supplier coordination.
  • Cost control and budgeting: food cost analysis, beverage cost monitoring, margin optimization, and basic profit/loss literacy.
  • Scheduling and labor management tools (HotSchedules, Kronos, Deputy) with ability to forecast labor needs and control overtime.
  • Menu knowledge and menu engineering techniques: portion control, recipe costing, and garnish/plate consistency.
  • Familiarity with beverage programs, bar operations, cocktail preparation oversight and responsible alcohol service laws.
  • Basic event and banquet operations: floor plans, banquet event orders (BEOs), timelines and service sequencing.
  • Microsoft Office proficiency: Excel for basic reporting and pivot tables, Word for SOPs, and Outlook for communications.
  • Cash handling, safe procedures and basic internal control practices to minimize shrinkage and fraud.
  • POS/ERP reporting and ability to prepare daily revenue sheets, variance analyses and KPI tracking (RevPASH, covers, AVERAGE CHECK).

Soft Skills

  • Strong leadership and people development — coaching, mentoring and motivating a diverse F&B team.
  • Excellent verbal and written communication skills for guest interactions, staff briefings and interdepartmental coordination.
  • High emotional intelligence and conflict resolution skills to handle guest complaints and staff disagreements diplomatically.
  • Exceptional organizational and multitasking ability to manage simultaneous outlets, events and service peaks.
  • Customer-service orientation with a focus on guest satisfaction, retention and upsell opportunities.
  • Problem-solving mindset with a bias for action when resolving operational disruptions or supply issues.
  • Attention to detail for quality assurance, consistency in service and compliance documentation.
  • Adaptability and resilience in fast-paced hospitality environments, including flexible scheduling.
  • Time management and prioritization to balance administrative tasks with floor presence and staff supervision.
  • Team player mentality, fostering positive working relationships across departments.

Education & Experience

Educational Background

Minimum Education:

  • High school diploma or equivalent; proven operational experience in hospitality.

Preferred Education:

  • Associate or Bachelor's degree in Hospitality Management, Hotel & Restaurant Management, Business Administration, or related field.

Relevant Fields of Study:

  • Hospitality Management
  • Hotel & Restaurant Management
  • Culinary Arts
  • Business Administration
  • Event Management

Experience Requirements

Typical Experience Range:

  • 2 to 5 years in food & beverage or restaurant operations with at least 1–2 years in a supervisory role.

Preferred:

  • 3+ years of progressive supervisory experience in multi-outlet food & beverage environments (hotel, resort, high-volume restaurant or catering).
  • Prior experience managing banquet and private events, beverage program oversight, and P&L responsibility is highly desirable.
Explore More Careers