The Ins and Outs of Restaurant Management

Restaurant managers work in some of the most glamorous, exciting environments you can imagine. From luxury resorts in exotic locations to high-powered conference centers to the hottest restaurants, hotel and restaurant managers are working behind the scenes to ensure the excellence of their establishment. If you are looking for a challenging, rewarding career and enjoy working with people, hotel or restaurant management could be right for you. The more people travel, the greater the need for Hotel/Restaurant Managers. As operations become more complex, employers are putting more emphasis on specialized training. The Penn Foster Hotel/Restaurant Manager program can give you a real advantage over others. As a Hotel/Restaurant Managers you can work in restaurants, bed and breakfasts, or even manage franchises for major hotel chains. You might be assigned to organize a newly built or purchased facility, or to reorganize an existing one. Managers determine room rates, oversee restaurant operations, and supervise the staff.

Being a restaurant manager is a lifestyle, not a job. If managers are going to succeed, they will put in 50 to 80 hours per week with high stress levels at times. But once you get everything going, it can be a fun career with very good pay. Employers suggest that potential candidates should consider the following: What type of restaurant business are you going into? There is a big difference between fine dining, family style, fast food and a sports bar or restaurant atmosphere. These restaurants attract different employees. A fine dining establishment might draw more experienced, mature employees, while a fast food restaurant or sports bar might interest younger ones. Do you want to be a floor manager, a back-of-the-house manager or a general manager? Each of these positions requires different skills.

When pursuing jobs, ask potential employers how long they have been in business, where they see the business growing, what opportunities exist for advancement and what type of manager-training programs they have. If someone wants a career in this field, try getting in with a franchise for training and a stable income, many employers will advise. After three to five years, you can look at a privately held restaurant where you can go in as a general manager and demand a pay of $60,000-plus for your expertise or partnership.

The Positives

Restaurant management is great if you like a lot of variety in what you do, like to work really hard and enjoy working with people. It is a fairly easy field to break into without investing in an education; however you can move up faster and not start at the very bottom if you do have an education.

T he upside to restaurant management lies in the opportunity to advance quickly, the challenge and the chance to acquire an array of management skills. Nelsen suggests asking yourself these 10 questions to help you decide if this is the career for you:

Do I like to work with many different types of people, both as coworkers and as customers?
Will I mind working all hours of the day and night?
Do I like to motivate people to do their best?
Will I enjoy the pressures of making a budget, staffing the restaurant and managing daily operations?
Will I mind people calling me with questions on my time off?
What do I picture for the future, my family and how we spend our time? Do a restaurant manager's hours fit into this vision?
Am I highly motivated?
Do I like to work hard?
Do I like to reach daily, weekly, monthly and yearly goals?
What does this career offer that others do not?
One last thing to remember about a career in restaurant management is that with all the training and experience you get, you can move to many different industries and careers, for example, you can go from restaurant management to office management, to sales management to bank accounting, publishing and marketing.

Leading by example is a single principle for any success. Passing information through proper leadership is essential to the harmony and relationships among your employees. Whether you are working at the Front of the House or the Rear of the House, leadership sets the course for the direction of your operation. Knowing the basic principles of leadership will help you in every imaginable way in the restaurant business.

Here are a few tips for future restaurant managers: Take a moment to review your facility and operation. Does your facility accommodate critical relationships established by the flow of food? Or, do your servers have to walk through the prep or production areas to access the ware washing area? Are your servers and kitchen employees able to move freely? Or, are they always engaged in "right of way" debates? When a facility is designed based on the flow of food, the quality of service, risk of cross contamination, and employee morale all improve. If your facility utilizes this approach to design, you can attest to the results. If not, consider how you can improve the current configuration or operational procedures to better follow the flow of food.

Menu marketing is an important aspect for the success of any foodservice establishment. Menus are statements of the food and beverage items that are provided by a restaurant based on consumer wants, needs and demands. Menus can be interpreted as a list of products that a restaurant offers, and it can be a piece of literature or display used to communicate the products to the customer. From a marketing view point, menus are more than the conventional function of a communications and selling tool but also a tool that must be formatted to increase restaurant profits. Menu engineering provides the manager with information about a menu item’s profitability, as well as popularity, so that proactive planning, recipe design and customer pricing decisions can be made. Menu engineering is not a substitute for proper purchasing, food rotation, standard recipes or any of the other basic kitchen controls that can negatively impact your costs. Rather it is a method of evaluating every item on your menu relative to its present contribution to bottom line dollars, thereby allowing managers to recognize the items they want to sell!

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Richmond, Indiana's Dining and Wine   by Melody Schubert

Richmond, Indiana's Dining and Wine

Find Fabulous Food At Little Sheba's In Richmond, IN

While touring Webb's Antique Mall in nearby Centerville & Richmond's historic treasures we discovered a GREAT spot for lunch at Little Sheba's. The Reuben Sandwich was one of the fabulous sandwiches we tried. They also have delicious soups, salads, and their famous "Killer Brownies." Drop by & discover for yourself what makes Little Sheba's one of the cities best restaurants! Little Sheba's is located at 175 Ft Wayne Ave in Richmond. Call 765-962-2999 for orders.

The Olde Richmond Inn

This casual restaurant has one-of-a-kind service and delicious food prepared to taste. Savor steaks or perhaps seafood is more your fair? The Olde Richmond Inn has a wide selection on their menu to satisfy your hunger. Enjoy a glass of wine while relaxing with friends in the 1892 home set within the historic district of Richmond, which is always the best way to enjoy a meal. The world-class hospitality matches that of the finest restaurant and the food is worth a memorable trip to Richmond! The Olde Richmond Inn is located at 138 South 5th Street in Richmond. Call 765-962-2247 for details.

Chuck's Sports Bar

Sports Fans gather all your friends and great ready for the season's upcoming games! It's time to cheer on your favorite home-town team at Chuck's Sports Bar in Richmond, Indiana. Grab a bite to eat from their selection of mouth-watering foods and enjoy a beer or drink. Chuck's Sports Bar is perfect for a friendly game of pool or to just hang out and catching the game. It's a friendly place we enjoyed on last visit to Richmond, Indiana. The food was great, and the service, well, it's not often you can catch a waitress on a busy night in any Sport's Bar, but ours was right there when we needed her! The atmosphere is electric when a game's on whether you're cheering for the home-team or not. The sports memorabilia which covers the walls adds a bit of nostalgia to Chuck's Sports Bar located at 1500 North "E" Street in Richmond, Indiana. Whether you like sports or not it's one of the best place in town to just hanging out and enjoy the company of friends!

Welliver's Smorgasbord

Early Sunday evening we met with a couple of dear friend to decide where to eat. We wanted something different than the regular fair; maybe a wide selection to choose from on the menu and some wonderful desserts. What better place to try than Welliver's Smorgasbord? This family owned restaurant has been around since 1947, serving over 150 items at their Smorgasbord. In the beginning the Welliver's Smorgasbord was in a small store front in downtown Hagerstown; a cozy small town not far from Richmond with unique shops to explore. Since opening Welliver's has expanded to accommodate the crowds who travel from far and near to dine from a wonderful selection on the menu and the delicious Smorgasbord. The wide selection of savory meats, fresh vegetables, and desserts make Welliver's Smorgasbord, located at 40 East Main Street in Hagerstown is the perfect places for large groups and families too. For more information call: 765-489-4131.Hungry? You're Part Of A Family Of Friends At Wilson Winery

We were warned before we arrived at the Wilson Winery; these are good old country boys. We never expected to be welcome like a part of a family of friends the moment we stepped into the barn. That's exactly what happened, and before we knew it we were thrust in the middle of helping bottle the newest addition to Wilson Wines selection: Steuben. Our reward, a cup that never ran dry and delicious, homemade bread and chili; perfect for the brisk evening.

"Good, Down-To-Earth People!"

When my husband thinks about our visit one phrase comes to mind, "Good, down-to-earth people!" This is the heart of Wilson Wines, and what keeps guests returning year after year to sample from their award-winning wines and enjoy good times in a family-friendly environment. Family is important to the Wilson's who hold annual events filled with laughter and fun for all. Among the events coming to Wilson Winery is a special meal prepared by Union City, Indiana's Chocolatier and Chef, Ghyslain. The four course meals includes 3 matching wines, good company, and of course, plenty of laughter. Visit the Wilson Winery website for upcoming dinner events or bring your own meats to cook on the grill and join them on the weekends for fun and laughter.

Join The Fun & Festivities At Wilson Winery

Indy's Duke Tomatoe & The Power Trio, regular guests on the Bob & Tom Show, have also been added To Woodstock In Modoc Series In August at Wilson Winery. For a complete list of upcoming events visit the Wilson Winery website or call: (765)533-6616. The Winery is located on 10137 S. Indian Trail Road. Take the first road east of Modoc, Indiana on State Road 36, turn south on Indian Trail Road and go 2.1 miles. The farm is the first place on the east side. (look for the big sign.) Call (765) 853-5290 and make it a weekend adventure at Kamp Modoc.

BYOM, Bring Your Own Meat

Check out the Wilson Wineries website for details on yearly events like the BYOM events, when guests can bring their own meat to cook out on the grill and share great wine. Enjoy the company of friends and make new ones at the yearly gathering in Modoc, Indiana. Events include concerts and special dinner parties catered by local chefs, and of course wine tasting. Feel intimidated by wine? Feel free to ask the Wilson Family questions.

The Wilson Toast

"We hold there's a smile in every cloud, yet can be a silly brood. We love stories, friendly crowds, good cheer & good food. Whether you be Wilson or you be friend, lift your glass & give a cheer, and where ever you go, or where you've been, remember those gone, love those here."

Olympian Candies Secret Recipes Are A Sweet Treat

In the spring, while visiting our dear friend, Nancy, we had the pleasure of discovering Olympian Candies in Downtown Richmond, Indiana. As a chocolate lover, I was in heaven when I inhaled the delicious scent of my favorite treats. From Turtles to Chocolate covered nuts, it was difficult to choose from the wonderful selection. My solution; select a box with a variety of chocolates.

I wondered what the secret was to making so sweet month-watering chocolates, but our hostess would not reveal her secret. Olympian Candies offers more than chocolates. There's candy to quench everyone sweet-tooth. Olympian Candies also handles orders for weddings and special events, which make these events even more memorable. Olympian Candies is located in Downtown Richmond.

Another Chocolate Lovers Delight

Only in the Midwest will you find Ghyslain's signature hand-painted chocolates. Each piece of chocolate is made from the finest ingredients of smooth ganache fillings, fresh fruit purees, liquors, and nuts; a heavenly delight to savor.

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Presented By USA Travel Magazine

Explore America's Backyard, and discover thrilling helicopter tours in Hawaii, bed and breakfast, spas, antique collectibles, fishing, hunting, whitewater rafting, roller coasters, concerts, poker games, national parks, civil war battle reenactments, the carnivorous Venus fly trap, and many more unique travel destinations and attractions.

About the Author

Melody Schubert is a Editor of USA Travel Magazine. Explore America's Backyard and discover thrilling helicopter tours, bed and breakfast, spas, antique collectibles, fishing, whitewater rafting, roller coasters, concerts, poker games, national parks, the carnivorous Venus fly trap, and many more unique travel destinations and attractions