A restaurant manager is a person employed in the foodservice industry to manage one or more restaurants. Typical management duties include supervising members of the front and back of house staff, assigning work schedules, maximizing profits by controlling expenses and hiring new staff, enacting health and safety regulations. Some larger chains offer regional managers for their restaurants who report to a national or regional manager.
Hiring the right talent is a meticulous process—companies seek out candidates who fit their work ethics, and the new person needs to be on board with the company values. With each new hire, companies are left wondering whether or not they made the right decision. The most effective way for businesses to answer this question is by conducting interviews that are carefully planned.
Essential Interview Questions
Personal
How would you describe yourself as an individual and as a professional?
Listen fora clear understanding of personal strengths and weaknesses in leadership.
Can you state an instance or two when you worked under pressure and delivered?
Listen forexamples demonstrating composure and effective decision-making under stress.
Do you like the food industry in general and the restaurant business in particular?
Listen fora passion for culinary arts and enthusiasm for restaurant operations.
Human Resources
How well do you get along with colleagues, subordinates, seniors, and vendors?
Listen forstrong interpersonal skills and a history of positive working relationships.
How do you manage employees to motivate and encourage them to do better?
Listen forstrategies for fostering a motivated and high-performing team environment.
How good are you at maintaining discipline and healthy workplace morale?
Listen foreffective conflict resolution skills and a focus on employee engagement.
Can you describe an instance when you resolved issues and prevented escalation?
Listen forproactive problem-solving skills that prevent issues from escalating.
Management
Could you tell us about cases where you have used data and analytics to bring about improvements, enhance efficiency and reduce costs?
Listen forutilization of metrics to drive operational improvements and cost savings.
How do you rate yourself as a manager from different perspectives – human, finance, and marketing?
Listen forself-assessment across management dimensions with specific examples.
Do you have a specific style of management?
Listen fora defined management philosophy that aligns with team dynamics.
Technical Skills and Knowledge
Are you conversant with a proficient in managing legal and regulatory aspects?
Listen forknowledge of compliance regulations and risk management in food service.
Are you familiar with back-end processes, and can you interact with chefs to improve menus and make new additions?
Listen forexperience collaborating with chefs on menu development and enhancements.
Are you familiar with quality controls, standardizations, inventory control, and analytical reporting?
Listen forexpertise in inventory management and implementing standard operating procedures.
Rate each answer as you hear it, not from memory afterwards. Use the same scale for every candidate so the notes stay comparable.
Restaurant Manager · Candidate Scorecard
Score every candidate against the same six criteria, so two interviewers reach comparable conclusions instead of competing impressions.
Staff Management
Ability to lead, train, and develop restaurant staff effectively.
Cost Control
Experience in budgeting and reducing operational costs without sacrificing quality.
Regulatory Compliance
Knowledge of health and safety regulations specific to the food industry.
Menu Development
Skill in collaborating with chefs to create appealing and profitable menus.
Customer Experience
Focus on enhancing guest satisfaction and managing feedback effectively.
Operational Efficiency
Ability to analyze processes and implement improvements for better service.
Take this scorecard into the interview
Download the fillable PDF, or have it emailed to you with all 13 questions attached.
Restaurant Manager Job Description
Take a look what key requirements, duties, responsibilities, and skills should be part of your Restaurant Manager job description.
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Frequently Asked Questions
How many interview questions should I ask?
Plan for 5–7 core questions in a 45–60 minute interview. This allows time for follow-up questions and gives candidates space to provide detailed examples.
What are red flags during an interview?
Watch for vague answers, lack of specific examples, blame-shifting, or inability to explain their role in past results.
How do I evaluate interview answers objectively?
Use a consistent scoring rubric for each question and focus on measurable examples and demonstrated skills.
Do structured interviews improve hiring results?
Yes. Structured interviews increase consistency, reduce bias, and make it easier to compare candidates fairly.
How do I assess technical skills without a hands-on test?
Ask candidates to walk through their diagnostic process for common problems, explain how they use specific tools, and describe recent challenging repairs they completed successfully.
Restaurant Manager Job Description Template
These questions are written against the same role definition. Post the job description first, then interview from this scorecard, and the criteria you screened on are the criteria you score on.