How stressful is being a restaurant manager?

Inevitably, the constant stress of being understaffed and working tirelessly to fill staff gaps is causing many restaurant managers to suffer from work exhaustion. Stress is part of the territory as a restaurant manager. Long hours, endless tasks and physical demands are expected, but they can also be managed. Being a restaurant manager is a difficult job.

It's fast and stressful, and requires a special combination of skills and personality traits (most importantly, staying calm under pressure). Long days turn into long nights and it feels like you're constantly trying to catch up. Your average day running a restaurant will cause you to work shifts of more than 10 hours. And those hours will extend much further on weekends.

In general, the job of a restaurant manager is stressful. In fact, according to a survey, 91.9% of restaurant managers said that their job is stressful, representing a very large percentage of managers. Think about everything that goes into the work of a restaurant manager and of restaurants in general. A good restaurant manager knows how to make the most of customers' time at the restaurant by informing them about things like Wednesday's Happy Hour with medium-priced wine, Friday's trivia night or the BOGO food special.

Because keeping labor costs low is often a priority for restaurant operators, salaried employees, such as restaurant managers, may be overworked because those extra hours don't affect the restaurant's payroll. Which means that the average restaurant manager would have been entitled to overtime pay if the overtime rule had come into effect. The unpredictability of the restaurant industry means that managers always take calls on their days off. Be sure to experiment with the new things you're seeing in the restaurant industry, whether it's a customer loyalty program or social media contests.

The hard truth for restaurant managers is that you can earn more money as a waiter or waiter without the heavy burden of responsibility that comes with management. Managers usually receive full medical care and vacations, which is less common in lower-level restaurants. Before helping Backbar connect with the restaurant industry, he ran several bars in Chicago, with a love for whiskey and cocktails. Many members of your staff may be studying, pursuing an artistic career, or working in a restaurant for supplemental income while starting a career in another field.

You'll stand out more by taking risks and being the first to follow a trend instead of copying the restaurant at the end of the block. Restaurant staff members often work difficult hours and may be prone to problems with substance use. The mindset of striving is part of the work culture. The death by suicide of the charismatic Bourdain, a famous chef who openly fought addiction and mental illness, resonated with many restaurant workers.

Ernest Dargatz
Ernest Dargatz

Freelance food geek. Bacon expert. Certified internet buff. Typical coffee nerd. Avid coffee evangelist.