Restaurant General Manager Resume: Examples & Guide

It’s not easy getting hired in the food service industry these days. Especially for management, there are too many of you looking for work and not enough employers. So unless your restaurant general manager resume delights like upside-down tomato-basil cornbread, you’re out of luck.

The upside?

It’s not hard to write a resume for restaurant general managers that gets accolades. The key point is that most of your competition will botch it. They’ll talk about past job duties and forget about accomplishments. With this guide and sample, you won’t do that, so you’ll get hired faster.

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Want more food service and restaurant management resume samples? Bon appetit:

• Restaurant Manager Resume Example
• Bar Manager Resume Example
• Restaurant Resume Example
• Catering Resume Example
• Chef Resume Example
• Culinary Resume Example
• Fast Food Resume Example
• Food Service Resume Example
• McDonald's Resume Example
• Baker Resume Example
• Waitress Resume Examples
• Waiter Resume Examples
• Banquet Server Resume Examples
• Barback Resume Examples
• Barista Resume Examples
• Bartender Resume Examples
• Busser /Busboy /Busgirl Resume Examples
• Server Resume Examples
• Job Resume Examples for All Professions

Sample Restaurant General Manager Resume Template

Here’s how to write your own mouthwatering restaurant general manager resume:

1. Format Your Restaurant General Manager Resume Correctly

An appetizing meal relies on plating, and an eye-catching resume needs the right format. Your format tells the restaurant owner, “This is a competent individual who may have what you need.” The standard resume format for a restaurant general manager resume has the right margins, fonts, and resume layout.

To format your resume for restaurant general manager jobs:

• Start with a chronological resume template. That’s a common type of resume that shows your most recent restaurant job first.
• List your name in large font, then your email address and phone number in the heading of your resume. Add your LinkedIn address.
• Wondering how to write an address on a resume? You only need to list your town, but in large cities a street address helps to show a short commute.
• What font to use for a resume: there are several, like Cambria, Helvetica, and Arial. Pick a clean one and set it between 10 and 12 point size.
• The name of a resume file should be “Your Name - Job Title - Resume.pdf” A PDF format keeps your appealing layout intact.
• How long a resume should be for restaurant general managers? One page if you’re new, and two or more if you’re older than sourdough.

Should you list references? See our guide:How to List References on a Resume [Reference Page Format]

2. Write a Resume Introduction

Most resumes are instant fish wrappers. They don’t get read because restaurant owners have stacks of them and don’t have time to carefully inspect each one. Instead, they give each one the smell test and move on. To stop them, write a quick profile up top. A profile for resumes is a 3-line elevator speech.

A good summary for a resume starts with the same job title as the ad. It shares your years of restaurant manager experience, and gives the restaurant’s name. Then it shows off your greatest one or two food service accomplishments.

In a resume with no work experience, the achievements have to come from other roles. Have you been a restaurant supervisor or a manager outside the restaurant industry? Summaries in resumes for career changers are called resume objectives.

Bullet points can add power to your resume introduction. See our guide: Summary of Qualifications: 20+ Examples for Your Resume

3. Customize Your Restaurant General Manager Job Description

The choicest restaurant general manager jobs go to applicants with tailored resumes. Those are resumes that make the owner say, “Wow. this one hits the spot.” That means the key to knowing how to write experience in a resume is knowing what the restaurant needs.

List relevant experience on a resume like this:

• The job title of your most recent job should match the title in the ad. Did they say “restaurant general manager?” Then don’t say you were a “restaurant manager.”
• Start each past job with the restaurant name, dates, and location. You have to list your years and months.
• Don’t worry about job gaps shorter than 8 months. For longer gaps, add volunteering, helping a sick relative, “COVID Pandemic,” or other activity.
• Add bullet points stuffed with professional accomplishments. Introduce them with resume verbslike trained, hired, achieved, improved, and sourced.

Read more:Should You List Irrelevant Experience on a Resume?

4. Sweeten Your Restaurant General Manager Resume Education Section 

You don’t have to have cum laude on your resume to get hired. But a flavorless education section for restaurant general managers does nothing. Your goal is to interest them with every morsel of your resume. Whet their appetite for the interview with a few extras from school.

See these resume tips:

• List your degree on a resume after your experience section.
• Include relevant coursework or leadership activities from college.
• Avoid adding your GPA to a resume unless it’s Gordon Ramsay level.

Read more: How to Put High School on a Resume

5. Prove the Perfect Restaurant General Manager Skills

Every restaurant general manager resume needs a job skills list. But—most fail because they list the wrong skills. The applicant thinks, “I’ll just toss in every skill I have and they’ll love it!” Nope. That’s like tossing in a little of every ingredient in the kitchen and hoping it’ll taste delicious.

Here's how to add restaurant general manager skills to a resume:

• You’ll most likely need to pass an ATS test, and ATS resumes need the right keywords. The best keywords for resumes come from the job ad.
• Write down all the skills they’re seeking. Add the ones you have to your resume skills list.
• Stick to 10 skills or less in your list.
• Go back to your experience and education sections. In your bullet points, make sure your restaurant achievements show those skills in action.

Restaurant General Manager Resume Skills

• Budgeting
• Scheduling
• Menu planning
• Food purchasing
• Event planning
• Health & safety
• Food safety
• Marketing skills
• Bar management
• Restaurant operations
• Catering
• Waitstaff management
• Kitchen operation
• Hiring
• Training
• French cuisine
• Italian cuisine
• Fast food
• Seafood
• Fine dining
• Vegan
• Table d'hôte
• Farm to table
• Beer, wine, and liquor
• Haute cuisine
• Nouvelle cuisine
• Fusion cuisine
• Leadership skills
• Interpersonal skills
• Written and verbal communication skills
• Problem-solving skills
• Organizational skills
• Attention to detail
• Active listening
• Time management skills
• Teamwork skills
• Adaptability
• Stress management
• Computer skills

Read more: Hard Skills vs Soft Skills: What’s the Difference?

When making a resume in our builder, drag & drop bullet points, skills, and auto-fill the boring stuff. Spell check? Check. Start building a professional resume template here for free.

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6. Garnish Your Restaurant General Manager Resume

“Is this the right restaurant manager for us? She looks accomplished—but will she amaze us?” Amaze them with resume extras that show you’re Bobby Flay in disguise. You can do that by adding just a few extra lines to your resume for restaurant general manager jobs.

Add sections like:

• Certifications. If you’re a ServSafe Manager or AMA professional, show it. See our guide on how to add certifications to a resume.
• If you’ve written for Food Management or FoodService Director, list it. Publications in a resume add credence to your claims.
• Volunteer experience in a resume helps too, especially if it was a leadership or food service role.
• Does half the kitchen speak Mandarin or Spanish? Languages on a resume can be valuable skills.

Read more:What Are All the Sections of a Resume?

7. Write a Cover Letter for Your Restaurant General Manager Resume

“Should I submit a cover letter?” You had better. I know lots of people say cover letters are dead, but that’s wishful thinking. Especially today, restaurant general manager cover letters matter. With so many digital applications, letters are the only way the owner knows you’re not spamming her.

Here’s how to write a resume cover sheet:

• Cover letter structure: 3–5 paragraphs with a header like the one in your resume.
• What font and font size should you use? When formatting a cover letter, stick to the same font as your resume.
• Get attention fast. Starting a cover letter with the job title and something you like about the restaurant is a great appetizer.
• Write one or two middle paragraphs that show off a few of your best food service or leadership accomplishments.
• Ask for the interview in your cover letter closing paragraph.
• How to follow up on a job application: attach your letter and resume to a 2-line email and re-send it each week for the next month or so.

Read more: What to Include in a Cover Letter & What Goes Where

Plus, a great cover letter that matches your resume will give you an advantage over other candidates. You can write it in our cover letter builder here. Here's what it may look like:

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See more cover letter templates and start writing.

That’s it!

That’s everything you need to write a tantalizing restaurant general manager resume.

Thanks for reading! Still undecided on how to write a Rachel Ray-worthy restaurant general manager resume? Give us a shout in the comments section!