Do I need a degree to be a restaurant manager?

Not for most roles. Employers usually look for hands-on experience, leadership and relevant training, so show responsibility and results instead.

Do I need a personal licence?

Often yes, or you will need to be willing to get one. A personal licence lets you authorise alcohol sales in England and Wales, so check what the advert asks for.

How do I show leadership on a CV?

Give your team size and examples of training, rotas, handling problems and improving service.

Can Ceev help me put my CV together?

Ceev writes your CV from your own answers, typed or spoken, and shows a free preview.

Restaurant manager CV example

A strong restaurant manager CV shows that you can lead front-of-house and kitchen teams, control costs and keep guests coming back. It should give covers, team size, results you truly achieved and any licence or food safety training.

// restaurant manager

Tom Walsh

tom@example.com | 07700 900142 | Manchester

01 — Profile

Calm and organised restaurant manager with nine years in hospitality, the last four running a 110-cover restaurant with a team of 22. Experienced in rotas, cash and stock control, licensing rules and guest complaints, and trusted to open and close the site. Holds a personal licence and a Level 3 food safety certificate.

02 — Experience

Restaurant Manager

a 110-cover independent restaurant

Led a team of 22 front-of-house and kitchen staff, writing weekly rotas within the labour budget

Managed opening, closing, cash-up and banking, and kept accurate daily sales records

Handled guest complaints in person and used the feedback to improve menus and service routines

Interviewed and trained new staff and ran short briefings before each service

Kept the premises compliant, including Challenge 25, fire checks and food safety records

Assistant Manager

a busy city-centre bar and restaurant

Supervised shifts of up to 12 staff and covered the manager's days off

Ordered stock weekly and ran monthly stock takes, reporting differences to the manager

Dealt with booking changes, walk-ins and large groups of up to 40 guests

Resolved disputes between guests and staff calmly and recorded any incidents

Trained staff on allergen procedures and the drinks menu

03 — Key skills

Team leadershipRota and labour planningCost and stock controlGuest service and complaintsLicensing and Challenge 25Health, safety and food hygieneRecruitment and trainingCash handling and bankingBooking and reservation systemsReading sales reports

Example · fictional candidate · Terminal design · Use this design

Tips for a restaurant manager CV

Give the size of the site, including covers, staff and opening hours
Show results with real numbers if you know them, such as cost savings or review scores, and leave them out if you do not
Mention licensing, food safety and health and safety qualifications
Include examples of hiring, training and developing staff
Show how you handle complaints and problems between guests and staff
Say which booking, rota and till systems you have used

Applying with a cover letter? See our restaurant manager cover letter example.