Career Spotlight – How to Become a Pittsburgh Restaurant Manager
September 16, 2009
•Le Cordon Bleu
•Pittsburgh
• 0 Comments
There are two ways to become a restaurant manager in Pittsburgh. You can either take a job at a restaurant and then work your way up through the ranks or you can attend a culinary school that specializes in Pittsburgh hospitality management, chef jobs, and restaurant manager programs in Pittsburgh. Often, either path will take a lot of hard work and kitchen experience.
Move Up the Ladder
The first option is not a bad option. There is a lot to be said for gaining real life experience in the restaurant business. Some of the most successful Pittsburgh restaurant managers started out bussing tables or backing the bar. Understanding the intricacies of a restaurant will better anyone’s skill set, especially those looking for a career in hospitality management.
Earn a Degree
Culinary school, on the other hand, is an opportunity for aspiring restaurant managers to learn from experts in the field not only through hands-on experience but through lecture and theory application. With a structured education and with the job search assistance many culinary schools offer, this second option can help graduates break into the industry and to move up within the restaurant industry too.
Often those seeking hospitality management jobs in Pittsburgh don’t consider culinary schools because they think courses only cover cooking and baking, but that’s not the case. Many culinary schools include courses that are relevant to restaurant management including communication skills, finance, and more.
A Day in the Life
A typical restaurant manager has several duties including the oversight of inventory control, employee performance, customer satisfaction, food quality, record keeping, event planning, and much more. Many tasks vary from restaurant to restaurant, but the main skill set required of a good restaurant manager is the ability to multi-task, the ability to prepare and serve excellent food, and the ability to operate a business under times of stress.
Good culinary schools prepare a student to handle these tasks quickly. However, real world experience is necessary too. As part of the curriculum you may be asked to work in a restaurant in any number of capacities, but even for your reassurance, you should work in the restaurant industry before seeking jobs as a restaurant manager to be sure this is the career path you want to follow. Additionally, most Pittsburgh restaurants hiring managers or chefs, will fill those jobs with experienced professionals.
It’s Your Passion
Whether your ideal job would be managing something like Abruzzi's Restaurant or the Grand Concourse, there are a variety of restaurant manager jobs in Pittsburgh. With hundreds of restaurants in the metropolitan area and a growing population of foodies and avid diners, there’s no better place to start pursuing a career in hospitality management than in Pittsburgh.