The 7 Core Responsibilities of a Restaurant General Manager
A restaurant general manager drives consistent operations by leading teams, owning guest experience, controlling labor and food costs, ensuring compliance, and planning.
What a Restaurant General Manager Is Accountable For
A restaurant general manager (GM) is the person responsible for turning "how we want the restaurant to run" into "how it actually runs" - every shift, every day. That means the GM isn't just a supervisor who fills gaps. They're the operator who owns the outcomes that keep the business healthy - consistent guest experience, reliable team performance, controlled costs, and clean, compliant execution.
The simplest way to describe the GM's job is this - they own the restaurant's standards and daily results. Standards are the expectations for food quality, service, cleanliness, timing, safety, and professionalism. Results are the measurable outcomes that come from those standards - sales, labor %, food cost %, waste, overtime, guest complaints, turnover, and repeat business. The GM connects the two by building routines, training people, and leading the floor (or the kitchen) with urgency and clarity.
What a GM is accountable for
A strong GM is accountable for three big buckets -
1. People - The GM sets expectations, hires and trains to fill the schedule with capable people, coaches performance in real time, and keeps the team aligned. They don't just "tell people what to do." They build the habits that make the restaurant predictable - pre-shifts, station readiness, checklists, and follow-through.
2. Operations - The GM owns whether the restaurant runs smoothly. That includes pacing, managing peak periods, handling guest issues, keeping the environment clean and safe, and ensuring standards are met when it's busy - not just when it's quiet. If the operation is chaotic, it's the GM's job to install structure.
3. Numbers - A GM doesn't need to be a CPA, but they must understand the levers that move profitability. They're responsible for labor planning, controlling waste, protecting inventory accuracy, and reviewing performance weekly to catch issues early. The GM's goal is simple - prevent small problems from becoming expensive surprises.
The best way to evaluate a GM is to ask - Do they create consistency without being everywhere at once? A great GM builds a restaurant that runs well even when they're not physically standing in every corner. That happens when they install a few simple, repeatable mechanisms -
1. Standards - clear expectations for service, cleanliness, food, and timing
2. Systems - checklists, pars, scheduling rules, shift notes, and routines
3. People - hiring, training, coaching, and accountability
If you're an owner, this framing is useful because it clarifies what you should expect from your GM - not perfection, but predictable execution and a steady improvement in results as systems take hold.
Responsibility 1. Lead the Team and Set the Standard
If you want to know whether a restaurant GM is doing their job, don't start with the schedule or the P&L - start with the team. A GM's first responsibility is to create a working environment where expectations are clear, performance is coached, and standards are consistent whether it's a slow Tuesday or a packed Friday night. When leadership is strong, most "daily chaos" problems shrink fast.
1) Set the standard in visible, specific ways
"Have urgency" and be friendly are too vague to manage. A GM turns standards into behaviors people can actually follow -
- What "ready for service" looks like (uniform, station stocked, sidework complete)
- What "clean" means (zones, checklists, closing photos if needed)
- What great hospitality sounds like (greeting timing, table touch rhythm, problem ownership)
The GM's job is to repeat these standards until they become normal - not an occasional reminder.
2) Run the shift like a leader, not a referee
During service, the GM should be scanning for patterns- ticket times climbing, a weak station getting slammed, a host stand bottleneck, a server section imbalance, a kitchen slipping on accuracy. Instead of reacting emotionally, strong GMs make quick, calm decisions - reposition staff, adjust pacing, communicate clearly, and protect the guest experience.
3) Coach in the moment - and follow up later
Great GMs don't "save feedback" for an annual review. They coach in real time -
- Quick corrections (portioning, plating, greet timing, sidework)
- Reinforcement when things go right (recognize the exact behavior)
Then they follow up with short 1-1 conversations for recurring issues. The key is consistency - the same standard, every day, with every person.
4) Create a communication rhythm that prevents confusion
Most execution failures happen because people don't know the plan. A GM should run a simple cadence -
Pre-shift huddle - tonight's goal, reservations/catering, product 86s, roles, focus point
Shift handoff - what happened, what's low, what needs attention tomorrow
Weekly manager check-in - review issues, assign fixes, confirm deadlines
Accountability isn't punishment - it's clarity and follow-through. A GM should document expectations, track recurring misses, and use progressive coaching when needed. When standards are enforced fairly and consistently, good employees feel protected, and weak performance either improves or exits.
A GM who leads well doesn't just "manage people." They build a team that can execute the restaurant's standards without constant micromanagement - and that becomes the foundation for every other responsibility that follows.
Responsibility 2. Own the Guest Experience and Service Recovery
A restaurant's reputation is built one shift at a time, and the GM is the person responsible for keeping the guest experience consistent - even when the building is busy, the kitchen is behind, or the team is short-staffed. This doesn't mean the GM has to touch every table. It means they must design and lead an operation where guests feel taken care of, problems are handled quickly, and recurring issues get fixed at the root.
1) Define what "great guest experience" means for your restaurant
Guest experience isn't only "friendly service." It's a mix of speed, accuracy, hospitality, and consistency. A GM should translate that into a few non-negotiables the team can execute -
- Greeting timing (how fast guests are acknowledged)
- Order accuracy expectations (repeat-back, modifiers, allergen handling)
- Ticket time targets (and what to do when they slip)
- Cleanliness and atmosphere standards (restrooms, dining room resets, music, lighting)
When these expectations are written, trained, and coached, the restaurant stops relying on who's working to determine quality.
2) Lead the floor during peak moments
Busy periods are where standards either hold or break. A GM should be most visible when pressure is highest -
- Watch the host stand and manage the wait honestly
- Balance sections and staffing to prevent bottlenecks
- Communicate with the kitchen about pacing, large tops, and 86'd items
- Step into service recovery before complaints escalate
This is also where a GM protects the brand - if the restaurant is falling behind, the GM doesn't hide in the office - they lead the adjustment plan.
3) Make service recovery a system, not a personality trait
Service recovery shouldn't depend on "who's nice." It should follow a simple process the team can memorize. Many GMs teach a version of -
- Listen fully (don't interrupt)
- Acknowledge and apologize (even if it wasn't intentional)
- Fix it fast (replace, re-fire, comp when appropriate)
- Follow up (check back after the fix)
- Log it (so patterns are visible)
The logging part is what separates average from excellent. If "cold fries" happens 10 times a week, that's not a guest problem - that's an execution problem.
4) Use feedback to find trends and eliminate repeat issues
A GM should review guest feedback weekly - reviews, comment cards, surveys, direct complaints - and tie it to operational data -
- Are wrong orders coming from a specific station or POS workflow?
- Are long waits tied to staffing gaps or poor pacing?
- Are complaints higher on certain shifts or days?
Sometimes the "right" recovery costs a little money in the moment - a remake, a comp, a gift card, an extra dessert. The GM's job is to decide what protects the restaurant's reputation and repeat business. Over time, consistent recovery builds a powerful message- this restaurant takes ownership.
When a GM owns guest experience, the restaurant becomes predictable - in a good way. Guests know what they'll get, problems get resolved quickly, and the team learns that hospitality is a standard, not a mood.
Responsibility 3. Control Labor and Build Schedules That Work
Labor is usually a restaurant's biggest controllable cost - and it's also the biggest driver of guest experience. If you cut too deep, service slows down and quality slips. If you overstaff, your profits disappear. A GM's responsibility is to build schedules that match demand, manage the shift to the plan, and enforce timekeeping habits that prevent small labor leaks from becoming a weekly problem.
1) Start with a simple forecast
Great labor control starts before the schedule is posted. A GM should forecast expected sales using the most practical inputs available -
- Last year / last 4 weeks by daypart
- Seasonality and local events
- Reservations, catering, and promos
-Known variables (weather swings, holidays, school schedules)
The goal isn't a perfect prediction - it's to avoid scheduling blindly. Even a rough forecast helps a GM staff the right roles at the right times.
2) Schedule by coverage and skill
A schedule that "looks fine" on paper can still fail if the wrong skills are on the floor. A GM builds schedules around -
- Stations that must be covered (host, expo, bar, grill, prep, dish)
- Skill-based placement (new hires paired with stronger staff)
- Peak protection (extra hands before the rush, not after it starts)
- Break planning and compliance (especially in strict states)
This is where many restaurants miss - they schedule total headcount, but not capability.
3) Run labor in real time during the shift
Posting a schedule is not labor control - managing the shift is. The GM should keep an eye on -
- Hourly sales vs. labor hours used
- Line length, ticket times, and guest wait time
- When to cut (and when not to cut) to protect service
Strong GMs make proactive moves- cross-train staff, stagger breaks, shift people to bottleneck stations, and tighten sidework so the team stays productive without feeling punished.
4) Prevent overtime and timecard drift
Overtime isn't always avoidable, but a GM should treat it as a planned exception - not a surprise. That means -
- Tracking hours mid-week (not on payroll day)
- Adjusting schedules early to prevent last-minute overages
- Watching "quiet overtime" behaviors, early clock-ins, late clock-outs, missed meal breaks
- Enforcing clean timekeeping habits and approval rules
Small leaks add up fast. Five employees clocking in 10 minutes early, five days a week is real money - and it often happens without anyone noticing unless the GM is watching.
A GM doesn't need 20 reports. They need a small scorecard they actually use -
- Labor % by week and by daypart
- SPLH (sales per labor hour) to measure productivity
- Overtime hours and top offenders (pattern spotting)
- Schedule accuracy (forecast vs. actual labor)
A GM who controls labor well isn't just "cutting hours." They're building a schedule and shift rhythm that keeps the restaurant staffed appropriately, compliant, and profitable - without burning out the team or disappointing guests.
Responsibility 4. Protect Food Cost and Inventory Accuracy
Food cost problems usually don't come from one big mistake. They come from dozens of small misses that repeat every week - over-portioning, inconsistent prep, inaccurate counts, poor receiving habits, untracked waste, and "we ran out so we emergency bought it." A restaurant GM doesn't have to personally count every item or place every order, but they are accountable for the systems that keep food cost predictable and inventory trustworthy.
1) Make ordering a routine
A GM should ensure ordering follows a consistent process -
- Par levels by item (based on sales patterns, lead times, and storage space)
- A set order schedule (what gets ordered on which days)
- Clear backup plans (approved alternates, vendor substitutions, emergency rules)
- A receiving standard so product is checked, not just accepted
When pars are accurate and ordering is disciplined, the restaurant stops living in "panic mode," and food cost becomes far easier to control.
2) Enforce portion control and prep standards
Portion drift is one of the fastest ways to blow food cost without noticing. The GM's job is to make sure the kitchen has -
- Standard recipes and build charts (including weights/measures)
- Portion tools that are actually used (scales, scoops, ladles)
- Training for new hires and spot checks for veterans
- Consistent prep yields (so "one pan" means the same thing every time)
If two cooks portion the same menu item differently, your theoretical food cost will never match reality - and the variance will look "mysterious" when it's actually operational.
3) Treat inventory counts like a business tool
Inventory is not a chore; it's your truth source for cost control. A GM should make sure counts are -
- Scheduled and protected (same day/time each week or period)
- Done with consistent units and storage maps
- Verified with spot checks on high-value items
- Reviewed immediately for obvious errors (missing areas, wrong units, bad math)
A clean count process prevents a lot of "garbage data" that leads to wrong decisions.
4) Track waste, comps, and mistakes with reasons
Untracked waste is basically invisible food cost. The GM should require -
- Waste logging with simple reason codes (overcooked, expired, returned, dropped)
- Manager approval for comps/voids beyond set thresholds
- A weekly review to find patterns (which shift, which item, which station)
The goal isn't to shame people. It's to spot repeatable problems and fix the root cause - training, prep pars, equipment issues, or ticket communication.
Even without complex systems, a GM can use a few core signals -
- COGS % (overall and by category)
- Theoretical vs. actual usage (what should have been used vs what was used)
- Variance on key items (proteins, cheese, oils, alcohol)
- Price changes from vendors (and whether menu pricing needs updates)
When a GM protects inventory accuracy and food routines, they protect profit. It's one of the clearest ways a GM adds value - not by "being strict," but by building repeatable controls that keep quality high and costs under control.
Responsibility 5. Maintain Quality, Safety, and Compliance
Quality and safety aren't "extra tasks" a restaurant does when there's time. They're the foundation of trust - guests trust you not to make them sick, employees trust you to provide a safe workplace, and owners trust the restaurant won't get crushed by preventable violations or shutdown risks. A GM is responsible for building routines that keep the restaurant consistently clean, compliant, and audit-ready, even during busy periods.
1) Turn quality into checkable standards
Most quality problems happen when expectations are fuzzy. A GM should define and verify standards like -
- Holding and cook temperatures (and how they're logged)
- Product freshness rules (date labels, FIFO rotation, discard standards)
- Plating/packaging consistency (presentation, portions, to-go accuracy)
- Speed standards (ticket time targets by daypart)
The GM doesn't need to be in the kitchen every second, but they do need a system where standards are taught, measured, and corrected.
2) Build food safety routines that survive real life
Food safety isn't one "big cleaning day." It's a set of daily habits -
- Receiving checks (temps, condition, dates, invoices)
- Cold/hot holding verification and corrective actions
- Sanitizer setup and test strips used correctly
- Allergy and cross-contact procedures the team can explain
A strong GM trains these routines until they become automatic - because in a rush, people fall back on habit.
3) Maintain facility and equipment readiness
Small facility issues become expensive fast. The GM should implement -
- Opening and closing walk-throughs (restrooms, floors, trash, storage areas)
- Preventive maintenance checklists (ice machine, fryer filtration, hood filters)
- "Fix it before it fails" reporting (simple log, clear priority rules)
- Vendor coordination for repairs and compliance needs
This protects both safety and uptime. A broken cooler isn't just an inconvenience - it's thousands in product loss and risk.
4) Stay compliant with labor and documentation basics
Even if you have HR support, the GM is the one enforcing compliance daily -
- Meal and rest break execution (and documentation when breaks are waived or missed)
- Minor labor restrictions (hours, tasks, supervision rules)
- Consistent application of policies (attendance, tips, harassment reporting, discipline)
- Incident reporting and workers' comp documentation when needed
A GM protects the business by making compliance part of the daily workflow, not a once-a-month scramble.
5) Create "audit-ready" habits
The goal is not paperwork for paperwork's sake. The goal is to be able to prove you run a responsible operation -
- Clean logs (temps, sanitation, safety checklists) that are actually filled out correctly
- Clear manager sign-offs and accountability
- Training documentation for onboarding and critical procedures
- Regular internal checks so problems are caught early
When quality, safety, and compliance are managed well, the restaurant becomes more stable- fewer incidents, fewer call-outs, fewer guest complaints, and fewer expensive surprises. That stability gives the GM room to focus on growth - because they aren't constantly recovering from preventable problems.
Responsibility 6. Drive Sales Through Execution
Most restaurants don't have a "sales problem" - they have an execution problem. The menu might be strong and the location might get traffic, but sales stay flat because upsells aren't happening, add-ons aren't suggested, service is inconsistent, or guests don't come back. A GM's role isn't to invent fancy marketing campaigns. It's to make sure the restaurant consistently converts the opportunities it already has.
1) Protect the basics that directly impact revenue
Sales are fragile when the fundamentals break. A GM should ensure -
- Guests are greeted quickly and seated efficiently (fewer walkouts)
- Orders are accurate (fewer refunds and comps)
- Ticket times are controlled (more table turns, better reviews)
- The dining room feels clean and energetic (higher perceived value)
These are often the biggest sales lever because they affect repeat business and average spend.
2) Make upselling a standard, not a personality trait
Upselling isn't about being pushy - it's about helping guests discover what they'll enjoy. A GM should set simple, measurable expectations -
- Suggest one add-on with specific menu items (extra protein, side upgrade, premium topping)
- Offer beverage upgrades consistently (mocktails, local beer, specialty drinks)
- Ask about dessert strategically (timing matters - mention early, confirm later)
The GM's job is to train the script, role-play it, and coach it on the floor. If only "your best server" sells, you don't have a sales culture - you have one strong employee.
3) Manage menu execution and availability
Nothing kills sales faster than constant 86s, inconsistent portions, or items that take too long. GMs drive revenue by ensuring -
- Prep pars match forecasted sales (don't run out of top sellers)
- The kitchen hits consistent portions and plating (protects value perception)
- Speed standards are realistic and maintained (especially during peak)
When execution is smooth, average ticket and guest satisfaction rise together.
4) Use simple levers to increase average check
A GM can raise sales without changing the menu by focusing on -
- Add-on attachment rates (apps, sides, drinks)
- Suggestive selling for high-margin items
- Limited-time features (executed cleanly, not randomly)
- Reducing voids, discounts, and unnecessary comps
Even a small lift in average check - done consistently - has a major monthly impact.
A GM should review a short list of indicators -
- Average ticket / check size
- Item mix (what's selling and what's not)
- Add-on performance (apps, beverages, desserts)
- Voids/refunds and discount patterns
The key is turning numbers into actions- train, adjust prep, refine scripts, fix bottlenecks. A GM who drives sales well doesn't chase gimmicks. They build a restaurant that executes consistently, sells confidently, and earns repeat visits through reliable experience.
Responsibility 7. Run the Business Cadence
A restaurant doesn't run well because the GM works hard. It runs well because the GM installs a cadence - repeatable routines that keep the team aligned, keep numbers visible, and keep problems from lingering. This is the difference between a restaurant that feels stable and one that constantly swings between "great nights" and "disaster nights." The GM's final core responsibility is to create a rhythm where execution improves week over week, not just shift to shift.
1) Build a weekly operating rhythm that never slips
A strong GM runs the same core meetings and reviews every week, even when it's busy -
Weekly scorecard review - sales, labor %, COGS %, overtime, waste, guest complaints, refunds/voids
Manager meeting - top issues from last week, what's changing this week, who owns each fix
Schedule and forecast check - compare forecast vs actual, adjust staffing plan early
Training focus for the week - one priority standard (speed, suggestive selling, cleanliness, accuracy)
This rhythm creates clarity. Everyone knows what matters and what success looks like.
2) Use daily tools to keep the operation tight
Daily management is where standards are protected. Useful GM tools include -
- Shift notes (what happened, what's low, what needs follow-up)
- A simple labor plan (expected sales + staffing plan + cut targets)
- Prep readiness checks (key items, pars, 86 risk)
- Maintenance and cleanliness walk-throughs (fast, consistent, documented)
These tools don't need to be complicated. They just need to be consistent.
3) Coach performance with structure
A GM should run short, recurring 1-1 conversations with key staff (assistants, shift leads, kitchen leads). The purpose is to -
- Review expectations and performance trends
- Recognize wins with specificity
- Identify one improvement focus and track it
- Address issues early before they become "culture problems"
When coaching is consistent, discipline becomes less frequent because performance improves sooner.
4) Create owner/GM alignment
Owners often feel "out of the loop" when there's no cadence. The GM should provide a predictable update -
- Weekly recap of numbers and key issues
- What's being fixed and by when
- Any support needed from ownership (repairs, staffing approvals, vendor changes)
- Escalations (compliance risks, recurring guest issues, high turnover patterns)
The win is shared clarity - the GM has authority for day-to-day operations, and the owner has visibility without micromanaging.