A front of house manager leads the dining room team, including hosts, servers, bussers, and often bartenders. The FOH manager owns the guest experience from the front door to the check and works closely with the kitchen leader. Here is what the job looks like across a shift, in the order it happens.
Opening duties
- Walk the dining room and bar for cleanliness, setup, and lighting
- Review reservations, large parties, and VIP notes
- Confirm section assignments and floor plan with the host
- Hold the pre-shift meeting and taste any new dishes or drinks
- Check that the host stand, POS, and printers are working
During service
- Stay on the floor greeting tables and reading the room
- Time seating with the host to keep sections balanced
- Monitor ticket times and coordinate with the expo or chef
- Handle guest complaints and make service recovery decisions
- Support servers during peaks by running food or clearing
- Watch alcohol service for compliance and intoxication
- Coach team members in the moment, praising good service
Closing duties
- Check the dining room is cleaned and reset
- Review sales, comps, and voids with the POS reports
- Reconcile servers' cash and tip reports
- Write a log of guest feedback, staff issues, and maintenance needs
- Confirm doors are locked, lights off, and alarm set
Weekly duties
- Build the front-of-house schedule based on forecasted sales
- Review guest reviews and service feedback with the team
- Run training sessions on menu changes, wine, or service steps
- Meet with the kitchen leader and general manager on priorities
Writing a posting? The front of house manager job description turns these duties into a ready-to-paste template. For shift planning, try the free restaurant schedule template.