These questions are written for hiring a restaurant general manager specifically. Each one includes what you learn from asking it and what a strong answer sounds like.
1. Walk me through how you read a restaurant's weekly profit and loss.
Why ask it: A GM owns the numbers.
A strong answer: Describes sales, food and beverage cost, labor, prime cost, and which lines they act on first.
2. How did you turn around an underperforming restaurant or shift?
Why ask it: Shows real results and problem solving.
A strong answer: Gives a concrete example including diagnosis, actions, and measurable improvements.
3. How do you develop and promote managers within your team?
Why ask it: Leadership depth and succession.
A strong answer: Describes coaching, delegating real responsibility, feedback, and creating promotion paths.
4. A key employee quits right before a busy weekend. What do you do?
Why ask it: Crisis management.
A strong answer: Covers the shift, adjusts the plan, reaches out to team members, and starts the hiring process.
5. How do you balance hospitality with controlling costs?
Why ask it: Tension at the heart of the role.
A strong answer: Explains how they use data, standards, and training to protect both the guest experience and margins.
6. How do you handle an owner who disagrees with your decision?
Why ask it: Tests communication and professionalism upward.
A strong answer: Presents data and reasoning, listens, and aligns on a plan.
7. How do you build a strong hiring pipeline in a tight labor market?
Why ask it: Hiring is a major GM challenge.
A strong answer: Uses referrals, job boards, local schools, strong onboarding, and retention practices.
8. How do you make sure health and safety standards are followed when you are not on site?
Why ask it: Systems and accountability.
A strong answer: Uses checklists, trained managers, audits, and clear expectations.
9. What is your approach to handling guest reviews, good and bad?
Why ask it: Reputation management.
A strong answer: Responds quickly and professionally, learns from patterns, and acts on valid feedback.
10. Tell me about a time you had to let someone go.
Why ask it: Tests fairness and documentation.
A strong answer: Followed the process, documented performance, communicated respectfully, and protected the team.
11. How do you plan for slow seasons or sales dips?
Why ask it: Planning and creativity.
A strong answer: Adjusts labor, runs promotions, builds partnerships, and watches cash.
12. How do you create a positive culture while holding people to high standards?
Why ask it: Reveals leadership style.
A strong answer: Sets clear standards, recognizes success, communicates openly, and handles problems fairly.