A career in culinary management can take many forms. You could be a kitchen manager and oversee all of the food and kitchen staff operations, or take a dining room management position, which places you at the head of all the waitstaff. Management opportunities include daytime and evening managers, assistant managers, general managers, hiring and scheduling managers, and server leads and trainers. Management positions are available across all culinary platforms including baking and catering.
Culinary management can be a great career if you don't shy away from leadership roles, are customer-oriented, and enjoy the fast-paced speed of the culinary industry. Because culinary managers are responsible for a number of operations within the field, you are usually required to be business savvy, have a firm grasp on culinary techniques, and are able to deal with stressful situations.
Culinary Management Education Requirements
Many culinary management positions can be obtained by having a practical background in the hospitality industry. However, fine dining restaurants often require an associate or bachelor's degree in culinary management to ensure that you have the proper background and practical experience to lead a fully staffed kitchen. Some restaurants and diners, however, will promote within and train someone who has a proven track record at the restaurant for a specific management position.
Many colleges and universities offer culinary management degree programs to help you obtain the culinary background you need to launch your career. For your convenience, some schools are now offering hospitality and restaurant management degree programs online. These programs are designed to give you an in-depth look at the business side of the culinary industry. In most cases, both the theoretical and practical side of management are taught. You will learn about wine and other types of alcohol, the laws regarding the food industry, supervision, management, and customer service.
Securing Your Job
When looking for a culinary management position, the amount of experience you will need will depend on the particular establishment. As noted, fine dining restaurants will likely require a degree in culinary management and several years of hands-on experience working in a kitchen.
Moreover, management positions within restaurants usually require experience and training with payroll management systems, ordering food, food and beverage licensing, restaurant inspections, scheduling, and filing various types of paperwork. These tasks require a lot of training and practical experience, because errors can be incredibly expensive.
Foundational Knowledge For All Situations
By earning a culinary management degree, you will not only obtain an extensive background in the culinary field and in the management side of the culinary world, but you will also learn about handling different types of administrative tasks that come along with being a manager in the hospitality industry.
