Restaurant General Manager Resume Guide

Introduction

Creating a resume for a restaurant general manager position in 2025 requires a clear, structured approach that highlights leadership, operational skills, and industry knowledge. An ATS-optimized resume ensures your application passes initial screenings, increasing your chances of landing interviews in a competitive hospitality landscape.

Who Is This For?

This guide is suited for mid-level to experienced restaurant general managers, whether you're actively employed or transitioning into a new role. It applies broadly across regions like the USA, UK, Canada, Australia, or Singapore. If you're a seasoned professional or re-entering the industry after a break, the same principles apply. For those with limited managerial experience but strong hospitality skills, focus on transferable competencies and relevant achievements.

Resume Format for Restaurant General Manager (2025)

Arrange your resume with the most impactful sections at the top: Summary or Profile, Key Skills, Professional Experience, Projects or Achievements, Education, and Certifications. Use a clean, professional layout with clear headings and consistent formatting. Keep your resume to one page if you're early in your career or applying within a highly competitive market; opt for two pages if you have extensive experience and notable accomplishments. Including a link to your online portfolio or LinkedIn profile can enhance credibility, especially if you have digital innovations or operational projects to showcase.

Role-Specific Skills & Keywords

• Staff management and team leadership
• P&L and budget oversight
• Customer service excellence
• Inventory and supply chain management
• Food safety and compliance standards
• POS and reservation system proficiency (e.g., Toast, Square, OpenTable)
• Hospitality industry trends and marketing
• Conflict resolution and problem-solving
• Training and development programs
• Revenue growth strategies
• Multitasking under pressure
• Vendor negotiations
• Data analysis for operational improvements
• Soft skills: communication, adaptability, decision-making

Integrate these keywords thoughtfully throughout your resume, especially in your Skills section and experience bullets, to align with ATS algorithms and recruiter searches.

Experience Bullets That Stand Out

• Led a team of 50+ staff, increasing customer satisfaction scores by ~15% through targeted training and improved service protocols.
• Managed daily operations across a 200-seat restaurant, consistently achieving revenue targets and reducing costs by 10% via inventory optimization.
• Implemented new safety standards and training, resulting in zero compliance violations over 12 months.
• Streamlined procurement processes, cutting supply expenses by 8% while maintaining quality standards.
• Introduced digital reservation and ordering systems, boosting table turnover rate by 20% during peak hours.
• Developed marketing campaigns that increased local patronage, resulting in a 12% rise in repeat business.
• Trained new managers and staff, reducing onboarding time by 25% and improving team retention.
• Oversaw renovation projects and menu updates that attracted a new customer segment, increasing sales by ~10%.

Related Resume Guides

• Hotel General Manager Resume Guide
• Assistant Restaurant Manager Resume Guide
• Fast Food Restaurant Manager Resume Guide
• Restaurant Manager Resume Guide
• Assistant General Manager Resume Guide

Common Mistakes (and Fixes)

• Vague job descriptions: Focus on quantifiable achievements rather than generic responsibilities.
• Overloaded paragraphs: Break experience into bullet points for clarity and scan-ability.
• Ignoring keywords: Incorporate industry-specific terms and tools relevant to restaurant management.
• Using decorative formatting: Stick to simple fonts and avoid tables or text boxes that ATS might misread.
• Lack of metrics: Quantify results wherever possible to demonstrate impact.

ATS Tips You Shouldn't Skip

• Save your resume as a PDF or Word document with a clear filename, like John_Doe_Restaurant_GM_2025.docx.
• Use standard section headings: Summary, Skills, Experience, Education, Certifications.
• Incorporate synonyms and related keywords, such as "hospitality manager," "foodservice operations," or "restaurant supervisor."
• Maintain consistent tense—use past tense for previous roles, present tense for current.
• Avoid using headers, footers, or complex tables that may confuse ATS crawlers.
• Use ample spacing and simple bullet points for easy parsing.

By following this guide, your restaurant general manager resume will be well-structured, keyword-rich, and ATS-friendly, increasing your chances of attracting recruiter attention in 2025.

Frequently Asked Questions

1. What are the key skills I should focus on when creating my Restaurant General Manager resume?

When crafting your resume for a Restaurant General Manager role, emphasize skills like staff management, P&L oversight, customer service excellence, inventory management, and conflict resolution. Highlight your ability to integrate industry-specific tools and your proactive approach to improving operations.

2. How should I address my salary expectations in the Restaurant General Manager resume?

Incorporate specific numbers or metrics that demonstrate how your skills and experience align with a competitive salary. Use bullet points to showcase measurable achievements related to revenue growth, budget management, or operational improvements.

3. What are some common mistakes to avoid when applying for a Restaurant General Manager position?

Avoid vague descriptions by focusing on quantifiable achievements. Break your experience into clear, concise bullet points instead of long paragraphs. Use industry-specific keywords and tools like Toast or Square in both the Skills section and experience bullets.

4. How can I effectively showcase my understanding of current industry trends in my resume for a Restaurant General Manager role?

Highlight your knowledge of recent trends by including relevant certifications, attending industry events, or showcasing how you've adapted to changes like digital ordering systems. Use specific examples of how these trends have positively impacted your previous roles.

5. What is the best way to demonstrate career progression in a Restaurant General Manager resume?

Use action verbs and quantify your achievements where possible. For example, mention that you successfully increased revenue by X% or streamlined operations to reduce costs by Y%. This demonstrates clear career growth and aligns with future advancement opportunities.