Essential Work Samples for Restaurant Manager Interviews: Practical Exercises to Identify Top Talent

Restaurant Managers are the backbone of successful food service operations, responsible for everything from staff management and customer service to inventory control and financial oversight. Finding the right person for this multifaceted role requires more than just reviewing resumes and conducting standard interviews. The best candidates must demonstrate practical skills that directly translate to success in a fast-paced restaurant environment.

Traditional interviews often fail to reveal how candidates will perform under pressure or handle the day-to-day challenges of restaurant management. Work samples and role plays provide a window into a candidate's actual capabilities, decision-making process, and leadership style. These practical exercises allow hiring managers to observe candidates in action, making it easier to identify those who truly possess the skills needed to excel.

The following work samples are designed to evaluate key competencies essential for Restaurant Managers: operational efficiency, staff management, financial acumen, and customer service excellence. By incorporating these exercises into your interview process, you'll gain valuable insights that might otherwise remain hidden during conventional question-and-answer sessions.

Each activity simulates real-world scenarios that Restaurant Managers face regularly, providing candidates with opportunities to showcase their problem-solving abilities, leadership skills, and industry knowledge. The exercises also include feedback mechanisms that assess a candidate's adaptability and coachability—traits that are crucial for long-term success in any restaurant environment.

By implementing these practical assessments, you'll not only identify candidates with the right skills but also provide a more engaging interview experience that demonstrates your company's commitment to excellence and professional development.

Activity #1: Staff Scheduling Challenge

This activity evaluates a candidate's ability to create efficient staff schedules while balancing business needs, labor costs, and employee preferences. Effective scheduling is a fundamental skill for Restaurant Managers, directly impacting both operational efficiency and staff satisfaction. This exercise reveals how candidates approach resource allocation, prioritization, and potential conflicts.

Directions for the Company:

• Prepare a mock scenario with the following elements: restaurant hours, expected busy periods based on historical data, staff availability constraints, and labor budget limitations.
• Create a template or spreadsheet that candidates can use to develop their schedule.
• Provide information about 8-10 fictional staff members, including their positions (servers, bartenders, cooks, etc.), availability, seniority, and any special skills.
• Allow 20-25 minutes for candidates to complete the exercise.
• Have an "optimal" solution prepared for comparison, but be open to creative approaches that meet all requirements.

Directions for the Candidate:

• Review the restaurant information, staff profiles, and business requirements provided.
• Create a one-week staff schedule that covers all operational needs while staying within the labor budget.
• Ensure adequate coverage during peak hours while minimizing overstaffing during slower periods.
• Balance employee preferences and constraints with business needs.
• Be prepared to explain your scheduling decisions and how you prioritized competing factors.

Feedback Mechanism:

• After reviewing the schedule, provide feedback on one strength (e.g., "I appreciate how you ensured experienced staff were scheduled during peak hours") and one area for improvement (e.g., "I noticed the kitchen might be understaffed on Friday evening").
• Ask the candidate to revise a specific day's schedule based on the feedback, allowing 5-7 minutes for adjustments.
• Observe how receptive they are to feedback and how effectively they incorporate it into their revised schedule.

Activity #2: Customer Complaint Resolution Role Play

This role play assesses a candidate's customer service philosophy, conflict resolution skills, and ability to maintain composure under pressure. How a manager handles customer complaints directly impacts restaurant reputation and customer retention. This exercise reveals a candidate's empathy, problem-solving approach, and ability to balance customer satisfaction with business interests.

Directions for the Company:

• Prepare a detailed scenario involving a dissatisfied customer with a legitimate but challenging complaint (e.g., long wait time followed by incorrect order and perceived rude service).
• Assign someone to play the role of the upset customer—ideally someone who can portray frustration convincingly without being overly aggressive.
• Provide the candidate with basic information about the restaurant's policies regarding comps, discounts, and service recovery.
• Record the interaction if possible (with candidate's permission) for later review and discussion.
• Allow the scenario to unfold naturally for 7-10 minutes.

Directions for the Candidate:

• You will be role-playing as the Restaurant Manager addressing a customer complaint.
• Listen carefully to understand the customer's concerns before responding.
• Demonstrate empathy while maintaining professionalism.
• Work toward a resolution that satisfies the customer while respecting restaurant policies.
• Be prepared to make appropriate decisions about service recovery options (comps, discounts, etc.).
• After the interaction, be ready to explain your approach and reasoning.

Feedback Mechanism:

• Provide feedback on what the candidate handled well (e.g., active listening, empathy) and one aspect that could be improved (e.g., offering solutions more quickly, being more assertive about policies).
• Ask the candidate how they might handle the situation differently based on the feedback.
• Have them demonstrate a brief follow-up interaction incorporating the feedback.
• Discuss how they would document this incident and what operational changes they might consider to prevent similar issues.

Activity #3: Financial Performance Analysis

This exercise evaluates a candidate's financial acumen and analytical skills—critical competencies for controlling costs and maximizing profitability in restaurant operations. The activity reveals how candidates interpret financial data, identify problems, and develop practical solutions to improve performance.

Directions for the Company:

• Create a simplified profit and loss statement for a fictional restaurant covering 3-6 months, showing concerning trends in key metrics (e.g., increasing food costs, declining beverage sales, rising labor costs).
• Include supporting documents such as inventory reports, sales mix data, and staff productivity metrics.
• Ensure the data contains clear patterns that point to specific operational issues.
• Provide industry benchmarks for comparison.
• Allow 30 minutes for review and analysis.

Directions for the Candidate:

• Review the provided financial statements and supporting documents.
• Identify at least three concerning trends or issues affecting restaurant profitability.
• Analyze potential root causes for each issue identified.
• Develop specific, actionable recommendations to address each problem area.
• Prepare a brief presentation of your findings and recommendations, prioritizing issues by potential impact.
• Be prepared to explain how you would implement your recommendations and measure their effectiveness.

Feedback Mechanism:

• After the candidate presents their analysis, acknowledge one particularly insightful observation or recommendation.
• Suggest one additional area they might have overlooked or an alternative perspective on one of their recommendations.
• Ask the candidate to expand on how they would refine their approach based on this feedback.
• Observe their ability to incorporate new perspectives and adapt their thinking.

Activity #4: Kitchen Crisis Management Simulation

This simulation tests a candidate's ability to handle unexpected operational challenges, make quick decisions under pressure, and lead a team through a crisis. Restaurant Managers frequently face unexpected situations that require immediate attention and creative problem-solving. This exercise reveals how candidates prioritize, delegate, and maintain quality standards when things don't go according to plan.

Directions for the Company:

• Create a detailed scenario involving multiple simultaneous challenges during a busy service period. For example: two key kitchen staff called in sick, a refrigeration unit failed affecting food inventory, and there's a large party arriving in 30 minutes with special dietary requirements.
• Prepare role players to represent key staff members (head chef, server, host, etc.) who will interact with the candidate during the simulation.
• Provide a floor plan of the restaurant, current reservation list, staff roster, and inventory information.
• Allow the scenario to unfold over 15-20 minutes, introducing new complications if the candidate resolves initial issues too easily.
• Be prepared to play the role of various stakeholders (staff, vendors, customers) as needed.

Directions for the Candidate:

• You are the Restaurant Manager on duty when several operational challenges arise simultaneously.
• Review the provided information about current reservations, staffing, and inventory.
• Interact with staff (role players) to gather information and delegate tasks.
• Develop and implement immediate solutions to keep service running smoothly.
• Make decisions about prioritization, resource allocation, and potential menu modifications.
• Be prepared to explain your decision-making process and how you balanced competing priorities.

Feedback Mechanism:

• Provide feedback on the candidate's strengths in crisis management (e.g., clear communication, effective delegation) and one area for development (e.g., considering long-term implications, involving team in problem-solving).
• Present a follow-up challenge related to the scenario (e.g., "The replacement staff you called can't arrive for another hour. How would you adjust your plan?").
• Give the candidate 5 minutes to revise their approach based on this new information and your feedback.
• Evaluate their adaptability and how well they incorporate the feedback into their revised plan.

Frequently Asked Questions

How long should we allocate for these work samples in our interview process?

Each activity requires approximately 30-45 minutes including setup, execution, feedback, and discussion. We recommend selecting 1-2 activities most relevant to your restaurant's needs rather than attempting all four in a single interview. The financial analysis and staff scheduling exercises can potentially be assigned as pre-interview tasks with discussion during the interview.

Should we adapt these exercises for different types of restaurants?

Absolutely. Customize the scenarios to reflect your restaurant's concept, service style, price point, and typical challenges. A fine dining establishment might emphasize wine knowledge and formal service standards, while a fast-casual concept might focus more on operational efficiency and throughput.

How do we evaluate candidates consistently across these exercises?

Develop a simple rubric for each exercise that outlines what excellent, satisfactory, and unsatisfactory performance looks like for key competencies. Have the same evaluators present for all candidates whenever possible, and take detailed notes during the exercises to support fair comparisons.

What if a candidate has limited management experience but shows potential?

These exercises can be particularly valuable for identifying promising candidates with limited formal management experience. Focus your evaluation on their problem-solving approach, adaptability, and response to feedback rather than industry-specific knowledge that can be taught. Consider modifying the complexity of scenarios for entry-level management candidates.

How should we incorporate these exercises into our broader interview process?

These work samples are most effective when used after initial screening interviews but before final selection. They provide concrete examples to discuss during subsequent interviews and help validate impressions from earlier conversations. Consider sharing brief descriptions of these activities when scheduling interviews so candidates can arrive prepared to engage in practical exercises.

Should we compensate candidates for completing these exercises?

For exercises conducted during interviews, compensation isn't typically expected. However, if you assign substantial pre-interview work (particularly the financial analysis), consider offering a modest stipend to respect candidates' time and expertise. This also demonstrates your company's commitment to valuing professional contributions.

Restaurant management requires a unique blend of operational expertise, people skills, and business acumen. By incorporating these practical work samples into your hiring process, you'll gain valuable insights into how candidates actually perform in realistic scenarios rather than just how well they interview. This approach not only helps identify the most qualified candidates but also gives applicants a clearer picture of the role's expectations and challenges.

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