CAFETERIA MANAGER JOB DESCRIPTION

Managing a school cafeteria well is harder than it looks. When food temperatures go unrecorded, HACCP compliance fails and a district audit can shut down the entire meal program. The Cafeteria Manager owns the daily operation of a school nutrition kitchen, from menu execution and staff supervision to production recordkeeping and Federal program compliance. It is a role that demands equal parts operational rigor and people management, within the specific regulatory framework of publicly funded K-12 food service.

As the Cafeteria Manager, you are accountable for delivering safe, consistent, and compliant meals to students each day while managing kitchen staff, controlling costs, and meeting Federal and state nutrition program requirements. You work within a school district nutrition department, coordinating closely with district administrators, food service workers, and nutrition services leadership to keep the program running to standard.

Career Impact: Experience managing a HACCP-compliant, federally regulated school nutrition program builds a credential that distinguishes you from general food service supervisors in the K-12 and institutional market.

Business Impact: The quality and consistency of every student meal served depends on how well this role executes daily production, compliance, and staff coordination across the kitchen.

Growth Opportunity: Demonstrated success here opens a clear path toward district-level Nutrition Services Coordinator or Food Service Director roles, where budget and program scope expand significantly.

• Supervise kitchen staff in daily food preparation, safety procedures, and sanitation standards to meet program requirements.
• Execute preplanned menus using standardized recipes with minimal substitution to ensure uniform meal offerings.
• Monitor food, refrigerator, freezer, and hot-holder temperatures and document readings in required production records.
• Conduct routine sanitation inspections and open and close the kitchen according to district protocols.
• Manage food and supply inventory using FIFO rotation across all kitchen areas including cold storage.
• Order and inspect incoming food and supplies for quantity, quality, and compliance with district specifications.
• Prepare and submit daily production reports and all records required by Federal, state, and district nutrition guidelines.
• Plan and oversee the kitchen budget covering food procurement, supplies, staffing, and equipment needs.

• High school diploma or GED, or equivalent work experience.
• ServSafe Certification required within 30 days to 1 year of employment, valid Food Handlers Card required.
• 1 or more years of food service experience, with demonstrated knowledge of institutional food preparation and kitchen operations.
• Knowledge of HACCP food safety programs, Federal nutrition program regulations, and health department sanitation codes.
• Ability to lift up to 50 lbs occasionally, stand or walk for extended periods, and work in extreme temperature environments including industrial freezers.
• Ability to assign tasks, manage staff performance, and provide consistent feedback in a structured kitchen environment.
• Basic computer proficiency to operate point-of-sale systems, complete digital records, and manage district-required reporting.

• Associate degree in Culinary Arts or a related field.
• Three or more years of supervisory experience in a school nutrition or institutional food service setting.
• Bilingual fluency in Spanish to support communication with students, families, and kitchen staff.
• Completion of a state-level manager-in-training program such as the GaDOE Manager-in-Training certification.

• Menu compliance rate, measuring adherence to preplanned district menus across daily service.
• Temperature log completion rate, reflecting consistent HACCP recordkeeping across all kitchen units.
• Production report submission rate on time against district-required deadlines.
• Food cost variance against budget, tracking procurement and waste control across the kitchen.
• Staff attendance and scheduling adherence, reflecting operational readiness at service time.
• Typical tools: Point-of-sale and cash management systems (commonly school nutrition POS platforms), productivity software (commonly Microsoft Office)

• Base Salary Range: $38,000 to $52,000 per year depending on district size and location
• Bonus: typically not applicable in public school district settings
• Equity: not typically offered in public school nutrition roles
• Health Benefits: standard medical, dental, and vision coverage through district benefits plan
• PTO: 10 to 15 days annually, plus school calendar holidays and breaks
• Common Perks: Pension or retirement plan through state teacher or public employee system, meal benefits during service hours

Figures are estimates based on general US market benchmarks and may be outdated. Adjust based on location, company size, and seniority level.

Employment decisions are made without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, genetic information, veteran status, or any other characteristic protected under applicable federal, state, and local law. Reasonable accommodations are available to qualified individuals with disabilities throughout the hiring process and employment. A background check, including criminal history review, is required as a condition of employment given the student-facing nature of this role. Candidates must be authorized to work in the United States.

The Cafeteria Manager leads daily food service operations at an assigned school district location, overseeing staffing, meal production, budget planning, and regulatory compliance to ensure every student receives a consistent, quality meal. Collaborating with school administrators and nutrition staff, this role shapes program outcomes by maintaining HACCP standards, managing inventory, and training food service workers to perform at a high level.

Key Responsibilities

• Supervises all aspects of the daily administration of meal programs at assigned school.
• Monitors the preparation of food and the cooking of food to enforce standards for quality, flavor and merchandising as required.
• Orders and checks all food and supplies for quantity and quality.
• Opens and closes the kitchen, conducts routine sanitation inspections, and produces daily production reports.
• Supports and participates in marketing efforts at the school level, based on school nutrition guidelines, to increase student participation in the school meals program.
• Plans and manages the budget to include food, supply, equipment procurement, staffing, and other cost-impact elements of the food service program.
• Operates kiosks, computerized cash register, and completes related reports as required.
• Ensures correct counter service and monitors cash register checkout, counts money, and reconciles cash against register database and resolves discrepancies and makes bank deposits.
• Organizes and manages stockroom and cold storage, and maintains inventory control.
• Trains, supervises, and evaluates food service workers in food preparation and safety and sanitation procedures.
• Creates and organizes a student involved Nutrition Advisory Council to help increase student participation.

Education and Experience

• High School Diploma required, Associate Degree preferred with Culinary Arts specialization preferred.
• Successful completion of the ServSafe examination or must successfully complete within 30 days of employment.
• At least four years of progressively responsible experience in the food services industry, three in a supervisory capacity in food service such as a chef, apprentice or supervisor.
• Extensive knowledge of food safety, health department codes and sanitation standards concerning the preparation of food.
• Knowledge of the procedures, practices, operations and equipment of institutional food preparation.
• Ability to organize, supervise, train, and evaluate cafeteria staff.
• Ability to periodically lift 50 lbs and carry food stock weighing 20 lbs or more frequently, and walk and stand for extended periods.
• Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships with food service staff administrators, school staff, vendors and community representatives.
• Experience with windows based computers and related software, experience with Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint and Access preferred.
• Valid Virginia driver's license and willingness to use personal automobile.
• Bilingual and fluency in Spanish preferred.

Embedded within a school district nutrition team, the Cafeteria Manager oversees daily kitchen operations by following preplanned menus, enforcing HACCP food safety compliance, and ensuring every student receives consistent, quality meal choices. Working closely with school administrators and district nutrition staff, this role manages financial recordkeeping, stock rotation, and regulatory reporting to support a compliant and efficiently run school meals program.

Core Functions

• Follows preplanned menus with minimal substitutions.
• Assures School Nutrition standardized recipes are followed.
• Assures enough food is prepared daily so every customer is offered the same choices.
• Ensures that foods served meet quality standards for appearance, texture, flavor and temperature.
• Lifts and rotates stock (up to 40 lbs) via the FIFO method in all kitchen areas including freezers and refrigerators.
• Records food, refrigerator, freezer, hot holder and storage temperatures appropriately.
• Utilizes and stores cleaning chemicals correctly.
• Meets food handling standards (hand washing, gloves, hairnet, etc.).
• Assures equipment and work area is cleaned and stocked prior to end of shift.
• Utilizes resources (food, supplies and labor) effectively and efficiently.
• Follows all procedures for handling money and maintaining financial records and reports.
• Complies with all Free and Reduced policy requirements.

Required Qualifications

• High school diploma or GED.
• Must have a valid Georgia driver's license.
• ServSafe Certified within 1 year of employment and successful completion of GaDOE Manager-in-Training program.
• Must have a valid Georgia driver's license and the ability to travel to all district school sites.
• Basic computer skills - Microsoft Office.
• Excellent communication skills - both oral and written.
• Excellent problem solving and organizational skills.
• Ability to work independently without supervision.
• Must be able to lift and carry fifty (50) lbs occasionally.
• Must be able to drive a vehicle, stand on a cement floor for up to 7.5 hours a day, climb a ladder, stoop, bend, lift and have hands in water.

Reporting to hotel operations leadership, the Cafeteria Manager oversees all staffing, service quality, and outlet profitability for an assigned hotel food and beverage location, including scheduling, cash handling, and inventory control. Partnering with front-of-house staff, kitchen teams, and department heads, this role delivers measurable impact by maintaining food quality standards, resolving guest issues, and sustaining the financial performance of the outlet.

Primary Duties

• Interview, select, train, supervise, counsel and discipline restaurant staff for the efficient operation of the outlet.
• Schedule and direct staff in their work assignments.
• Interact positively with customers promoting hotel facilities and services.
• Resolve problems to the satisfaction of involved parties.
• Answer telephones in a clear voice, coordinate and document reservations.
• Organize special events in the restaurant such as receptions.
• Maintain communication with all departments to ensure customer service needs are met.
• Verify temperatures, judge appearance and taste of products and check preparation methods to determine quality.
• Give guidance toward improvement and make necessary adjustments for consistency.

Qualifications and Experience

• Requires good communication skills, both verbal and written.
• Ability to supervise subordinate staff, including, but not limited to, assignment of duties, evaluating service, and taking disciplinary action when necessary.
• Ability to prepare and analyze data, figures and transcriptions prepared on and generated by computer.
• Knowledge of hotel food and beverage operations.
• Knowledge of food and alcoholic beverages.
• Must possess basic computer skills.
• Budgetary analysis capabilities required.

Sitting at the intersection of food production management and institutional operations, the Cafeteria Manager owns the full scope of daily kitchen functions including task scheduling, equipment inspection, production recordkeeping, and staff coordination across an assigned facility. Operating across food service and administrative teams, this role builds operational reliability by ensuring accurate compliance with Federal and division guidelines while applying hands-on knowledge of all facets of food production.

Duties

• Ability to read and use information from written and quantitative materials, visual displays and measuring devices.
• Ability to receive and process verbal information as well as respond to nonverbal sounds.
• Ability to frequently use hand-held tools, devices, instruments and automatic equipment.
• Ability to bend, kneel, stoop and maintain balance while performing job related tasks.
• Ability to work in standing and walking positions on a constant basis throughout the work shift.
• Ability to lift, move and reposition objects and materials - frequently exerting force equal to lifting twenty-five (25) to fifty (50) pounds.

Skills and Qualifications

• High school diploma or equivalent.
• One or more years of job-related experience or training in food services.
• Excellent attendance and work record.
• Evidence of sensitivity and respect for others and the ability to serve as a positive role model for youth.
• Successful completion of the Kitchen Assistant Training and Management Techniques courses.
• Valid Douglas County Food Handlers Card and ServSafe Certified.
• Attendance at additional internal training courses at the direction of management.
• Demonstrated knowledge, skills and abilities required of all other kitchen positions (non-managerial).