WHAT DOES A FRONT OF HOUSE MANAGER DO?

Updated: Dec 24, 2025 – The Front of House Manager fosters a positive and innovative workplace culture while ensuring exceptional customer satisfaction in all aspects of the dining experience. This position oversees FOH operations, including staff recruitment, training, scheduling, vendor management, and inventory control. The manager also maintains compliance with company policies, health and safety standards, and financial accuracy while efficiently handling daily priorities and challenges.

A Review of Professional Skills and Functions for Front of House Manager

1. Front of House Manager Responsibilities

  • In-store Marketing Execution: Ensure a Staff executes appropriate in-store marketing efforts that are consistent with the brand.
  • Standard Procedures Compliance: Ensure all employees are following standard systems and procedures outlined in the employee handbook.
  • Reporting Systems Management: Maintain reporting systems to effectively manage the business.
  • Policy Compliance and Improvement: Ensure compliance and improvement of policies and procedures.
  • Customer Complaint Resolution: Resolve customer complaints during shift.
  • Customer-Focused Culture Development: Actively participate in the development of a customer-focused and performance-driven culture through role-modeling behaviors.
  • Staff Management: Hire, evaluate, and discipline staff actions.
  • Team Leadership and Communication: Lead team meetings to communicate current objectives, performance, challenges, successes, and other operational updates.

2. Front of House Manager Job Summary

  • Client Service: Provide exceptional client service to ensure an outstanding positive experience.
  • Visitor Greeting: Appropriately greet visitors, and contact the relevant staff member on time.
  • Phone Inquiry Management: Promptly answer all phone inquiries, assess needs, and keep the client fully informed to ensure a positive client experience and professional standard.
  • Mail and Courier Service: Provide quality incoming and outgoing mail and courier service.
  • Administrative Support: Provide accurate and timely business and administrative support functions to ensure the efficient operation of the reception area.
  • Meeting Room Management: Ensure all meetings are booked appropriately.
  • Reception Area Maintenance: Present the reception area and meeting rooms are always kept to an impeccable standard.
  • Meeting Room Coordination: Keep on top of booked meeting rooms, knowing when to swap meeting rooms to ensure they can be efficiently hosted.
  • Stationery Management: Ensure stationery is fully stocked on all floors and maintained in a tidy manner.
  • Supplies Management: Ensure kitchen and bathroom supplies are maintained.

3. Front of House Manager Accountabilities

  • Team Development: Build a capable and confident team and continue to develop them every day.
  • Standards and Policy Oversight: Oversee and ensure that all company standards and policies are maintained.
  • Service Flow Management: Maintain the proper flow of service through the management of all FOH employees.
  • Decision Making: Make decisions that affect the guests, employees, and back of the house to ensure smooth service.
  • Dining Experience Monitoring: Observe the entire dining experience ensuring that every meal and every moment exceeds expectations.
  • Food Safety and Sanitation: Uphold company food safety, food handling, and sanitation requirements to ensure the health and safety of employees and guests.
  • Guest Service Management: Manage the Front Office operation, ensuring delivery of exceptional guest service.
  • Departmental Objectives Setting: Set and review departmental objectives for the team.
  • Customer Inquiry Management: Ensure all customer inquiries and requests for bookings are dealt with promptly, courteously, and efficiently.
  • Complaint Resolution: Ensure prompt resolution of customer complaints.
  • Sales Maximization: Maximize sales through up-selling, using incentives and promotions.
  • Health and Safety Compliance: Ensure awareness and compliance with all Health and Safety work practices.

4. Front of House Manager Details and Accountabilities

  • Work Environment Creation: Creating a “great-place-to-work” environment and culture that is approachable, innovative, and exemplifies quality.
  • Staff Recruitment and Management: Recruiting, hiring, training, supervising, scheduling, and retaining an exceptional FOH staff that fits with BBCO’s culture.
  • Customer Satisfaction Management: Ensuring customer satisfaction with all aspects of the BBCO restaurant and dining experience. Handling customer complaints, and resolving issues diplomatically and courteously.
  • Floor Manager Execution: Executing Floor Manager shifts regularly.
  • Vendor and Inventory Management: Managing vendor relationships, ordering, and FOH inventory.
  • Cash-Out Procedures: Ensuring complete and accurate cash-out procedures and end-of-day sales transactions via the Toast POS system. Responsible for accurate daily sales records and weekly cash deposits.
  • Policy Enforcement: Enforcing company policies and procedures and modeling compliance with company policies.
  • Health and Safety Standards: Promoting and practicing the highest-level health and safety standards.
  • Customer Service Modeling: Providing superior customer service, modeling ideal customer interactions and teamwork, nurturing positive working relationships, and setting a good example for FOH staff.
  • Task Management: Efficiently managing competing priorities throughout the day while minimizing transition time between tasks.
  • Pressure Management: Remaining calm and confident under pressure.

5. Front of House Manager Role Purpose

  • Safety Standards Adherence: Uphold the highest level of DOH standards and safety.
  • Staff Training and Recruitment: Take active responsibility for continually training FOH staff and hiring new staff who will be assets to the team.
  • Hospitality and Culture Definition: Maintain a high level of hospitality while defining the culture.
  • Coaching and Guidance: Provide coaching and guidance on improving the mindset and skill set of FOH staff, with a focus on guest relationships.
  • Service Education Participation: Participate in service/culinary education sessions.
  • Menu and Shift Management: Print all menus as well as make the floor plans & shift summary notes.
  • Operational Oversight: Take charge of the restaurant and embrace responsibility for all aspects of the front-of-the-house operation, while accurately and efficiently following policy and keeping upper management in the loop.
  • Employee Passion Creation: Create a passion among employees for excellence day after day.
  • Environment Creation: Create an environment of hospitality, cleanliness, fun, and good consistent, quality food that the community and visitors want to eat time and time again, and employees want to work.
  • Workplace Safety and Compliance: Maintain a safe and legally compliant workplace for employees, customers, and the company.
  • Teamwork and Feedback: Generate trust and teamwork amongst the employees and provide consistent feedback and coaching so they can bring the best version of themselves to the workplace.