Shift Manager

1. Job Purpose

The Shift Manager is responsible for managing the day-to-day operations of the restaurant during the assigned shift, ensuring excellent customer service, food quality, hygiene, operational efficiency, employee productivity, and adherence to company policies and Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs).

The role involves leading the restaurant team, managing shift deployment, monitoring sales and operational costs, maintaining food safety standards, and ensuring a consistent guest experience.

Key Responsibilities

• Shift Operations Manager Manage end-to-end restaurant operations during the assigned shift.
• Ensure the restaurant opens, operates, and closes as per company standards.
• Monitor order preparation, service speed, order accuracy, and delivery timelines.
• Ensure adequate manpower deployment across Front of House (FOH) and Back of House (BOH).
• Conduct shift briefings and allocate responsibilities to team members.
• Ensure smooth handovers between shifts and communicate operational issues to the reporting manager.

Customer Experience

• Ensure prompt, courteous, and professional customer service.
• Resolve customer complaints and service escalations within the defined authority.
• Monitor customer feedback, ratings, and service standards.
• Ensure accurate order taking, billing, packaging, and delivery.
• Maintain a customer-first approach and support initiatives to improve customer satisfaction.

Food Quality Safety & Hygiene

• Ensure food preparation follows approved recipes, portion sizes, and quality standards.
• Monitor food temperature, storage, shelf life, and product labelling.
• Ensure compliance with FIFO/FEFO practices and food safety guidelines.
• Maintain cleanliness and hygiene across the kitchen, service area, equipment, and storage spaces.
• Conduct regular hygiene checks and ensure compliance with FSSAI requirements and company food safety policies.

People Management

• Allocate tasks and monitor team performance during the shift.
• Ensure employees adhere to attendance, grooming, uniform, and punctuality standards.
• Coach and train Crew Members and Crew Trainers on operational processes.
• Support onboarding, cross-training, and skill development of restaurant employees.
• Monitor attendance, breaks, productivity, and manpower availability.
• Address employee concerns and escalate disciplinary or employee relations matters to the reporting manager.

Sales & Business Performance

• Monitor shift-wise sales, average order value, transaction count, and product performance.
• Drive upselling, suggestive selling, and promotional initiatives.
• Support achievement of daily and monthly sales targets.
• Monitor discounts, voids, cancellations, refunds, and complimentary orders as per company policy.
• Identify opportunities to improve sales, service efficiency, and customer retention.

Inventory & Cost Control

• Monitor stock availability and ensure proper inventory handling.
• Conduct shift-level stock checks and support daily inventory reconciliation.
• Minimise food wastage, pilferage, over-portioning, and product spoilage.
• Ensure proper receiving, storage, and issuance of food and non-food materials.
• Report stock variances, equipment breakdowns, and potential losses to the reporting manager.
• Ensure responsible use of utilities, consumables, and restaurant equipment.

Cash & Compliance Management

• Ensure accurate POS billing and compliance with cash-handling procedures.
• Perform shift cash reconciliation and hand over cash as per company policy.
• Report cash shortages, excesses, billing discrepancies, and suspicious transactions immediately.
• Ensure adherence to operational SOPs, audit requirements, statutory guidelines, and internal controls.
• Maintain shift reports, checklists, temperature logs, cleaning records, and other required documentation.

Restaurant Maintenance & Safety

• Ensure all equipment is functional, clean, and used safely.
• Monitor restaurant ambience, lighting, music, and overall presentation.
• Report maintenance issues and follow up on corrective actions.
• Ensure compliance with fire safety, workplace safety, pest control, and emergency procedures.

Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)Achievement of shift-wise sales targets.

• Customer satisfaction and complaint resolution.
• Order accuracy and service turnaround time.
• Food cost, wastage, and inventory variance.
• Labour productivity and manpower utilisation.
• Food safety, hygiene, and operational audit scores.
• Cash reconciliation accuracy and adherence to POS controls.
• Employee attendance, grooming, and training compliance.
• Adherence to company SOPs and statutory requirements.

Qualification & ExperienceMinimum qualification:

• Graduate preferred; candidates with relevant QSR experience and equivalent qualifications may be considered.
• Experience: 2–4 years of experience in QSR, restaurant, food retail, or hospitality operations.
• At least 1–2 years of experience in a supervisory or shift-handling role is preferred.
• Experience in managing FOH/BOH operations, customer service, inventory, and shift teams.
• Familiarity with POS systems, inventory management, and restaurant operating procedures.

Required Skills & Competencies

• Strong team leadership and people management skills.
• Good communication and customer service orientation.
• Ability to manage high-volume operations and peak-hour pressure.
• Understanding of food safety, hygiene, and quality standards.
• Numerical ability and basic knowledge of sales and cost control.
• Problem-solving, decision-making, and conflict-resolution skills.
• Planning, prioritisation, and time management.
• Basic computer skills and familiarity with POS and restaurant management systems.

6. Reporting & Team StructureReports to: Assistant Restaurant General Manager (ARGM) / Restaurant General Manager (RGM)

Supervises: Crew Trainers, Crew Members, and other assigned shift employees.

Work Location: Restaurant / QSR outlet

Working Schedule: Rotational shifts, including weekends and public holidays, as per business requirements.

Key Role Expectations

The Shift Manager is expected to take ownership of the assigned shift, ensure operational discipline, maintain food and service standards, lead the team effectively, and deliver business results while creating a safe, clean, and customer-friendly restaurant environment.