At a glance
Pay shows the low (10th percentile) to high (90th percentile) Canada-wide wages for Restaurant and food service managers, from Job Bank (2023–2024), as yearly amounts for full-time work. Pay varies by province, city and experience. See wages in your area on Job Bank
What you'll do
- Run daily service and lead front-of-house staff
- Hire, train and schedule the team
- Manage labour, food and beverage costs and inventory
- Handle guest feedback and resolve issues
- Make sure the restaurant meets food safety and liquor rules
How to get there
- Start as a server, host or cook and move up to supervisor.
- Get food handler certification and your province's responsible alcohol service training (such as Smart Serve in Ontario or Serving It Right in British Columbia).
- Learn scheduling, inventory and cost control; a hospitality diploma helps.
Provinces require food handler training for food premises, often with a certified food handler on site during operating hours. If you serve alcohol, staff need your province's responsible service training, such as Smart Serve in Ontario or Serving It Right in British Columbia.
Your bilingual advantage
Speaking two languages makes you stand out in Restaurant Manager jobs. Here's where it helps most and how to prove it.
Where bilingual skills are in demand
- Quebec, where French is the language of work and English or other languages often help with clients outside the province
- New Brunswick, Canada's only officially bilingual province
- Ottawa–Gatineau and the federal public service, where many positions are designated bilingual
- National companies serving customers across Canada, and employers serving newcomer communities in other languages
Prove your level
Employers trust a recognized result more than "fluent". For French, common tests include the DELF and DALF diplomas and the TEF and TCF tests. Federal public service jobs use their own Second Language Evaluation (levels A, B and C). Describe your level for speaking, reading and writing separately.
Expect part of the interview in each language
Bilingual employers often switch languages during the interview or give a short written task. Practise answering the questions on this page in both languages.
What employers look for
Usually required
- 3+ years in restaurant management or supervision
- Food handler certification
- Responsible alcohol service certification for our province, if we serve alcohol
- Experience with POS and scheduling systems
- Availability for evenings, weekends and holidays
Gives you an edge
- A hospitality or culinary diploma
- Experience opening a new location
How to stand out
Show the numbers: sales, labour cost and food cost results.
Describe team size and how you trained staff.
Be clear about your availability for evenings and weekends.
See a full Bilingual Restaurant Manager résumé example, or get our Bilingual Resume Template.
Interview questions to prepare for
Employers hiring for this job often ask questions like these. Prepare a short, specific example for each.
- How do you keep labour costs on target on a slow night?
- Tell me about a guest complaint you handled well.
- How do you train new servers?
- What would you check first if food costs went up suddenly?
- How do you keep the team motivated during a busy season?
Where it can lead
Your rights and tips as a job seeker in Canada
Know the pay before you apply
In British Columbia and Prince Edward Island, public job postings must include the pay or pay range. In Ontario, so must postings from employers with 25 or more employees made since January 1, 2026. Use the pay on this page to judge whether an offer is fair.
New to Canada?
In Ontario, employers with 25 or more employees can't ask for Canadian experience in a job posting or application form. For regulated jobs, such as engineering, teaching or a skilled trade, contact the provincial regulator early to have your credentials assessed.
You're protected from discrimination
Human rights laws mean employers can't make hiring decisions based on your age, sex, gender identity, race, religion, disability, or family or marital status. You can ask for accommodation during the hiring process, for example for an interview.
Hear back after interviews
In Ontario, employers with 25 or more employees must tell you within 45 days of your last interview whether a hiring decision has been made for a publicly advertised job.
Never pay to get a job
Real employers don't charge you to apply, to be trained or to be hired, and they don't ask for banking details before an offer. Only share your Social Insurance Number (SIN) after you're hired. Stay safe from job scams
Starting out young?
Each province sets its own minimum working age and limits on hours for young workers. See the rules by province
General information, checked on October 3, 2026. It isn't legal advice; rules depend on your province or territory.
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