How to Decide on Restaurant Manager Interview Questions and Trial Activities

Step 1. Define Strategic Business Leadership Needs

Restaurant manager roles encompass sophisticated strategic leadership, business management, and organizational development across complex hospitality operations. Understanding your specific strategic demands determines the business excellence and leadership capabilities essential for executive success.

Your goal is to identify the exact combination of strategic vision, business leadership excellence, and organizational coordination your operation needs to achieve business excellence whilst building sustainable competitive advantage.

Use this systematic approach to clarify your strategic leadership requirements:

1. Analyse Your Business Environment and Strategic Standards

Be specific about your operational reality: "We run a multi-location restaurant group requiring a manager who develops strategic business vision whilst leading growth through innovative operational concepts / operate a flagship restaurant requiring business leadership that balances operational excellence with P&L responsibility and brand development / manage a hospitality operation requiring strategic coordination across multiple departments whilst developing management talent and maintaining competitive positioning..."

Consider these strategic factors that impact your leadership requirements:

• •What's your business complexity and strategic coordination level?
• •Do you require hospitality industry leadership or restaurant-specific expertise?
• •Are you managing single-location excellence or multi-site strategic coordination?
• •What's the experience level of your management team requiring development?
• •Do you coordinate with other business units (operations, finance, marketing, development)?

2. Define Your Business Culture and Strategic Philosophy

Your restaurant manager requirements change based on business philosophy and strategic objectives:

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  "Our organization emphasises business innovation excellence, requiring a manager who leads strategic development whilst building organizational capabilities in advanced business techniques and strategic management."

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  "We operate with sophisticated strategic standards where the manager must coordinate complex business initiatives whilst mentoring senior leadership in advanced strategic techniques and organizational development."

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  "Our growth-focused operation demands strategic business leadership with a manager who balances operational excellence with organizational development during expansion periods."

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  "We focus on industry leadership, seeking a manager interested in strategic development who demonstrates exceptional business leadership and shows expertise in competitive positioning and market development."

3. Establish Strategic Leadership Priority Balance for Your Operation

Different operations require different strategic priorities:

Enhanced Strategic Requirements Framework:

4. Consider Your Strategic Development and Business Capacity

Your hiring requirements depend on available executive mentorship:

Immediate Strategic Leadership Needed:

• •Prioritise candidates with proven restaurant manager experience
• •Focus on established business leadership and strategic management skills
• •Look for demonstrated organizational development and crisis management
• •Accept minimal onboarding time before full strategic responsibility

Development-Focused Hiring:

• •Emphasise strategic leadership potential and business instincts over experience
• •Look for management progression interest and strategic motivation
• •Consider candidates with strong operational skills ready for manager advancement
• •Plan structured strategic training and leadership development programme

5. Environmental and Strategic Context Considerations

Your specific business context shapes strategic leadership requirements:

Business Patterns:

• •Growth periods require exceptional strategic leadership and organizational coordination
• •Mature periods need innovation focus and competitive positioning development
• •Variable market conditions require adaptability and strategic resource management
• •Multi-concept operations need coordination capabilities and brand development

Competitive Landscape:

• •Market leaders require innovation and differentiation strategy
• •Emerging brands need growth strategy and operational scaling
• •Established operations require evolution strategy and competitive response
• •Niche concepts require specialization strategy and market development

Organizational Dynamics:

• •Experienced teams need strategic coordination and performance elevation
• •New teams require strong leadership and organizational development
• •Mixed-skill teams require sophisticated management and development approaches
• •High-growth environments need rapid scaling and strategic capability building

Questions to Clarify Your Specific Strategic Needs:

• •What causes the biggest business disruption when strategic business leadership is absent?
• •Which strategic leadership tasks consistently create challenges during growth periods?
• •Do you need immediate business excellence or can you invest in strategic development?
• •What leadership style works best with your current organizational culture and business objectives?
• •How much guidance can you provide during the first few weeks of strategic responsibility?
• •What advancement opportunities exist for exceptional restaurant manager performers?

Red Flags to Identify Early:

Be clear about deal-breakers for your strategic operation:

• •Strategic avoidance: Reluctance to engage with business planning or organizational challenges
• •Business development disinterest: No enthusiasm for P&L management or financial responsibility
• •Innovation stagnation: Weak focus on competitive positioning or market advancement
• •Leadership inflexibility: Cannot adapt strategic style to different business situations or market needs
• •Organizational limitations: Limited understanding of team development or succession planning

Step 2. Plan Strategic Leadership Interview Structure

Restaurant manager interviews must assess strategic leadership capabilities, business management skills, and organizational coordination whilst reflecting your operation's sophisticated strategic demands. The structure should reveal genuine visionary presence and business decision-making excellence under realistic competitive pressures.

Your goal is to create an interview process that reveals authentic strategic leadership style and capability whilst evaluating fit for your specific business and organizational challenges.

Choose your structure based on strategic complexity, business management sophistication, and long-term organizational development goals:

Standard Structure (For Strategic Restaurant Leadership Roles)

• •Welcome and Strategic Context Setting (15 minutes): Establish rapport whilst observing natural strategic presence and business communication sophistication
• •Essential Assessment: Initial strategic confidence, professional presentation, ability to engage naturally with executive-level conversation

Comprehensive Strategic Leadership Interview (60 minutes): Explore specific examples of strategic leadership, business management, and organizational coordination

• •Structure: Start with strategic background, then focus on detailed examples of business oversight and organizational development
• •Key areas: Strategic leadership during market challenges, developing management capabilities, coordinating business functions, managing multi-location operations

Business Strategy Discussion (30 minutes): Explain your operation's strategic challenges and assess sophisticated understanding

• •Purpose: Ensure candidate comprehends your business complexity and strategic expectations
• •Cover: Strategic coordination, organizational leadership requirements, business objectives, competitive positioning challenges

Scenario-Based Strategic Assessment (30 minutes): Present realistic restaurant manager challenges requiring immediate strategic and business decisions

• •Setup: Use actual market situations, business crises, organizational conflicts, competitive positioning problems
• •Assessment: Decision-making sophistication, strategic instincts, business protection, organizational coordination approach

Wrap-up and Strategic Vision (15 minutes): Explore executive leadership aspirations and assess cultural fit

• •Purpose: Understand strategic motivation whilst setting clear expectations

When to use it: Most restaurant operations requiring sophisticated strategic leadership whilst developing business and organizational capabilities.

What this reveals: Natural strategic leadership style, competitive response, organizational coordination approach, and business understanding.

Extended Structure (For Executive Leadership or Multi-Location Roles)

• •Pre-Interview Strategic Challenge (Required): Assign realistic executive leadership task demonstrating business and strategic thinking
• •Task examples: "Design a competitive positioning strategy for entering a new market" / "Create an organizational development plan for scaling restaurant operations across multiple locations"
• •Assessment focus: Strategic planning, business awareness, organizational development thinking

Comprehensive Executive Interview (90 minutes): Include career development goals, business strategy approach, and organizational leadership philosophy

• •Additional focus: Executive growth trajectory, strategic capabilities, competitive positioning ideas

Extended Scenario Assessment (45 minutes): Multiple complex situations requiring sustained strategic leadership thinking

• •Format: Sequential challenges building complexity, coordination between different business units, competitive response scenarios
• •Assessment: Strategic thinking, sustained decision-making quality, executive adaptability

Organizational Integration and Business Coordination Observation (30 minutes): Interaction with current executive staff and simulated business scenarios

• •Purpose: Assess natural executive dynamics, strategic presence, and business coordination sophistication
• •Watch for: Communication style with peers, respect establishment, collaborative instincts, strategic acumen

When to use it: Multi-location operations, hospitality groups with advancement opportunities, or operations investing in strategic development.

What this reveals: Strategic executive thinking, development capability, and advanced business coordination skills.

Operation-Specific Interview Adaptations:

For Multi-Location Operations:

• •Emphasise business coordination and strategic consistency leadership
• •Test ability to manage complex systems whilst coaching advanced strategic techniques
• •Include scenarios about coordinating multiple locations and competitive positioning
• •Assess strategic presence appropriate for executive leadership environment

For High-Growth Operations:

• •Focus on scaling coordination and strategic management during expansion periods
• •Test adaptability to varied business needs whilst maintaining organizational development focus
• •Include scenarios about coordinating growth teams and strategic development areas
• •Assess systematic strategic style whilst maintaining operational excellence

For Industry-Leading Operations:

• •Emphasise innovation leadership, competitive positioning, and strategic advancement
• •Test ability to coordinate market leadership whilst maintaining operational excellence and organizational development
• •Include scenarios about managing industry challenges and competitive opportunities
• •Assess sophisticated strategic presentation and thought leadership capabilities

Interview Environment Setup:

Physical Location:

• •Conduct strategic portions in your operation's executive office and business coordination areas
• •Use your actual business setup and strategic management environment
• •Include normal executive activity and business coordination
• •Have current executive and strategic teams present to observe natural interaction

Timing Considerations:

• •Schedule during strategic management periods to show real business atmosphere
• •Allow candidates to observe actual business coordination and strategic management
• •Include interaction with current executive staff during natural work rhythm
• •Plan for business interruptions that mirror real strategic leadership demands

Assessment Consistency:

• •Use identical scenario situations for all candidates
• •Maintain consistent time limits and complexity levels across strategic assessments
• •Have the same business evaluators present for fair comparison
• •Document strategic observations immediately after each interview

Step 3. Develop Strategic and Vision Questions

Effective restaurant manager interviews focus on strategic leadership questions that reveal business vision, organizational management capabilities, and strategic development skills. Since this is an executive leadership role, prioritise strategic thinking and business leadership capability over operational management.

Your goal is to understand how candidates approach strategic business leadership, handle market pressures, and build organizational excellence through specific examples from their executive management experience.

Structure your questions to uncover genuine strategic leadership habits and responses to sophisticated business challenges:

1. Building Effective Strategic Leadership Questions

Restaurant manager questions should focus on core strategic competencies: business vision development, organizational management, strategic leadership, market positioning, and competitive development.

Question Structure Framework:

• •Start with strategic context: "Tell me about your approach to developing..."
• •Focus on specific examples: "Give me a detailed example when..."
• •Probe for strategic decisions: "What exactly did you do strategically?" "How did you coordinate that business initiative?"
• •Understand business impact: "What was the organizational outcome?" "What did you learn about strategic leadership in that situation?"

2. Core Strategic Areas and Question Examples

Business Vision and Strategic Innovation:

Opening Question: "Describe your approach to developing strategic business vision whilst leading organizational growth and competitive development. How do you balance operational excellence with commercial success?"

• •Follow-up probes: "Give me a specific example of leading business transformation that drove competitive results." "How do you ensure strategy aligns with market demands whilst maintaining operational excellence?"
• •Watch for: Strategic business thinking, sophisticated market understanding, competitive awareness capability

Depth Question: "Tell me about a time when you had to pivot your business strategy in response to market changes whilst maintaining organizational performance. What was the situation and how did you coordinate the strategic response?"

• •Follow-up probes: "What strategic decisions did you make about market positioning?" "How did you maintain team confidence whilst implementing business changes?"
• •Watch for: Strategic adaptability, business protection, organizational leadership instincts

Business Management and Financial Leadership:

Assessment Question: "Give me an example of managing P&L responsibility whilst implementing strategic innovation. How did you approach the strategic balance between investment and profitability?"

• •Follow-up probes: "What specific business techniques did you use?" "How did you balance strategic vision with financial performance requirements?"
• •Watch for: Business instincts, strategic financial management, sophisticated commercial approach

Specific Scenario: "Describe a situation where you had to optimize business costs whilst maintaining operational excellence and team development."

• •Follow-up probes: "How did you handle the immediate financial impact?" "What was your long-term business sustainability approach?"
• •Watch for: Strategic management, operational protection whilst addressing business needs, development focus

Organizational Development and Leadership Coaching:

Leadership Challenge: "Tell me about a time when you had to build executive management capabilities across multiple departments whilst maintaining operational excellence."

• •Follow-up probes: "How did you coordinate the development effort?" "What leadership did you provide to ensure business continuity?"
• •Watch for: Organizational sophistication, coordination skills, business development focus

Complex Scenario: "Give me an example of leading organizational change when strategic challenges affected business results and team performance."

• •Follow-up probes: "How did you communicate with teams about the strategic direction?" "What executive leadership did you provide to maintain organizational confidence?"
• •Watch for: Professional communication, honest strategic acknowledgement, organizational leadership during business difficulties

3. Advanced Scenario-Based Strategic Assessment

Present realistic restaurant manager challenges to assess decision-making and sophisticated strategic leadership capability:

Strategic Business Challenges:

"You're leading a restaurant operation experiencing declining market share while facing increased competition and rising operational costs. Your board expects strategic turnaround within 12 months whilst maintaining operational reputation. How do you coordinate your strategic response?"

• •Assessment focus: Strategic planning, business management, organizational coordination, market positioning
• •Look for: Sophisticated strategic thinking, organizational coordination, business protection focus

Organizational Leadership and Crisis Management: "During a critical expansion period, you discover significant operational issues across multiple locations affecting brand reputation whilst managing complex stakeholder expectations and team development needs. How do you address this as the restaurant manager?"

• •Assessment focus: Strategic coordination, organizational leadership, business protection, crisis management
• •Look for: Executive intervention, strategic correction, business prioritisation

Complex Strategic Challenge: "You need to lead digital transformation and sustainability initiatives across your restaurant operations whilst maintaining profitability and developing organizational capabilities. Multiple stakeholders have different strategic priorities. How do you coordinate this executive challenge?"

• •Assessment focus: Strategic coordination, business management, organizational leadership, stakeholder management
• •Look for: Sophisticated planning, organizational coordination, strategic satisfaction focus

4. Executive-Specific Question Adaptations

For Multi-Location Operations:

• •"Tell me about developing strategic business standards across multiple locations whilst building executive expertise in organizational leadership."
• •"Describe how you've managed complex business coordination whilst maintaining consistent operational performance across different markets."

For High-Growth Operations:

• •"Tell me about maintaining operational excellence whilst coordinating strategic growth during expansion periods."
• •"Describe how you've managed rapid organizational scaling whilst ensuring consistent business performance and team development."

For Industry-Leading Operations:

• •"Tell me about managing industry positioning challenges whilst maintaining operational excellence and organizational development."
• •"Describe how you've coordinated competitive strategy whilst ensuring consistent strategic performance."

5. Red Flag Responses to Watch For

Strategic Leadership Deficits:

• •Operational focus over strategic development: "I prioritise efficiency over strategic thinking" without considering business development
• •Limited business coordination thinking: Inability to describe sophisticated organizational strategic approaches
• •Organizational development disinterest: No examples of coaching executives in advanced strategic techniques

Executive Management Problems:

• •Authority without strategic acumen: Using position power rather than strategic leadership influence to coordinate organization
• •Business objectives compromise: Protecting operational convenience over strategic excellence consistently
• •Communication inadequacy: Difficulty explaining how they'd coordinate complex business delivery

How to Handle Concerning Responses:

• •Probe strategic philosophy: Give candidates opportunity to explain their business coordination and organizational leadership approach
• •Ask for alternatives: "Tell me about a different situation where..." to see if concerning patterns persist
• •Direct strategic questioning: "Help me understand your approach to..." when leadership concerns are significant

Step 4. Decide Whether the Candidate Should Progress to Interview 2

After the first interview, pause before automatically inviting candidates to the second stage. You need to critically assess whether they have shown enough leadership substance, cultural fit, and operational understanding to justify further time investment. Not every applicant should move forward — and being selective here protects your business and your time.

What to Assess After Interview 1:

Leadership FitDid they demonstrate genuine team leadership behaviours — not just managing "staff" but building culture, standards, and development? Guest Experience FocusDid their answers show deep respect for guest satisfaction, service consistency, and long-term customer loyalty — not just "getting through busy shifts"? Operational UnderstandingDid they show credible understanding of how a restaurant runs — including shift planning, compliance basics, cost management, and team logistics? Judgement and PrioritisationDid they show they can distinguish between urgent vs important, staff vs guest needs, short-term fixes vs long-term improvements? Communication StyleDid they communicate clearly, respectfully, and with emotional intelligence? Were they able to listen as well as speak? Minimum Criteria Before Inviting to Interview 2:

• •Solid foundation of real leadership examples — not vague generalisations ("I just lead by example.") but specific situations and results.
• •Service-first mindset — clear evidence that they think about guest experience, not just internal operations.
• •Structured thinking — ability to logically break down problems and describe solutions without spiralling into unfocused anecdotes.
• •Realistic operational grasp — no major red flags in understanding how a hospitality business actually runs day-to-day.
• •Professional humility — confidence balanced with willingness to admit learning curves, mistakes, and self-improvement examples.

Signs You Should NOT Progress the Candidate:

• •Vague, generic answers: "I just make sure everyone works hard" with no real-world examples.
• •Blame attitude: Talking negatively about previous teams or customers without personal accountability.
• •Disregard for service standards: More focus on internal "staff management" than on guest experience outcomes.
• •Overemphasis on authority: Candidates who talk too much about control, power, or punishment rather than motivation, training, and leadership by example.
• •Inability to think strategically: Candidates who can only describe surviving daily operations but show no ability to improve or scale a business.

Tip: The goal of Interview 1 is not to find a perfect leader — it’s to identify candidates with enough leadership maturity and operational grounding to justify the deeper investment of Interview 2 and a strategic task.

Step 5. Create a Predefined Task for Interview 2

Interview 2 for a General Manager candidate should not just be another Q&A session. By setting a practical, predefined task for the second interview, you can assess their real-world thinking, strategic mindset, and ability to plan improvements — not just talk about them. This is your best opportunity to see how they would operate inside your business.

What the Task Should Achieve:

• •Test their ability to think strategically about real operational challenges.
• •See how they approach planning, prioritisation, and leadership decisions.
• •Assess how well they understand your style of venue, guest expectations, and commercial realities.
• •Evaluate their communication skills: Can they present a plan clearly and persuasively?

Good Task Topics for General Manager Roles:

• •Operational Improvement Plan: "Create a 90-day plan for improving guest experience, service standards, and team performance at our venue."
• •Revenue Growth Strategy: "Present 3 strategies you would implement to increase revenue over the next 6 months without raising prices."
• •Team Development Plan: "Outline how you would assess current staff performance, develop key team members, and build a stronger leadership pipeline."
• •Handling a Crisis Scenario: "Imagine sales have dropped 20% over the last quarter. Present an action plan for analysing the issue and regaining momentum."

How to Set Up the Task:

• •Choose One Clear Focus Area: Keep the task tight and practical. Don’t overwhelm candidates with multiple unrelated topics.
• •Provide a Short Business Summary: Offer a 1–2 paragraph description of your venue (size, style, key customer types) so candidates can tailor their answers realistically.
• •Set Clear Expectations: Tell candidates to prepare a short presentation or plan (e.g., 10 minutes to present, followed by 10–15 minutes of discussion).
• •Give a Reasonable Preparation Window: Send the task 2–3 days before the second interview so they have time to think without over-preparing a "perfect" project.
• •Clarify Presentation Format: Allow flexibility — they can bring notes, a simple slide deck, or just talk through their ideas. The thinking is what matters, not the format polish.

What to Look For in the Task Presentation:

Strategic ThinkingDid they identify root causes, not just surface problems? Are their plans proactive, not reactive? Prioritisation SkillsDid they focus on a few key changes that matter most — not just list every possible improvement? Commercial AwarenessDo they show an understanding of balancing guest experience, team needs, and financial outcomes? Realistic Action PlanningAre their ideas actionable in your type of venue, with your type of team — or are they unrealistic theory? Communication StyleCan they explain complex ideas simply? Do they inspire confidence when presenting leadership strategies? Tip: You're not looking for a "perfect" corporate presentation. You're looking for smart, grounded thinking that fits your venue and your guests — and a leadership style that matches your team culture.

Step 6. Analyse Your Candidates and Make a Confident Decision

Choosing the right General Manager is one of the most important hiring decisions you’ll make. It’s not just about who interviewed well — it’s about who can actually lead your business forward. This final step helps you evaluate candidates thoroughly, compare them fairly, and avoid common hiring mistakes at senior levels.

Key Areas to Analyse:

Leadership BehaviourDid they consistently show calm, confident leadership? Would you trust them to manage your team during a tough week, not just an easy shift? Strategic and Commercial ThinkingDid their task presentation show a real understanding of balancing service, team wellbeing, and financial performance? Service Standards FocusDid they talk about guest experience naturally and prioritise protecting service quality under pressure? Team Fit and Cultural AlignmentWould they naturally fit the tone and energy of your team — or would there be a clash in leadership style or values? Long-Term PotentialCan you see them growing with the business — developing future managers, adapting to new challenges, and building the next phase of your success? How to Structure Your Final Evaluation:

• •Review Interview and Task Scorecards: Look at the full picture across both interviews and the predefined task — not just who had the best conversation.
• •Weight the Criteria: For example, leadership and operational judgement might be 40%, strategic thinking 30%, and cultural fit 30% — adjust depending on your venue needs.
• •Take Structured Notes: Write down 2–3 reasons for and against each top candidate. Force yourself to be objective, not emotional.
• •Involve Key Stakeholders: If possible, get input from other senior team members or owners who met the candidates (especially after Interview 2).
• •Use a Comparison Table: A simple side-by-side comparison can make it easier to spot who truly fits your leadership needs and venue goals.

Common Mistakes to Avoid:

• •Going with “best personality” alone: Charisma is important — but without operational depth, it’s a risk.
• •Overvaluing a flashy presentation: Look at the strength of ideas and thinking, not just presentation polish.
• •Ignoring team concerns: If trusted team members spot red flags after meeting the candidate, take those seriously.
• •Rushing the decision: It’s better to run a short extra interview than rush and hire the wrong leader for your business.

Final Decision Checklist:

• •Did the candidate consistently show real leadership behaviours across both interviews?
• •Would you feel confident handing them the keys and the P&L tomorrow?
• •Would your team follow them, respect them, and grow under their leadership?
• •Do they understand and align with your service standards, commercial goals, and venue culture?
• •Are there clear, role-relevant strengths — not just “potential” — ready to impact your business right now?

Tip: The right General Manager won’t just “run shifts.” They will protect your brand, develop your people, and drive commercial success every single day. Choose carefully — and back your decision with structured evidence, not gut feel alone.