Dining Room Manager

About the role

The Dining Room Manager provides operational support to the Director of Culinary Experience and serves as second in command in the director’s absence. The manager supervises wait staff in the day-to-day operations of the dining areas and maintains a commitment to providing a high-quality, positive, and safe physical and social environment for all residents and visitors.

Responsibilities

• Maintains warm, hospitable relations in all resident contacts while operating within budgeted guidelines.
• Promotes customer engagement activities and interacts with residents during mealtimes to monitor resident satisfaction or concerns about food service, and develops plans to address as appropriate.
• Facilitates the highest quality and safety practices in all food service standards and service to the residents in the dining room.
• Maintains sanitation and control standards in the dining room and wait stations.
• Ensures standards of cleanliness, hygiene, proper attire, and health standards are maintained at all times by the food service dining team.
• Maintains a high level of professional appearance, demeanor, ethics and image of self and subordinates.
• Manages and oversees food service schedules.
• Communicates effectively between departments and corporate personnel.
• Aids in the coordination of catering, banquets, and activities.
• Monitors and evaluates food quality for presentation, temperature, and serving portion size.
• Provides leadership and communicates with the food production team for adjustments and shares resident feedback.
• Maintains standards of table service adequacy for timing, etiquette, and thoroughness; provides service hospitality training and adjustments as appropriate.
• Promotes the success of others.

Qualifications

• Education: Must possess a high school diploma or equivalent.
• ServSafe certificate required.
• Two years’ supervisory experience preferred.
• Minimum of five (5) years of progressive leadership experience in dining services, restaurant, hospitality, or food and beverage operations.
• Demonstrated success supervising front-of-house teams.
• Experience in senior living, healthcare, hotel, or fine-dining environments preferred.
• Foundational knowledge of wine and spirits, including varietals, food pairings, responsible service, and inventory control.
• Proficiency with point-of-sale (POS) systems for order entry, billing, reporting, and reconciliation.
• Proven experience planning, coordinating, and executing private events, banquets, and catered functions.
• Ability to understand and work harmoniously with residents, staff and healthcare professionals.
• Ability to maintain high professional and ethical standards.
• Ability to work harmoniously with residents, staff, and team members.
• Foundational knowledge of menu development, common food allergies, and coordination with the culinary team to honor resident preferences.
• Strong leadership, coaching, conflict-resolution, and team-development skills.
• Proven experience recruiting, training, scheduling, evaluating, and motivating a diverse hospitality team.
• Solid understanding of food safety regulations, HACCP principles, infection-prevention practices, and applicable state and local requirements.
• Demonstrated business acumen, including labor scheduling, supply ordering, inventory management, beverage cost control, and budget oversight.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills, with the ability to collaborate across departments and respond professionally to resident and family feedback.
• Proficiency with point-of-sale systems, scheduling tools, and standard office software (e.g., Microsoft Office, email, reporting tools).
• Ability to remain calm and effective in a fast-paced, service-driven environment, including peak meal periods and special events.