A Complete Guide to Writing a Professional Restaurant Manager Cover Letter [+ Examples and Tips]

The restaurant manager (restaurant supervisor) position requires exceptional leadership and management skills with an organized and adaptable work ethic. Restaurant managers generally carry out administrative tasks related to the running of a dining establishment.   Although the “restaurant manager” title is the standard job title for this position, other titles with comparable responsibilities include food and beverage manager, food service supervisor, and food and beverage director, to name a few.

Writing a well-structured and engaging restaurant manager cover letter can significantly impact your chances of getting hired. A well-crafted restaurant manager cover letter along with your restaurant manager resume elevates your application and gives the hiring manager/employer a better understanding of your personality and qualifications.

As with any other cover letter, highlighting and validating your skill set is the primary goal. And since many restaurant manager positions do not require a specific degree or qualifications, your cover letter and resume must emphasize the skills and experience you possess.

Here are five simple steps to follow when writing a cover letter for the restaurant manager position.

Address the hiring manager or restaurant owner directly.

Start your restaurant manager cover letter on a strong note by personally addressing it to the company’s hiring manager/employer you are applying to. The hiring manager/employer reading your restaurant manager application letter will be more impressed if they see that you have taken the time to personally address your letter as it shows your care and attention to detail!

Restaurant manager cover letters follow the standard cover letter format. The formal salutation used in cover letters is “Dear”, followed by the hiring manager/employer’s last name.  

Introduce yourself and your purpose for writing.

In the introductory paragraph of your restaurant manager cover letter, provide a short introduction of yourself and your motivation for applying. 

Try to keep this section short and sweet to leave more space for the following sections. Remember, a restaurant manager cover letter should be within a one-page length. 

Here is an example of an introductory paragraph from a food and beverage supervisor cover letter:

Summarize your experiences & skills.

This section is the meat and bones of your restaurant manager cover letter. Take advantage of the space that your restaurant manager cover letter provides to embellish the qualifications you have provided in your resume. Connect your work experience with your skill set to provide a comprehensive overview of the value you bring to the table. 

Your restaurant manager cover letter should include relevant work experience, hard and soft skills, and other qualifications that support and prove your ability to carry out the responsibilities of the job you are applying for.

Here is an example body paragraph from an application letter for a hotel and restaurant manager:

End with a strong CTA.

End your restaurant manager cover letter with a strong call to action (CTA). An impactful CTA should thank the hiring manager for reading your cover letter and proactively suggest future communication between you and the company.

To illustrate a powerful CTA, here is an excerpt from a hotel and restaurant application letter:

Sign-off.

The sign-off, or complimentary close, of your restaurant manager cover letter should reflect your professionalism as well. Here are a few examples of formal closings that you can include in your restaurant manager cover letter:

• Sincerely,
• Respectfully,
• Regards, 
• Yours Sincerely, 
• Best Regards,
  

Finally, complete your restaurant manager cover letter by including your signature and full name underneath the sign-off. 

Making a great restaurant manager cover letter requires time and attention to specific details. Here are some useful pointers to keep in mind when writing your restaurant manager application letter. 

💡 Highlight restaurant manager skills.

We mentioned earlier that highlighting your skill set is a crucial part of a restaurant manager cover letter. Skills can be classified into hard and soft skills. Hard skills are industry-specific technical skills. On the other hand, soft skills, or transferable skills, are those that can be applied in any field of work. Here are some top skills that hiring managers/employers look out for in a strong restaurant manager cover letter:

Hard skills to include in a restaurant manager cover letter:

• Marketing skills
• Budgeting
• Strong customer service skills
• Accounting software 
• Inventory management
• Proficiency in the Microsoft Office suite
• Impeccable written and verbal skills
• Knowledge of the restaurant industry 
• Sales skills
• Employee/staff management
  

Soft skills to include in a restaurant manager cover letter:

• Interpersonal communication skills
• Management skills
• Organization skills
• Ability to prioritize
• Time management
• Adaptability
• Leadership
• Attention to detail
• Conflict management
• Creativity
  

Including these skills in your restaurant manager cover letter lends more credibility to your experiences and goes a long way in convincing the hiring manager that you are the most ideal candidate for the position!

💡 Keep your restaurant manager cover letter brief & concise.

Your restaurant manager cover letter should be within a page length. If your letter is too long, hiring managers may grow tired of reading as they need to read many applications. Keeping your restaurant manager cover letter within a page also helps you include only the most essential information, and prevents you from over-explaining yourself.  

💡 Use quantifiable results to show off your skills.

Your restaurant manager cover letter should serve to highlight your skills and qualifications. An excellent way to distinguish yourself from other similarly accomplished applicants is to support your application letter with quantifiable data. 

For example, instead of saying “I was responsible for inventory management”, you could say that “I managed the restaurant's inventory database and reduced waste by 37%”. Clearly, the latter provides a tangible representation of your work that is more likely to impress the hiring manager reading your restaurant manager cover letter! 

Here are three more examples of how you can include data and statistics in your restaurant manager application letter:

💡 Prove your leadership skills.

Given the nature of a management position, restaurant manager cover letters must display your ability to lead. This is even more apparent in larger establishments like hotels, where the application letter for hotel and restaurant management positions must demonstrate your ability to lead and manage large teams effectively.

💡 Display a willingness to learn.

Experience is the most valuable thing to include in your restaurant manager cover letter. However, if you are a fresh graduate writing an application letter for a restaurant manager, this will be difficult. Instead of experience, highlight your ability to learn quickly as one of your key strengths and emphasize your hard and soft skills.

The following are some examples of restaurant manager cover letters to give you some perspective on writing your own!

Cover Letter for Restaurant Manager with no Experience

Application Letter for a Restaurant Manager

Conclusion

Writing an eye-catching restaurant manager cover letter can be a challenging and time-consuming task, but is a great way to boost your job application letter for hotel and restaurant and make you stand out against other applicants. 

Here are some key takeaways to take your restaurant cover letter to the next level!

• Use a full letter format when writing your restaurant manager cover letter. Be sure to proofread your letter and ensure that your grammar and punctuation are perfect.
• Personally address your restaurant manager cover letter to the hiring manager/employer and tailor your letter to the requirements of the company you are applying to. 
• Your restaurant manager cover letter should highlight your ability to lead. Highlight the hard and soft skills that make you a good manager and leader!
  

— Originally written by Alexander Coye —