Cafeteria Manager Job Description

What Does a Cafeteria Manager Do?

At the loading dock, first thing in the morning, a cafeteria manager counts cases and checks invoices before the cooks start on lunch. Menus, meal counts, food orders and staff schedules all run through this job, along with health department checks and a monthly budget report, in school districts, colleges, hospitals and company dining rooms.

Also known as: Assistant Cafeteria Manager

Cafeteria Manager Duties and Responsibilities

The primary responsibilities of a cafeteria manager include:

• Plan cycle menus that balance cost, nutrition standards and what diners actually eat.
• Forecast meal counts and order food and supplies from approved vendors.
• Schedule cooks, servers and cashiers to cover breakfast, lunch and dinner service.
• Check food temperatures, storage and sanitation against health department rules.
• Track labor and food costs and prepare monthly budget reports for the dining director.
• Receive deliveries and verify quantities, quality and invoices before signing.
• Handle diner complaints, special diet requests and allergy questions at the counter.
• Train new staff in portion control, safe food handling and cash procedures.
• Oversee special events and catering orders prepared in the cafeteria kitchen.
• Arrange repairs for ovens, dish machines and refrigeration units when they fail.

Required Skills and Qualifications

To succeed as a cafeteria manager, you will need the following skills and qualifications:

• ServSafe Food Protection Manager certification
• Menu costing and budget control
• Staff scheduling and supervision
• Knowledge of allergens and special diets
• Food service software for ordering, inventory and point of sale
• Health code and sanitation standards
• A steady temperament during the lunch rush
• Friendly, firm communication with diners and staff

Education and Training

A hospitality degree alone isn't likely to land the job if you've never worked a serving line, but if you're one of several shift supervisors hoping for the post, that degree can be what prompts a dining director to promote you. Many health departments require a certified food manager. With experience, you could progress from assistant manager to manager of a larger cafeteria or to director of dining services.

Salary and Job Outlook

BLS expects employment of food service managers, the group that includes cafeteria managers, to grow about 6 percent from 2025 to 2035. In fact, the group should see roughly 38,800 openings a year, according to the same projection. Restaurant hiring often is tied to the state of the local economy, but hospitals, colleges and employers keep feeding people through slow years, so cafeteria jobs tend to hold steady.

Outlook source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections, 2025 to 2035, Food service managers.