Food Service Manager

Course Description

HMV0126 – Food Service Manager is a Postsecondary Adult Vocational (PSAV) clock-hour course in the Hospitality and Tourism program area, aligned with the Florida Department of Education (FLDOE) Curriculum Framework for Restaurant and Catering Operations, Commercial Foods and Culinary Arts. The course prepares students to assume supervisory and management roles in restaurants, institutional foodservice, hotels, catering operations, and other commercial food production environments.

Students develop competencies in foodservice operations management, including financial controls (food and labor cost), purchasing and inventory, menu planning and engineering, supervisory practices, training and development, regulatory compliance, sanitation management at the supervisory level, customer service management, and basic marketing for foodservice. The course is the capstone management module within Florida's PSAV culinary and foodservice programs and prepares students for the ServSafe Food Manager certification required by Florida law for at least one Person in Charge at every foodservice establishment.

This course is offered at approximately 36 Florida technical colleges. It is typically taken late in the program sequence by students who have already completed foundational culinary coursework (HMV0100, HMV0103, and other production-focused modules).

Learning Outcomes

Required Outcomes

Upon successful completion of this course, students will be able to:

• Apply foodservice management principles, including planning, organizing, leading, and controlling functions adapted to the foodservice operating environment.
• Apply food cost control, including standard recipes, portion control, food cost percentage calculation, yield testing, and addressing food cost variance.
• Apply labor cost control, including scheduling, productivity standards, labor cost percentage, and managing prime cost.
• Apply purchasing, receiving, storage, and inventory management practices, including specifications, vendor relationships, par stock, FIFO/LIFO, and inventory valuation methods.
• Apply menu planning, costing, pricing, and engineering, including menu mix analysis, contribution margin, and menu redesign.
• Apply HACCP principles at the supervisory level, including hazard analysis, identifying critical control points, establishing critical limits, and verification.
• Apply supervisory and leadership practices, including hiring, onboarding, training, performance management, scheduling, conflict resolution, and progressive discipline.
• Apply regulatory compliance requirements, including FDA Food Code, Florida DBPR Division of Hotels and Restaurants requirements, OSHA workplace safety, and federal labor law (FLSA, Title VII, ADA, FMLA basics).
• Apply customer service management principles, including service standards, complaint resolution, and creating a guest-centered service culture.
• Apply basic foodservice marketing, including brand positioning, social media, online review management (Google, Yelp, TripAdvisor), and promotion design.
• Read and interpret basic foodservice financial statements (P&L), including industry-standard line items and key performance indicators (cost of sales, labor cost percentage, prime cost, EBITDA).
• Apply professional ethics and legal responsibilities of food service management.

Optional Outcomes

• Earn the ServSafe Food Manager Certification required by Florida DBPR for foodservice operations.
• Apply basic technology systems used in foodservice management (POS systems, inventory software, scheduling software, online ordering platforms).
• Apply responsible alcohol service principles (relevant for foodservice operations with on-premise alcohol service); supports preparation for alcohol-server training programs.
• Apply sustainability and waste-reduction management principles.
• Apply diversity, equity, and inclusion management practices appropriate to Florida's diverse workforce and clientele.

Major Topics

Required Topics

• The Foodservice Industry and Management Roles: Industry segments; foodservice management positions (general manager, restaurant manager, kitchen manager, F&B director); the role of the supervisor; transition from cook to leader.
• Food Cost Control: Standard recipes; yield tests; portion control; food cost percentage calculation; food cost variance analysis; addressing waste, theft, and over-portioning.
• Labor Cost Control: Scheduling for forecasted business volume; productivity standards (covers per labor hour, sales per labor hour); labor cost percentage; managing wage-and-hour compliance.
• Purchasing and Receiving: Purchase specifications; vendor selection and management; market quotation/competitive bidding; receiving procedures; rejection of substandard product.
• Storage and Inventory: Storage requirements (dry, refrigerated, frozen); FIFO; physical inventory; inventory valuation (FIFO, LIFO, weighted-average); par stock and reorder points; managing inventory shrinkage.
• Menu Planning and Engineering: Menu types (à la carte, table d'hôte, prix fixe); menu design considerations; menu pricing methods (factor pricing, contribution margin pricing); menu engineering matrix (stars, plowhorses, puzzles, dogs); menu redesign.
• Sanitation Management: Active managerial control (FDA Food Code emphasis); HACCP plan development; sanitation training programs; managing inspections; corrective action.
• Regulatory Compliance: Florida DBPR Division of Hotels and Restaurants; OSHA general and HazCom requirements; federal labor law (FLSA — minimum wage and overtime, Title VII, ADA, FMLA basics); state and local food safety inspections.
• Hiring, Training, and Performance Management: Recruiting; legal interviewing; structured selection; onboarding; on-the-job training; performance feedback; progressive discipline; documentation.
• Leadership and Supervision: Leadership styles; team development; communication with hourly staff; managing diverse teams; conflict resolution; managing across generational and cultural differences.
• Customer Service Management: Service standards; service recovery; complaint handling; managing online reviews; building loyalty.
• Foodservice Financial Management: Reading a foodservice P&L; key performance indicators (cost of sales %, labor %, prime cost, EBITDA); break-even analysis; daily and weekly reporting.
• Marketing for Foodservice: Brand positioning; target customer; social media presence; online ordering platforms (third-party delivery considerations); review management; promotional planning.
• Ethics and Professional Responsibility: Tip handling and reporting; sexual harassment prevention; safe-workplace responsibility; honest dealing with vendors and guests.

Optional Topics

• Foodservice Technology: POS systems (Toast, Square for Restaurants, Aloha, Micros); inventory software; scheduling software (7Shifts, Hot Schedules); third-party delivery platforms.
• Responsible Alcohol Service Management: TIPS, ServSafe Alcohol; Florida Beverage Law (Chapter 561, F.S.) basics; managing alcohol-related liability.
• Sustainability and Waste Reduction: Food waste tracking; sustainable sourcing; energy and water management; recycling and composting programs.
• Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion: Building inclusive teams; managing implicit bias; supporting diverse front-of-house and back-of-house staff.
• Catering and Banquet Management: Event planning; banquet event order (BEO); off-premise catering operations.

Resources & Tools

• Common Texts: Foundations of Restaurant Management & Culinary Arts (NRAEF), Restaurant Management: Customers, Operations, and Employees (Walker/Lundberg), Foodservice Management Principles and Practices (Spears/Gregoire), ServSafe Manager coursebook (National Restaurant Association)
• Reference Standards: FDA Food Code; Florida DBPR Division of Hotels and Restaurants Rule 61C; ServSafe Manager certification standards; OSHA general industry standards (29 CFR 1910); FLSA
• Software Familiarity: Major POS systems; basic spreadsheet skills (Excel) for cost calculations and scheduling
• Online Resources: National Restaurant Association (NRA) member resources; Florida Restaurant and Lodging Association (FRLA) operator resources; Restaurant Business Magazine; Nation's Restaurant News
• Professional Organizations: National Restaurant Association (NRA); Florida Restaurant and Lodging Association (FRLA); American Culinary Federation (ACF); International Council on Hotel, Restaurant and Institutional Education (ICHRIE)

Career Pathways

HMV0126 prepares students for foodservice supervisory and management roles, including:

• Restaurant Manager / Assistant Restaurant Manager (SOC 11-9051) — Front-line manager of a restaurant unit; chain and independent operations.
• Kitchen Manager / Sous Chef — Back-of-house leader managing production, cost, and kitchen staff.
• Banquet / Catering Manager — Manager of off-premise or hotel banquet/catering operations.
• Foodservice Manager, Institution (SOC 11-9051) — Hospital, school, corporate dining, military, healthcare facility foodservice management.
• Food and Beverage Director / Manager — Hotel and resort F&B leadership; common career destination in Florida's hospitality sector.
• Cruise Line Foodservice Supervisor — Galley and dining supervision aboard cruise ships.
• Career Progression: General Manager; Regional/District Manager; Director of Operations; Owner/Operator.

Florida's vast hospitality and tourism economy creates very strong demand for foodservice managers across all metropolitan areas — from theme park operations and resort F&B to independent restaurants, institutional foodservice, and the cruise industry. Major employers include Disney Parks, Universal Orlando, the cruise lines, hotel brands (Marriott, Hilton, Hyatt, Four Seasons), and the diverse independent restaurant scene.

Special Information

Florida ServSafe Manager Certification Requirement

Florida law requires that every foodservice establishment have at least one Person in Charge with a current Food Manager Certification on duty during operating hours. The ServSafe Food Manager Certification (a National Restaurant Association ANSI-accredited program) is the most widely recognized credential for this purpose. HMV0126 typically prepares students for and may include the ServSafe Manager exam.

Position in the Program Sequence

HMV0126 is typically taken in the latter portion of a Florida PSAV culinary, foodservice, or restaurant operations program. Students complete foundational production coursework (knife skills, cooking methods, baking, garde manger) before moving into the management module. The course caps the program by integrating production knowledge with the financial, regulatory, and supervisory practices required to lead a foodservice operation.

Articulation and Continuing Education

Florida technical college PSAV foodservice and culinary programs articulate to Florida college Culinary Management, Restaurant Management, and Hospitality and Tourism Management A.S. degree programs at participating institutions. Some students continue into bachelor's degrees in Hospitality Management at UCF, FIU, USF, FSU, and Florida Gulf Coast University. Continuing professional development through NRA/FRLA, ACF, and brand-specific manager training is common for those advancing into senior management.

Industry Realities and Career Sustainability

Foodservice management is demanding work — long hours, nights/weekends/holidays, high pressure, and substantial responsibility for compliance and people management. Programs introduce students to these realities and to professional practices supporting long-term career sustainability, including delegation, work-life management, mental and physical health, and ongoing professional development.