Restaurant Manager Cover Letter: Sample & Full Guide

Restaurant Manager Cover Letter: Sample & Full Guide

You specialise in herding cats, making sure diners are happy and putting out food-service fires. Prove it to upper management with your restaurant manager cover letter.

Tom Gerencer
Tom Gerencer
Career Expert

There are 325,000 restaurant manager jobs in the US. But—

Too many are in run-down greasy spoons or impossible-to-get-into establishments.

You want that dream food service job. You know, the one in the respected restaurant with great hours and fantastic staff.

To get that job, your restaurant manager cover letter must wow them like Le Bernadin.

Don’t worry.

In this article, you’ll get:

  • A cover letter sample for a restaurant manager.
  • How to write a cover letter for restaurant managers that lands more interviews.
  • A template you can copy, adjust, and have ready in 15 minutes.

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1. Restaurant Manager Cover Letter Sample

Your Name

Restaurant Manager

Mailing Address

Phone Number

Email Address

Date

Hiring Manager Name

Title

Restaurant Name

Mailing Address

Dear [Hiring Manager Name],

When the Queen's Fare Bar & Grill won the NYC Eater Award under my management, it was a crowning moment for my career. That's part of the reason I'm so excited about the restaurant manager opening at Wallaby's Steak House.

I've heard great things about the success of Wallaby Steak house and I'd love to be a part of it. My skills in staff supervision, menu auditing and updating, and inventory control contributed to the award win. I know you're looking for a manager with those exact skills. I think these achievements put me in the running:

  • Staff supervision. Supervised 50+ restaurant staff in front and back of house to improve menu offerings and customer experience.
  • Menu auditing. Collaborated with head chef and sous chefs to audit and update menu items to stay on the cutting edge of customer demand.
  • Inventory control. Ordered and delegated the ordering of foods, beverages, and supplies to drive down costs by 15% in one year.

I'd love to speak with you about how my 3+ years of experience managing fast-paced restaurants can help your bottom line, staff, and customers.

Best regards,

[Your Name], Restaurant Manager

[Phone Number]

[Email]

PS—I'm also glad to share how I raised customer satisfaction scores from 90% to 98% in one year's time.

That’s Zagat-worthy.

A cover letter for restaurant manager jobs like that sizzles.

Don’t have a CV ready yet? See a dedicated example here: Restaurant Manager CV—Examples and 25+ Writing Tips

2. How to Write a Restaurant Manager Cover Letter Step by Step (Template)

1. Use the Right Restaurant Manager Cover Letter Format

Presentation is everything. Just like your chefs work hard to plate their food—

You have to wow the owner with your cover letter layout.

Use these cover letter formatting tips:

  • Left-align all contents, don’t use justification.
  • Set 1-inch margins on all 4 sides.
  • Pick an elegant, readable font—Arial, Tahoma, Verdana, Helvetica.
  • Use 1.15 line spacing.
  • A single page is always enough.

To add a perfect header at the top of your cover letter, follow this template:

Customer Service Cover Letter Header Template

[ Your Full Name]

[ Your Job Title ] (Optional)

[ Phone Number ]

[ Email Address ]

[ LinkedIn Profile ]

[ City and Date ]

[ Hiring Manager’s Full Name ]

[ Hiring Manager’s Position, e.g. Customer Service Team Leader ]

[ Company Name ]

[ Company Street Address ]

[ City and Zip Code ]

Expert Hint: In your cover letter email, skip the physical address. Just add your email address and phone number after Best regards.

2. Start Your Restaurant Manager Cover Letter Right

You have only seconds. A restaurant manager needs to prove value in the first paragraph. So—

Start your cover letter strong with a tantalising fact.

These cover letter examples for restaurant managers give the menu:

Restaurant Manager Cover Letter Examples [First Paragraph]

Dear Mr. Michaud,

When [Name of Your Current or Most Recent Company] won / succeeded at [your accomplishment] under my management, it was a crowning moment for my career. That's part of the reason I'm so excited about the restaurant manager opening at [Target Company Name].

Delicious.

Why does that restaurant general manager cover letter example win?

Because it:

  1. Lists a restaurant manager achievement
  2. Shows passion for the role

Expert Hint: Many restaurant managers get hired from inside. If you’re up for a promotion, ask your boss to help write your cover letter before it goes to upper management.

The ResumeLab builder is more than looks. Get specific content to boost your chances of getting the job. Add job descriptions, bullet points, and skills. Easy. Improve your CV in our CV builder now.

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Nail it all with a splash of colour, choose a clean font, highlight your skills in just a few clicks. You’re the perfect candidate and we’ll prove it. Use the ResumeLab builder now.

3. Tailor Your Restaurant Manager Cover Letter Middle

You’re off to a good start.

You’ve got a good opening line that isn’t selly. It shows how you can help.

But—

Now you need to bake-in your value.

Do it with a Mellow-Mushroom-level cover letter middle.

Add:

  1. The reason you want this restaurant manager role
  2. Your understanding of the restaurant manager job requirements
  3. Proof you’ve nailed this kind of work before

You’ll want to drop in a compliment or two, too.

Restaurant Manager Cover Letter Examples [Middle]

I've heard great things about the success of [Target Company Name], and I'd love to be a part of it. My skills in [your skills] contributed to [your biggest achievement]. I know you're looking for a manager with those exact skills. I strongly believe my expertise will translate into similar results for [Target Company Name].

I love the fact that, at [Target Company Name], you focus on [something you genuinely admire about the company]. Your values and mission perfectly reflect my professional beliefs. Joining your team would be a dream opportunity for me to grow and develop my key managerial skills.

Magnifique.

That sample blends into the job.

Expert Hint: Until you understand what the restaurant owner wants, you can’t tailor your pitch. Conduct a few informational interviews to grow your understanding.

4. End Your Restaurant Manager Cover Letter Strong

Don’t trail off after the main course. Finish your cover letter strong, by guiding their next steps. That is—ask for the interview. But offer something too.

This example gives the recipe:

Cover Letter Examples for Restaurant Manager [Ending]

I'd love to speak with you about how my 3+ years of experience managing fast-paced restaurants can help your bottom line, staff, and customers at [Target Company Name].

Yours sincerely,

[Digital Copy of Your Handwritten Signature]

[Your Full Name]

[Phone Number]

[Email Address]

That’s Texas-Roadhouse-worthy.

It gives:

  1. More detail on your value
  2. A promise of some info that could help their business

Expert Hint: Want your restaurant general manager cover letter to blaze? End with a PS. Even if the restaurant owner is in the middle of a rush, she’ll read that section.

Double your impact with a matching CV and cover letter combo. Use our cover letter builder and make your application documents pop out.

create your cover letter now

CREATE YOUR COVER LETTER NOW

Want to try a different look? There’s 18 more. A single click will give your document a total makeover. Pick a cover letter template here.

Key Points

Here’s how to write a restaurant manager cover letter:

  • Use a well-presented restaurant manager cover letter format. Add your own Ming-Tsai-level skills.
  • Begin your cover letter with an appetising fact.
  • Tell them why the role interests you. Then give them a short menu of your past food service wins.
  • Sweeten the offer at the end of your cover letter for restaurant manager jobs.

Not sure how to start your restaurant manager cover letter? Want to write a cover letter for restaurant managers that makes the phone ring? Leave a comment. We’ll be happy to reply!

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Tom Gerencer
Written byTom Gerencer
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Tom Gerencer is a career expert covering a wide range of job-related topics. He’s shared his insight for jobseekers at all career levels in over 200 articles, reaching over a million readers every month. His written pieces are based on meticulous research and feature insider tips from key industry experts.

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