OPT Restaurant Manager Jobs
Restaurant Manager jobs on OPT are available, but most openings are with independent restaurants or regional chains that have sponsored F-1 workers before. Your OPT work authorization is employer-specific, so lining up a sponsor before your EAD expires is the priority.
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Get Access To All JobsWhy us?
At Urban Farmer Philadelphia, everything we do celebrates the spirit of the city we call home. From the warm, modern-rustic design to the locally sourced ingredients on every plate, our restaurant reflects the energy and flavor of Philadelphia. As the city’s modern steakhouse, our menu highlights sustainable ingredients, simple preparations, and strong partnerships with local farms, ranches, and fisheries. Behind the bar, you’ll find Pennsylvania craft beers, cocktails made with local spirits, and a vibrant wine program featuring regional vineyards.
Nine floors above the city, Assembly Rooftop Lounge offers one of Philadelphia’s most exciting views. Overlooking Logan Square and the Benjamin Franklin Parkway to the Philadelphia Museum of Art, this stylish rooftop pairs panoramic scenery with sparkling cocktails, champagne, and a lively, city-chic atmosphere.
Our associates bring these experiences to life by anticipating guest needs, creating memorable moments, and supporting one another to deliver exceptional hospitality. If you have a passion for great service, a “make it happen” mindset, and enjoy creating experiences people remember, Urban Farmer Restaurant & Assembly Rooftop Lounge may be the perfect place for you.
Job Overview
Plan and manage the restaurant, room service and other food and beverage outlets as appropriate in order to achieve customer satisfaction, quality service, compliance with corporate/franchise policies and procedures and federal, state and local regulations while meeting/exceeding financial goals. Position is responsible for the short term planning and daily operations of the restaurant and room service and may manage a lounge or quiet bar. Recommends promotional ideas and controls the budgets for the various areas.
Responsibilities:
- Manage the associates in the various outlets in order to attract, retain and motivate the employees; hire, schedule, train, develop, empower, coach and counsel, conduct performance and salary reviews, resolve problems, provide open communications and recommend discipline and termination, as appropriate.
- Implement company programs (IHC/franchise) and manage the operations of the restaurant, room service and any other food and beverage outlet as required to ensure compliance with SOPs, safety regulations and federal, state and local regulations to ensure an optimal level of service, quality and hospitality are provided to the guest(s).
- Forecast, implement, monitor, control and report on the various outlet budgets and their components (labor costs, food costs, beverage costs, supplies, equipment, etc.) to maximize revenue and minimize expenses while ensuring adequate supplies and staff are on hand to provide top quality customer service.
- Respond to customer trends, needs, issues, comments and problems to ensure a quality experience and enhance future sales prospects.
- Create, recommend and implement promotions, displays, buffet presentations and ideas to capture more in-house guests and a larger share of the local market.
- Monitor and control the maintenance/sanitation of the various outlet areas and equipment to protect the assets, comply with regulations and ensure quality service.
Qualifications
Education/Formal Training
More than two years of post high school education.
Experience
Two to three full years of full employment in a related position with this company or other organization(s).
Knowledge/Skills
- Requires thorough knowledge of the restaurant/hotel practices and procedures in order to perform non-repetitive analytical work. May require knowledge of policies and procedures and the ability to determine course of action based on these guidelines.
- Supervision/management communication skills are required.
- Requires ability to investigate and analyze current activities or information and make logical conclusions and recommendations.
- Ability to make occasional decisions which are generally guided by established policy and procedures.
- Excellent comprehension for assisting with guest and associate matters. Interpreting instructions from superiors.
- Excellent vision required for seating guests, expediting food, cleaning equipment, reading floor plans, charts, schedules.
- Must have excellent oral communication for communicating with guests and associates, issuing instructions and communicating policies.
- Excellent comprehension required to read and implement policies and procedures; writing schedules and reading forecast and SOPs.
- Must have knowledge of chemicals/agents for training purposes.
Physical Demands
The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an associate to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.
- Ability to lift, push, pull and carry tables, chairs, trays, plates, and chaffing dishes on a daily basis, 20 -40 lbs.
- Bending - Bend to pick up dropped items as needed. Bend to assist in serving food or getting supplies. No kneeling required.
- Mobility - 95% of shift covering all areas of outlets supervising.
- Continuous standing to assist at hostess station - minimal stationary standing.
- Climbing stairs - varies by location.
- No driving required.
Environment
Inside 95% of work day. Temperatures can exceed 100 degrees if working at location with outside dining facilities and when assisting in kitchen.
Why us?
At Urban Farmer Philadelphia, everything we do celebrates the spirit of the city we call home. From the warm, modern-rustic design to the locally sourced ingredients on every plate, our restaurant reflects the energy and flavor of Philadelphia. As the city’s modern steakhouse, our menu highlights sustainable ingredients, simple preparations, and strong partnerships with local farms, ranches, and fisheries. Behind the bar, you’ll find Pennsylvania craft beers, cocktails made with local spirits, and a vibrant wine program featuring regional vineyards.
Nine floors above the city, Assembly Rooftop Lounge offers one of Philadelphia’s most exciting views. Overlooking Logan Square and the Benjamin Franklin Parkway to the Philadelphia Museum of Art, this stylish rooftop pairs panoramic scenery with sparkling cocktails, champagne, and a lively, city-chic atmosphere.
Our associates bring these experiences to life by anticipating guest needs, creating memorable moments, and supporting one another to deliver exceptional hospitality. If you have a passion for great service, a “make it happen” mindset, and enjoy creating experiences people remember, Urban Farmer Restaurant & Assembly Rooftop Lounge may be the perfect place for you.
Job Overview
Plan and manage the restaurant, room service and other food and beverage outlets as appropriate in order to achieve customer satisfaction, quality service, compliance with corporate/franchise policies and procedures and federal, state and local regulations while meeting/exceeding financial goals. Position is responsible for the short term planning and daily operations of the restaurant and room service and may manage a lounge or quiet bar. Recommends promotional ideas and controls the budgets for the various areas.
Responsibilities:
- Manage the associates in the various outlets in order to attract, retain and motivate the employees; hire, schedule, train, develop, empower, coach and counsel, conduct performance and salary reviews, resolve problems, provide open communications and recommend discipline and termination, as appropriate.
- Implement company programs (IHC/franchise) and manage the operations of the restaurant, room service and any other food and beverage outlet as required to ensure compliance with SOPs, safety regulations and federal, state and local regulations to ensure an optimal level of service, quality and hospitality are provided to the guest(s).
- Forecast, implement, monitor, control and report on the various outlet budgets and their components (labor costs, food costs, beverage costs, supplies, equipment, etc.) to maximize revenue and minimize expenses while ensuring adequate supplies and staff are on hand to provide top quality customer service.
- Respond to customer trends, needs, issues, comments and problems to ensure a quality experience and enhance future sales prospects.
- Create, recommend and implement promotions, displays, buffet presentations and ideas to capture more in-house guests and a larger share of the local market.
- Monitor and control the maintenance/sanitation of the various outlet areas and equipment to protect the assets, comply with regulations and ensure quality service.
Qualifications
Education/Formal Training
More than two years of post high school education.
Experience
Two to three full years of full employment in a related position with this company or other organization(s).
Knowledge/Skills
- Requires thorough knowledge of the restaurant/hotel practices and procedures in order to perform non-repetitive analytical work. May require knowledge of policies and procedures and the ability to determine course of action based on these guidelines.
- Supervision/management communication skills are required.
- Requires ability to investigate and analyze current activities or information and make logical conclusions and recommendations.
- Ability to make occasional decisions which are generally guided by established policy and procedures.
- Excellent comprehension for assisting with guest and associate matters. Interpreting instructions from superiors.
- Excellent vision required for seating guests, expediting food, cleaning equipment, reading floor plans, charts, schedules.
- Must have excellent oral communication for communicating with guests and associates, issuing instructions and communicating policies.
- Excellent comprehension required to read and implement policies and procedures; writing schedules and reading forecast and SOPs.
- Must have knowledge of chemicals/agents for training purposes.
Physical Demands
The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an associate to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.
- Ability to lift, push, pull and carry tables, chairs, trays, plates, and chaffing dishes on a daily basis, 20 -40 lbs.
- Bending - Bend to pick up dropped items as needed. Bend to assist in serving food or getting supplies. No kneeling required.
- Mobility - 95% of shift covering all areas of outlets supervising.
- Continuous standing to assist at hostess station - minimal stationary standing.
- Climbing stairs - varies by location.
- No driving required.
Environment
Inside 95% of work day. Temperatures can exceed 100 degrees if working at location with outside dining facilities and when assisting in kitchen.
See all 66+ OPT Restaurant Manager Jobs
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Get Access To All JobsTips for Finding OPT Sponsorship as a Restaurant Manager
Target multi-unit operators and regional chains
Independent restaurants rarely have HR infrastructure to handle OPT sponsorship. Regional chains and multi-unit operators have dedicated HR teams familiar with work authorization paperwork, making them far more likely to sponsor F-1 employees into management roles.
Lead with your hospitality degree when applying
Restaurant Manager roles qualify for OPT only when the work is directly related to your degree field. Hospitality management, food service administration, and business degrees with a hospitality focus are the clearest connections. Make that link explicit in every application.
Start the sponsorship conversation before the offer stage
Raising OPT authorization after an offer creates friction. Mention your F-1 status and EAD timeline in the first interview, framing it as a straightforward administrative step the employer handles, not a complex legal burden on their part.
Document your management experience in quantifiable terms
Employers evaluating OPT candidates for management roles want proof of impact. Quantify team sizes managed, revenue overseen, or cost reductions achieved. Concrete numbers reduce hesitation from employers unfamiliar with sponsoring international candidates.
Apply during off-peak hiring windows for faster decisions
Restaurant hiring spikes around spring and late summer but decision-making slows. Applying in January through March or September through October means less competition and faster turnaround from managers who have more time to evaluate your candidacy.
Clarify your STEM OPT eligibility if your degree qualifies
If your hospitality or food service degree came from a STEM-designated program, you may qualify for a 24-month STEM OPT extension. This significantly increases your appeal to employers who want long-term management hires without immediate H-1B visa pressure.
Restaurant Manager OPT: Frequently Asked Questions
Do Restaurant Manager jobs qualify for OPT work authorization?
Yes, if the role is directly related to your degree field. A Restaurant Manager position tied to a hospitality management, food service, or business degree typically satisfies the OPT practical training requirement. The connection between your coursework and the job duties needs to be clear and documentable for your DSO and employer records.
How do I find Restaurant Manager employers who are open to sponsoring OPT students?
Migrate Mate is built specifically for F-1 OPT students and surfaces Restaurant Manager jobs from employers who have a history of sponsoring international candidates. Browsing through Migrate Mate saves time by filtering out roles where OPT authorization is unlikely to be accepted, letting you focus your applications where they have the best chance.
Can I work as a Restaurant Manager on OPT without a formal job offer letter?
No. OPT is employer-specific, meaning your work authorization is tied to a specific employer and role. You need a valid job offer and your EAD card before you can begin working. Your employer also needs to be registered in E-Verify if you are on a STEM OPT extension, so confirm their E-Verify status before accepting an offer.
What happens to my OPT status if the restaurant I work for closes or I get laid off?
You enter a 60-day grace period from your last day of employment. During that window, you can find a new qualifying Restaurant Manager position, apply for a change of status, or prepare to depart the U.S. You must report any employment change to your DSO promptly, as failing to do so can jeopardize your F-1 record.
Will working as a Restaurant Manager qualify me for H-1B sponsorship later?
It depends on how the role is classified. Restaurant Manager positions can qualify as H-1B specialty occupations if the employer documents a degree requirement in a specific field such as hospitality management or business. Generalist management roles without a defined degree requirement are harder to support under H-1B. Choosing employers who already sponsor H-1B workers improves your long-term options.