Restaurant Manager Jobs in Illinois
Restaurant Manager jobs in Illinois are concentrated in Chicago, Naperville, and Rockford, where demand runs from assistant managers stepping into their first leadership role to seasoned general managers overseeing high-volume operations. Major employers with lasting Illinois footprints include McDonald's, which is headquartered in the Chicago area, Darden Restaurants, and Lettuce Entertain You Enterprises, a Chicago-based group with dozens of full-service concepts. The most in-demand specialties are full-service casual dining management, fast-casual operations, and multi-unit oversight. See the openings below and apply to the ones that match your experience.
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Showing 5 of 106+ Restaurant Manager jobs
Position: Restaurant Manager
Department: Food & Beverage
Location: Chicago, IL
Employment Type: Full-Time / Salaried
Reports To: Restaurant General Manager
Truth Be Told, the British-inspired tavern located within The Study at University of Chicago, is seeking an experienced, engaging, and hospitality-driven Restaurant Manager to join our Food & Beverage leadership team. This hands-on management position supports the Restaurant General Manager in leading daily Front-of-House operations, developing the restaurant team, and delivering a consistently thoughtful and memorable guest experience.
Truth Be Told is open seven days a week for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, welcoming hotel guests, the University of Chicago community, Hyde Park neighbors, and visitors to the area. The Restaurant Manager is an active presence on the floor, leading service, engaging with guests, coaching team members, and ensuring the restaurant operates efficiently throughout each service period.
The ideal candidate genuinely enjoys hospitality, meeting new people, and creating connections with guests and team members. We are looking for a confident restaurant leader with an engaging personality, strong operational instincts, and the ability to balance guest experience, team leadership, beverage knowledge, financial awareness, and attention to detail.
Our caring and attentive associates reinforce our belief that guest service is our highest priority. We seek leaders who set clear expectations, create accountability, encourage curiosity and teamwork, and understand that a successful restaurant is built through both exceptional hospitality and disciplined daily execution.
Restaurant Operations Snapshot
- Truth Be Told – British-inspired tavern located within The Study at University of Chicago
- Approximately 100-seat restaurant and tavern
- Seven-day operation serving breakfast, lunch, and dinner
- Full-service dining and bar operation
- Cocktail, spirits, wine, and beer program
- Hands-on Front-of-House leadership position
- Serving hotel guests, university visitors, Hyde Park neighbors, and the surrounding community
- Additional hotel Food & Beverage operations and private events supported as business needs require
Responsibilities
- Support the Restaurant General Manager in the day-to-day leadership and operation of Truth Be Told, with a primary focus on Front-of-House service and restaurant execution.
- Serve as a visible, hands-on manager during service, actively engaging with guests and team members while monitoring the overall flow of the restaurant.
- Ensure Study Hotels hospitality and service standards are consistently understood and executed throughout the Front-of-House operation.
- Lead pre-shift meetings, communicate daily priorities, assign responsibilities, and ensure the restaurant is fully prepared for service.
- Supervise, coach, motivate, and develop Servers, Bartenders, Hosts, Restaurant Support, and other Front-of-House team members.
- Establish clear expectations and accountability while creating a positive working environment that promotes curiosity, teamwork, professional development, and genuine hospitality.
- Assist with onboarding and training new team members and provide ongoing coaching to strengthen service knowledge and execution.
- Monitor the guest experience throughout service, anticipate needs, engage with guests, and resolve concerns promptly and professionally.
- Support service recovery and make appropriate decisions to resolve guest concerns while protecting the overall guest experience.
- Maintain strong working knowledge of food menus, ingredients, allergy considerations, cocktails, spirits, beer, wine, and restaurant offerings.
- Support the development, execution, and continued improvement of the restaurant's beverage program, including cocktails, spirits, wine, and beer.
- Assist with beverage purchasing, receiving, inventory, product organization, pricing, and cost-control procedures.
- Monitor beverage usage, inventory levels, waste, and other operating practices to support established cost objectives.
- Assist the Restaurant General Manager with scheduling, labor management, payroll-related processes, and staffing decisions based on anticipated business levels.
- Monitor daily restaurant performance and help identify opportunities to improve productivity, revenue, cost control, and profitability.
- Support restaurant promotions, programming, and other initiatives designed to strengthen guest engagement and restaurant revenue.
- Work collaboratively with Marketing and Communications teams on restaurant initiatives and support appropriate responses to guest feedback and online reviews.
- Oversee reservation and table management practices to support efficient seating, restaurant flow, and the guest experience.
- Ensure opening, closing, side work, cash handling, payment processing, and other established operating procedures are completed accurately.
- Maintain appropriate controls for restaurant supplies, equipment, and operating materials.
- Ensure compliance with applicable food safety, sanitation, responsible alcohol service, workplace safety, and restaurant operating requirements.
- Maintain restaurant spaces in a clean, organized, safe, and guest-ready condition and promptly address maintenance or operational concerns.
- Work closely with the Executive Chef and culinary leadership to coordinate service, menu execution, timing, allergy concerns, guest feedback, and operational priorities.
- Collaborate with Front Office and other hotel departments to provide seamless service to hotel guests and support overall property operations.
- Assist with hotel Food & Beverage operations, meetings, banquets, and private events as needed based on business demands.
- Assume appropriate restaurant leadership responsibilities in the Restaurant General Manager's absence.
- Perform additional duties as assigned based on restaurant and hotel operational needs.
Fundamentals
- Minimum of 3 years of progressive restaurant experience in an upscale casual, full-service restaurant, hotel, tavern, or comparable hospitality environment preferred.
- Recent restaurant management, assistant management, or comparable Front-of-House leadership experience required.
- Demonstrated ability to lead a Front-of-House team, delegate responsibilities, establish priorities, coach performance, and create accountability.
- Strong understanding of full-service restaurant operations and service standards.
- Experience with beverage operations and working knowledge of cocktails, spirits, wine, and beer strongly preferred.
- Experience supporting beverage inventory, purchasing, cost control, and product management preferred.
- Strong guest-relations and service-recovery skills with the confidence to make decisions in a fast-paced operating environment.
- Working knowledge of restaurant financial fundamentals, including labor management, inventory, cost control, and revenue generation.
- Experience with restaurant reservation and table management systems such as OpenTable, Resy, or comparable platforms preferred.
- Experience with restaurant POS systems required.
- Experience with ADP Workforce Now or comparable scheduling, timekeeping, or payroll systems is a plus.
- Working knowledge of food safety, sanitation, responsible alcohol service, and applicable restaurant operating requirements.
- Food safety and responsible alcohol service certifications required or ability to obtain applicable certifications as required.
- Excellent verbal and written communication and interpersonal skills.
- Strong organizational, follow-up, and time-management skills with the ability to manage multiple priorities simultaneously.
- Ability to remain composed, decisive, and guest-focused during high-volume service periods.
- High school diploma or equivalent required; hospitality, restaurant management, or related education is a plus.
- Availability to work a flexible schedule based on restaurant needs, including early mornings, days, evenings, weekends, and holidays.
- Proficiency in English required; a second language is a plus.
- Ability to stand, walk, and remain active for extended periods throughout the workday.
- Ability to lift, carry, push, or otherwise move items weighing up to 40 pounds.
About Us
The Study at University of Chicago is a 167-room hotel located on the Midway Plaisance in Chicago's historic Hyde Park neighborhood. Designed as a place of discovery and connection, the hotel reflects the character and energy of the University of Chicago while providing thoughtful, contemporary accommodations for university visitors, families, faculty, business travelers, and the surrounding community.
The hotel is home to Truth Be Told, a British-inspired tavern offering a welcoming gathering place for hotel guests, the University of Chicago community, Hyde Park neighbors, and visitors to the area. The property also features 4,700 square feet of meeting and event space, including a 2,500-square-foot Winter Garden designed for social events and private functions.
Eligible full-time team members are offered a comprehensive benefits package including medical, dental, vision, life, and disability insurance, paid time off, and paid holidays. Team members may also participate in our 401(k) retirement savings plan and Employee Assistance Program.
Study Hotels is a drug-free workplace. Pre-employment drug test and background check required.
Study Hotels is an Equal Opportunity Employer and does not discriminate on the basis of age, race, religion, disability, nationality, sex, sexual orientation, or any other category protected by federal, state, or local law.
Keywords: Restaurant Manager, Assistant Restaurant Manager, Food and Beverage Manager, FOH Manager, Restaurant Leadership, Hospitality Management, British Tavern, Gastropub, Truth Be Told, Beverage Management, Hotel Restaurant, Chicago Restaurant Manager Jobs, Hyde Park Jobs
6YNIxMgyjh
Position: Restaurant Manager
Department: Food & Beverage
Location: Chicago, IL
Employment Type: Full-Time / Salaried
Reports To: Restaurant General Manager
Truth Be Told, the British-inspired tavern located within The Study at University of Chicago, is seeking an experienced, engaging, and hospitality-driven Restaurant Manager to join our Food & Beverage leadership team. This hands-on management position supports the Restaurant General Manager in leading daily Front-of-House operations, developing the restaurant team, and delivering a consistently thoughtful and memorable guest experience.
Truth Be Told is open seven days a week for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, welcoming hotel guests, the University of Chicago community, Hyde Park neighbors, and visitors to the area. The Restaurant Manager is an active presence on the floor, leading service, engaging with guests, coaching team members, and ensuring the restaurant operates efficiently throughout each service period.
The ideal candidate genuinely enjoys hospitality, meeting new people, and creating connections with guests and team members. We are looking for a confident restaurant leader with an engaging personality, strong operational instincts, and the ability to balance guest experience, team leadership, beverage knowledge, financial awareness, and attention to detail.
Our caring and attentive associates reinforce our belief that guest service is our highest priority. We seek leaders who set clear expectations, create accountability, encourage curiosity and teamwork, and understand that a successful restaurant is built through both exceptional hospitality and disciplined daily execution.
Restaurant Operations Snapshot
- Truth Be Told – British-inspired tavern located within The Study at University of Chicago
- Approximately 100-seat restaurant and tavern
- Seven-day operation serving breakfast, lunch, and dinner
- Full-service dining and bar operation
- Cocktail, spirits, wine, and beer program
- Hands-on Front-of-House leadership position
- Serving hotel guests, university visitors, Hyde Park neighbors, and the surrounding community
- Additional hotel Food & Beverage operations and private events supported as business needs require
Responsibilities
- Support the Restaurant General Manager in the day-to-day leadership and operation of Truth Be Told, with a primary focus on Front-of-House service and restaurant execution.
- Serve as a visible, hands-on manager during service, actively engaging with guests and team members while monitoring the overall flow of the restaurant.
- Ensure Study Hotels hospitality and service standards are consistently understood and executed throughout the Front-of-House operation.
- Lead pre-shift meetings, communicate daily priorities, assign responsibilities, and ensure the restaurant is fully prepared for service.
- Supervise, coach, motivate, and develop Servers, Bartenders, Hosts, Restaurant Support, and other Front-of-House team members.
- Establish clear expectations and accountability while creating a positive working environment that promotes curiosity, teamwork, professional development, and genuine hospitality.
- Assist with onboarding and training new team members and provide ongoing coaching to strengthen service knowledge and execution.
- Monitor the guest experience throughout service, anticipate needs, engage with guests, and resolve concerns promptly and professionally.
- Support service recovery and make appropriate decisions to resolve guest concerns while protecting the overall guest experience.
- Maintain strong working knowledge of food menus, ingredients, allergy considerations, cocktails, spirits, beer, wine, and restaurant offerings.
- Support the development, execution, and continued improvement of the restaurant's beverage program, including cocktails, spirits, wine, and beer.
- Assist with beverage purchasing, receiving, inventory, product organization, pricing, and cost-control procedures.
- Monitor beverage usage, inventory levels, waste, and other operating practices to support established cost objectives.
- Assist the Restaurant General Manager with scheduling, labor management, payroll-related processes, and staffing decisions based on anticipated business levels.
- Monitor daily restaurant performance and help identify opportunities to improve productivity, revenue, cost control, and profitability.
- Support restaurant promotions, programming, and other initiatives designed to strengthen guest engagement and restaurant revenue.
- Work collaboratively with Marketing and Communications teams on restaurant initiatives and support appropriate responses to guest feedback and online reviews.
- Oversee reservation and table management practices to support efficient seating, restaurant flow, and the guest experience.
- Ensure opening, closing, side work, cash handling, payment processing, and other established operating procedures are completed accurately.
- Maintain appropriate controls for restaurant supplies, equipment, and operating materials.
- Ensure compliance with applicable food safety, sanitation, responsible alcohol service, workplace safety, and restaurant operating requirements.
- Maintain restaurant spaces in a clean, organized, safe, and guest-ready condition and promptly address maintenance or operational concerns.
- Work closely with the Executive Chef and culinary leadership to coordinate service, menu execution, timing, allergy concerns, guest feedback, and operational priorities.
- Collaborate with Front Office and other hotel departments to provide seamless service to hotel guests and support overall property operations.
- Assist with hotel Food & Beverage operations, meetings, banquets, and private events as needed based on business demands.
- Assume appropriate restaurant leadership responsibilities in the Restaurant General Manager's absence.
- Perform additional duties as assigned based on restaurant and hotel operational needs.
Fundamentals
- Minimum of 3 years of progressive restaurant experience in an upscale casual, full-service restaurant, hotel, tavern, or comparable hospitality environment preferred.
- Recent restaurant management, assistant management, or comparable Front-of-House leadership experience required.
- Demonstrated ability to lead a Front-of-House team, delegate responsibilities, establish priorities, coach performance, and create accountability.
- Strong understanding of full-service restaurant operations and service standards.
- Experience with beverage operations and working knowledge of cocktails, spirits, wine, and beer strongly preferred.
- Experience supporting beverage inventory, purchasing, cost control, and product management preferred.
- Strong guest-relations and service-recovery skills with the confidence to make decisions in a fast-paced operating environment.
- Working knowledge of restaurant financial fundamentals, including labor management, inventory, cost control, and revenue generation.
- Experience with restaurant reservation and table management systems such as OpenTable, Resy, or comparable platforms preferred.
- Experience with restaurant POS systems required.
- Experience with ADP Workforce Now or comparable scheduling, timekeeping, or payroll systems is a plus.
- Working knowledge of food safety, sanitation, responsible alcohol service, and applicable restaurant operating requirements.
- Food safety and responsible alcohol service certifications required or ability to obtain applicable certifications as required.
- Excellent verbal and written communication and interpersonal skills.
- Strong organizational, follow-up, and time-management skills with the ability to manage multiple priorities simultaneously.
- Ability to remain composed, decisive, and guest-focused during high-volume service periods.
- High school diploma or equivalent required; hospitality, restaurant management, or related education is a plus.
- Availability to work a flexible schedule based on restaurant needs, including early mornings, days, evenings, weekends, and holidays.
- Proficiency in English required; a second language is a plus.
- Ability to stand, walk, and remain active for extended periods throughout the workday.
- Ability to lift, carry, push, or otherwise move items weighing up to 40 pounds.
About Us
The Study at University of Chicago is a 167-room hotel located on the Midway Plaisance in Chicago's historic Hyde Park neighborhood. Designed as a place of discovery and connection, the hotel reflects the character and energy of the University of Chicago while providing thoughtful, contemporary accommodations for university visitors, families, faculty, business travelers, and the surrounding community.
The hotel is home to Truth Be Told, a British-inspired tavern offering a welcoming gathering place for hotel guests, the University of Chicago community, Hyde Park neighbors, and visitors to the area. The property also features 4,700 square feet of meeting and event space, including a 2,500-square-foot Winter Garden designed for social events and private functions.
Eligible full-time team members are offered a comprehensive benefits package including medical, dental, vision, life, and disability insurance, paid time off, and paid holidays. Team members may also participate in our 401(k) retirement savings plan and Employee Assistance Program.
Study Hotels is a drug-free workplace. Pre-employment drug test and background check required.
Study Hotels is an Equal Opportunity Employer and does not discriminate on the basis of age, race, religion, disability, nationality, sex, sexual orientation, or any other category protected by federal, state, or local law.
Keywords: Restaurant Manager, Assistant Restaurant Manager, Food and Beverage Manager, FOH Manager, Restaurant Leadership, Hospitality Management, British Tavern, Gastropub, Truth Be Told, Beverage Management, Hotel Restaurant, Chicago Restaurant Manager Jobs, Hyde Park Jobs
6YNIxMgyjh
See All 106+ Restaurant Manager Jobs in Illinois
Find roles in Illinois that match your experience and apply in just a few clicks.
Find Restaurant Manager JobsRestaurant Manager Jobs by City in Illinois
Where Illinois roles are concentrated, by current openings.
Restaurant Manager Job Market in Illinois
A snapshot from current Illinois openings, updated as new roles post.
Who's Hiring
Top Industries Hiring
- Food & Beverage
What Illinois Employers Look For
The qualifications that appear most often in restaurant manager jobs across Illinois.
- Illinois Food Service Sanitation Manager Certification (FSSMC) issued by the Illinois Department of Public Health
- Three or more years of restaurant supervisory or management experience in a comparable environment
- Proven ability to manage labor scheduling, food cost, and inventory controls
- Associate or bachelor's degree in hospitality management, business, or a related field
- Experience with point-of-sale systems and restaurant management software platforms
- Strong knowledge of Illinois health, safety, and alcohol service regulations
Restaurant Manager Jobs in Illinois: Frequently Asked Questions
How do you become a restaurant manager in Illinois?
The concrete path in Illinois starts with earning a Food Service Sanitation Manager Certification through the Illinois Department of Public Health, which requires passing an accredited food safety exam such as the ServSafe Manager exam. Most employers also expect a background in restaurant operations, typically gained by working front-of-house or kitchen roles first. A degree in hospitality management or business strengthens a candidacy, though many Illinois employers promote experienced team leads without one.
Which companies hire restaurant managers in Illinois?
Companies currently hiring restaurant managers in Illinois include Bob Evans Restaurants, Panera Bread, and Jersey Mike's, per current listings on Migrate Mate as of September 2026. Illinois's dense urban dining scene and the presence of major corporate headquarters and large multi-unit operators in the Chicago metro make it one of the more active states for ongoing management openings.
Which Illinois cities have the most restaurant manager jobs?
Chicago, Joliet, and Rockford lead Illinois for restaurant manager openings. Chicago dominates because of its size, tourism, and concentration of independent and chain dining concepts, while Naperville and Rockford generate consistent openings through suburban growth, retail-anchored dining corridors, and regional franchise operators that staff multiple locations across those markets.
Are there remote restaurant manager jobs in Illinois?
Yes, but they're rare. Restaurant management is a hands-on, on-site role and the large majority of positions require a physical presence. About 4% of restaurant manager openings tied to Illinois are remote or hybrid as of September 2026, and those tend to be corporate-level roles focused on training, quality assurance, or multi-unit oversight rather than day-to-day floor management.
How can I get hired as a restaurant manager in Illinois with little or no experience?
The most realistic entry path is moving into a shift lead or assistant manager role from a front-of-house position such as server, host, or bartender at a high-volume Illinois restaurant. Large operators like McDonald's and Darden Restaurants run structured management-in-training programs that accept candidates without prior management experience. Earning your Illinois Food Service Sanitation Manager Certification before applying signals readiness and gives you a concrete credential that separates you from other entry-level candidates.
Where can I find and apply to restaurant manager jobs in Illinois?
You can find and apply to restaurant manager jobs in Illinois on Migrate Mate, which lists current Illinois openings. Search the listings to find roles that fit your experience level, location, and concept type, then apply directly to the ones that match.
See All 106+ Restaurant Manager Jobs in Illinois
Find roles in Illinois that match your experience and apply in just a few clicks.
Find Restaurant Manager Jobs