F&B Manager Interview: Questions, Competencies & Scorecard

The F&B Manager role is one of the most commercially complex in hospitality. They own the P&L for food and beverage operations, lead both kitchen and front-of-house teams, manage supplier relationships, and are responsible for guest experience across dining and bar operations. A structured interview needs to cover all of these dimensions.

Core Competencies for an F&B Manager

• Financial management (GP%, labour cost, stock control)
• Menu development and product knowledge
• Team leadership across multiple sub-departments
• Guest experience and service standards
• Operational management (allergen compliance, food safety)
• Supplier and purchasing management

Structured Interview Questions

Financial Management

"Walk me through how you've managed food and beverage GP% in your current role. What levers did you use and what results did you achieve?"

Look for: Specific GP% figures, understanding of cost drivers (waste, portioning, purchasing), evidence of proactive management rather than reactive reporting.

Operational Standards

"Tell me about a time your F&B operation received a poor health inspection result or a significant food safety near-miss. What happened and what did you change?"

Look for: Ownership, root cause analysis, systemic change, not just immediate fix.

Team Leadership

"Describe how you manage the relationship between your kitchen team and your front-of-house team when there's tension. Give me a specific example."

Look for: Cross-team communication skills, ability to hold both teams accountable, and willingness to address conflict directly.

Guest Experience

"Tell me about a time you significantly improved your department's guest feedback scores. What did you change?"

Menu and Product

"How have you approached menu development in your current role? What process do you use and how do you measure the commercial impact of menu changes?"