17 Restaurant Consultant Interview Questions and Answers

If you’ve ever worked in the restaurant industry, you know it can be a tough business. With razor-thin margins and intense competition, even the best restaurateurs can use a little help now and then. That’s where restaurant consultants come in.

Restaurant consultants are experts in the business of running a restaurant. They offer their services to restaurants of all sizes, from small mom-and-pop shops to large chains. Consultants can help with everything from menu development to staff training to marketing and advertising.

If you’re thinking of becoming a restaurant consultant, you’ll need to be prepared to answer some tough questions in your job interview. In this guide, we’ll give you some sample restaurant consultant interview questions and answers to help you get started.

Are you comfortable working with a team of people to help a restaurant succeed?

Working as a consultant for a restaurant can involve working with many different people. Interviewers want to know that you’re comfortable collaborating and communicating with others in order to help the restaurant succeed. Your answer should show that you enjoy teamwork and are willing to work with others to achieve your goals.

Example: “I love working with a team of people because it allows us to accomplish so much more than we could on our own. I’ve worked with teams before, and I find that my communication skills allow me to be an effective leader. I’m always open to hearing other people’s ideas and opinions about how to improve a restaurant. I also like to delegate tasks to others when appropriate so that everyone has a chance to learn new things.”

What are some of the most important skills for a restaurant consultant?

Interviewers may ask this question to learn more about your skills and expertise as a consultant. They want to know what you value in yourself and others, so they can decide if you’re the right fit for their company. In your answer, try to list specific skills that are important to you and how you use them in your work.

Example: “The most important skill for me is communication. I find it’s essential to be able to clearly explain my ideas to clients and restaurant staff members. It also helps to have strong organizational and time-management skills. These help me stay on top of all the details involved with running a business. Finally, I think creativity is an important skill because it allows me to come up with new solutions to problems. I always encourage my team to share their creative ideas.”

How would you handle a situation where the chef and the restaurant owner don’t agree on a change to the menu?

Interviewers may ask this question to assess your ability to work with others and resolve conflicts. In your answer, demonstrate that you can collaborate with others and find solutions that satisfy everyone involved.

Example: “I would first try to understand why the chef and owner disagree on the menu change. I would then explain my reasoning for suggesting the change and how it will benefit the restaurant overall. If they still don’t agree, I would suggest a compromise that satisfies both parties. For example, if the chef wants to keep one item on the menu but add another dish, I might suggest keeping two of the dishes on the menu while adding a third new dish. This way, the chef gets what he or she wants while also meeting the needs of the restaurant owner.”

What is your process for conducting a restaurant audit?

An interviewer may ask this question to learn more about your process for conducting audits and how you use the information you gather during an audit. Use your answer to explain what steps you take when conducting a restaurant audit, including any tools or resources you use to help you complete the task.

Example: “I start by meeting with the owner of the restaurant to discuss their goals for the business and what they hope to achieve through the audit. I then perform a walk-through of the entire facility, noting areas that need improvement and taking notes on my phone so I can remember everything later. After the initial inspection, I return to the restaurant to meet with the staff to discuss ways they can improve customer service and efficiency.”

Provide an example of a time when you had to help a restaurant increase its revenue.

Interviewers ask this question to see if you have experience helping restaurants increase their revenue. They want to know that you can help them make more money with your expertise and ideas. In your answer, explain how you helped the restaurant increase its revenue and what steps you took to do so.

Example: “At my previous job, I worked with a small family-owned Italian restaurant. The owners were having trouble making enough money to pay their employees and keep up with maintenance on the building. I met with the owners and discussed ways they could increase their revenue. We decided to add an outdoor patio for customers to enjoy during warmer months. This addition increased the restaurant’s revenue by 20%.”

If you had to choose one area of a restaurant’s operations that needs the most improvement, what would it be?

This question is a great way to determine how much experience you have as a restaurant consultant. It also shows the interviewer that you are honest and willing to be critical of your own work. When answering this question, it can be helpful to mention an area where you’ve seen improvement in the past.

Example: “If I had to choose one area for improvement, I would say customer service. In my experience, many restaurants focus on food quality and menu variety but don’t put enough emphasis on making sure their customers feel welcome and cared for. This leads to unhappy customers who may not return or recommend the restaurant to others. By focusing more on customer service, restaurants can improve their overall reputation and sales.”

What would you do if a restaurant owner refused to implement one of your recommendations?

Interviewers may ask this question to assess your ability to work with clients who might not be receptive to change. In your answer, demonstrate that you can collaborate and communicate effectively with clients to ensure they understand the benefits of implementing your recommendations.

Example: “If a restaurant owner refused to implement one of my recommendations, I would first try to determine why they were hesitant to make changes. If it was because of cost, I would explain how making these changes could help increase revenue in the long term. If they still didn’t want to make the change, I would offer to do the implementation myself so they wouldn’t have to spend money on hiring someone else.”

How well do you understand food safety regulations?

Food safety is a major concern for restaurants, and the interviewer may ask this question to see how well you understand food safety regulations. Use your answer to highlight any experience you have with food safety regulations and emphasize that you are committed to following these rules in your work as a consultant.

Example: “I am very familiar with food safety regulations because I worked at a restaurant where we were regularly inspected by health officials. In my role as a server, I was responsible for ensuring that all of our staff members followed proper food handling procedures. This included making sure that everyone washed their hands before preparing food, cleaned surfaces after each use and properly stored leftovers.”

Do you have any experience working with marketing campaigns?

Marketing is an important part of any business, and a restaurant consultant needs to be able to help their clients with marketing campaigns. Your answer should show the interviewer that you have experience working on marketing projects in your previous roles.

Example: “I worked as a social media manager for my last client, where I helped them create content for their Instagram account. We used hashtags to target our audience and increase engagement. The campaign was successful, and we saw a 20% increase in followers after two months.”

When reviewing a restaurant’s menu, what are some things you look for?

Interviewers may ask this question to see if you have experience reviewing menus and making suggestions for improvement. Use your answer to highlight the skills you use when analyzing a menu, such as creativity, organization and attention to detail.

Example: “When I review a restaurant’s menu, I look at everything from the presentation of the food to the pricing structure. For example, I recently worked with a client who had an extensive menu but was having trouble keeping up with demand because they didn’t have enough kitchen staff. We decided to reduce the number of items on the menu so we could hire more cooks. Another thing I look for is whether or not there are any seasonal specials. This helps keep customers coming back regularly while also giving them something new to try.”

We want to improve our customer service. Give us an example of a strategy you would use to do this.

Customer service is an important aspect of any restaurant. Interviewers may ask this question to see if you have experience improving customer service in the past and how you did it. In your answer, try to describe a specific strategy you used to improve customer service and what results you achieved.

Example: “I would first assess the current state of customer service at the restaurant. I would then create a plan for improvement by identifying areas that need improvement and creating strategies to achieve those improvements. For example, when working with my previous client, we found that our servers were not always checking on their tables often enough. We created a training program where we taught servers how to check on their tables more frequently without being too intrusive.”

Describe your process for training restaurant staff on new procedures.

Interviewers may ask this question to learn more about your training skills and how you might train their staff. Use examples from previous experience in which you trained restaurant staff on new procedures or helped them improve their customer service skills.

Example: “I usually start by introducing myself to the entire staff, explaining why I’m there and what my role is as a consultant. Then, I explain the changes I want to implement at the restaurant and give everyone time to ask questions. Next, I break down the process into smaller steps so that it’s easier for employees to understand. Finally, I hold regular check-ins with management to ensure they’re making progress.”

What makes you stand out from other restaurant consultants?

This question is your opportunity to show the interviewer that you have unique skills and experiences. You can answer this question by describing a skill or experience that makes you stand out from other restaurant consultants.

Example: “I am passionate about helping restaurants succeed, which is why I started my own consulting business. My passion for food led me to start cooking at home when I was just 10 years old, so I understand what it takes to make delicious meals. This knowledge has helped me create recipes for many of the clients I’ve worked with in the past.”

Which restaurant consulting firms have you worked with in the past?

This question can help the interviewer understand your experience level and how you view other companies in the industry. When answering this question, it can be beneficial to mention a few of the most notable firms you’ve worked with and what you learned from them.

Example: “I have worked with several different restaurant consulting firms throughout my career. I find that each firm has its own unique way of helping restaurants succeed. One of my favorite firms was The Restaurant Group because they helped me learn more about customer service and how to make customers feel welcome when they visit our establishment. Another firm I enjoyed working with was Food for Thought Consulting because they taught me how to create a menu that would appeal to all types of customers.”

What do you think is the most important thing a restaurant can do to stay competitive?

This question can help the interviewer understand your knowledge of the restaurant industry and how you approach consulting. Your answer should include a specific example from your experience as a consultant that shows your ability to think critically about business operations.

Example: “I believe the most important thing a restaurant can do to stay competitive is offer excellent customer service. I worked with a client who was struggling to keep customers coming in, so we decided to focus on improving our wait staff’s communication skills. We trained them on active listening techniques and ways to make eye contact with customers to show they were paying attention. After implementing these changes, the restaurant saw an increase in sales.”

How often do you recommend restaurants update their menus?

This question can help interviewers understand your knowledge of the industry and how often you recommend changes to menus. Use examples from past projects to explain when you recommended menu updates and what factors influenced those recommendations.

Example: “I usually recommend restaurants update their menus every six months, but it depends on the restaurant’s size and clientele. For example, I worked with a small family-owned Italian restaurant that had been in business for over 30 years. The owners were hesitant to change their menu because they didn’t want to lose loyal customers who loved their classic dishes. However, after discussing the benefits of updating their menu, they decided to add new items like gluten-free pasta options and seasonal specials.”

There is a common complaint from customers that our portions are too small. What would you do to address this?

Portion sizes are an important part of the customer experience. Interviewers want to know that you understand this and can help their restaurant improve in this area. In your answer, explain how you would approach this issue with management and staff.

Example: “I would first talk to the manager about the importance of portion size. I would also show them some examples of other restaurants’ portions so they could see what is considered a normal amount. Then, I would work with the kitchen staff to create larger portions while still maintaining quality. Finally, I would train servers on how to describe the food to customers so they feel like they’re getting more for their money.”