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Take courses for food service management leadership positions
Food Service Management Careers
Job Titles: General Managers, Restaurant Managers, Shift Managers, Front of the House Managers,
Food and Beverage Managers, Kitchen Managers, Bar Managers, Banquet Managers. To learn
more, see the Food Service Managers career profile.
Advance your career in food service by completing this 26-credit-hour certificate
program. This program will prepare you for a management role at restaurants, catering
companies, banquet halls, and other settings in the food service industry.
Classes include introduction to the hospitality industry, dining room operations,
food handling, purchasing and storage, restaurant layout, equipment, and supervision,
menu planning and more. All courses are taught by knowledgeable instructors with experience
in the hospitality industry.
The Chicago area is major hospitality job market, with thousands of restaurants, banquet
facilities, and food service providers employing food service workers and managers.
Visit the Employment Outlook for Food Service Managers for more details.
Through The Dining Room at Harper College, our on-site restaurant, you get hands-on experience planning, preparing, and serving
meals.
Learn from Faculty with professional food service experience.
This is a 26 credit-hour certificate program designed for people wanting to upgrade their management skills enabling them to assume more responsible positions. Upon completion of this program, students may also be awarded a Management Development Diploma by the National Restaurant Association. Contact the Hospitality Management coordinator for details.
F = Fall only course S = Spring only course U = Summer only course
Description:
Orients students to the hospitality industry, its organizational structure and integration of the modern industry components. Operational considerations are discussed. Career opportunities are explored.
Description:
Introduces theory and practice of quantity food serving including practical experience in dining rooms and catering services. Involves set-up, tableside preparation and presentation of food and beverage. Examines various roles of dining room personnel.
Description:
Introduces safe food handling practices and discusses the standardized procedures involved in the procurement, storage, preparation, holding, and service of safe food. Prepares students for the State of Illinois-approved Food Service Sanitation Manager’s Certification test.
Description:
Studies menu planning theory and principles for various types of food service operations. Examines the relationship of menu planning to the functional areas within food facilities. Menu planning and its importance as a determination of food cost, selling price, and profitability is also emphasized.
Description:
This course is only offered in the spring term.
Standards and identification of quality meats, dairy products, produce, groceries, frozen foods and supplies. Methods of purchasing, purveyor relations, and proper storage techniques and purchase standards for convenience foods.
Description:
This course is only offered in the spring term.
Provides practical application of operational analysis used by food, lodging and travel-related fields. Use of ledgers, automated information systems and basic financial statements are discussed.
Description:
This course is only offered in the fall term.
Maximizing employee productivity through various types of food equipment and proper equipment arrangement. Effects of use of convenience foods on equipment planning.
Description:
This course is only offered in the spring term.
Surveys our legal system as applied to the hospitality industry. Examines contracts, torts and various labor laws pertinent to the industry. Analyzes insurance costs, including fire, accident, worker's compensation and employee liability and their effect on various types of facilities.
Most of the required courses (except for FSM 113) can be applied to the Hospitality
Management AAS -- Food Service Operations Management specialization. For the Hotel
Operations Management Specialization, all but FSM 113 and FSM 215 can be applied.
Many of the required courses are held in person within Harper's Building A, though
some have online or blended sections available. Note that many of the required courses
are only offered in the Fall or Spring semesters.
Food service management involves providing oversight of a restaurant, catering service,
banquet facility or other food service operation. Food service managers plan, direct
and coordinate activities related to purchasing, storing, preparing and serving food.
Additionally they can oversee staffing, customer service, and compliance with health
codes and best practices. Essential duties include:
Monitor food preparation methods, portion sizes, and garnishing and presentation of
food to ensure that food is prepared and presented in an acceptable manner.
Coordinate assignments of cooking personnel to ensure economical use of food and timely
preparation.
Maintain food and equipment inventories, and keep inventory records.
Schedule and receive food and beverage deliveries, checking delivery contents to verify
product quality and quantity.
Monitor compliance with health and fire regulations regarding food preparation and
serving, and building maintenance in lodging and dining facilities.
Establish standards for personnel performance and customer service.
The food service managers occupation is projected to grow by 5.6% by 2031, according
to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (as of Nov. 2024). For the most up-to-date information,
see the Employment Outlook for Food Service Managers.
Some of the top employers posting jobs in the past 12 months (as of November 2024)
include restaurants like Buffalo Wild Wings, Taco Bell and Domino's, or other foodservice
and banquet companies like The Compass Group, Aramark, and Marriott International.
For a full list and most up-to-date information, see the Employment Outlook for Food Service Managers.
Related hospitality management programs
Students interested in restaurant management may also be interested in:
