Whether you are opening your first restaurant, scaling to multiple locations, or simply trying to sort out who is responsible for what during a Friday dinner rush — a clear org chart keeps your team aligned from the pass to the front door.
A restaurant's organizational structure is unlike any other business. It is split into two distinct operational worlds — Front of House (FOH) and Back of House (BOH) — that must work in lockstep despite having completely different environments, skill sets, and chains of command. The FOH team faces guests, manages the dining room, and drives the service experience, while the BOH team operates behind closed doors preparing food under intense time pressure. Getting the hierarchy right between these two halves is what separates a smoothly run restaurant from one where orders are lost and no one knows who to escalate a problem to.
Restaurant org charts also evolve dramatically with size. A small owner-operated bistro might have six people where the owner doubles as the GM and the head chef manages a single line cook. A fine dining establishment layers in sous chefs, pastry chefs, sommeliers, and expeditors. A multi-location group adds regional managers, assistant managers, and standardized roles across sites. Whichever stage you are at, mapping out reporting lines prevents the too many cooks problem — literally — and ensures accountability when the pressure is on.
A single-location, owner-operated restaurant with a lean team of around 6 to 8 staff. Common in casual dining, neighborhood bistros, and family-run establishments where employees wear multiple hats.
Name | Title | Manager | Department | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Click to edit | Owner / General Manager | Management | ||
Click to edit | Head Chef | Back of House | ||
Click to edit | FOH Manager | Front of House | ||
Click to edit | Line Cook | Back of House | ||
Click to edit | Server | Front of House | ||
Click to edit | Server / Bartender | Front of House | ||
Click to edit | Host | Front of House | ||
Click to edit | Dishwasher | Back of House |
A single-location, full-service or fine dining restaurant with roughly 10 to 12 staff, featuring a more layered kitchen brigade and dedicated FOH leadership including a bar program.
Name | Title | Manager | Department | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Click to edit | Owner | Management | ||
Click to edit | General Manager | Management | ||
Click to edit | Executive Chef | Back of House | ||
Click to edit | FOH Manager | Front of House | ||
Click to edit | Sous Chef | Back of House | ||
Click to edit | Pastry Chef | Back of House | ||
Click to edit | Line Cook | Back of House | ||
Click to edit | Sommelier | Front of House | ||
Click to edit | Server | Front of House | ||
Click to edit | Bartender | Front of House | ||
Click to edit | Host | Front of House | ||
Click to edit | Dishwasher | Back of House |
A restaurant group or casual dining chain operating 2 to 4 locations, with a regional layer of oversight above individual store management. Approximately 12 to 14 roles spanning corporate oversight and a representative single location.
Name | Title | Manager | Department | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Click to edit | Director of Operations | Corporate | ||
Click to edit | Regional Manager | Corporate | ||
Click to edit | General Manager — Flagship | Management | ||
Click to edit | General Manager — Location 2 | Management | ||
Click to edit | Assistant Manager | Management | ||
Click to edit | Executive Chef | Back of House | ||
Click to edit | FOH Manager | Front of House | ||
Click to edit | Sous Chef | Back of House | ||
Click to edit | Bar Manager | Front of House | ||
Click to edit | Line Cook | Back of House | ||
Click to edit | Server | Front of House | ||
Click to edit | Host | Front of House | ||
Click to edit | Prep Cook | Back of House | ||
Click to edit | Dishwasher | Back of House |
Restaurant hierarchy is rooted in the French Brigade de Cuisine system developed by Auguste Escoffier in the 1890s, which organized kitchens along military-style lines of command. Even today, most BOH structures follow this pattern: an Executive Chef at the top, a Sous Chef as second-in-command, and Line Cooks manning individual stations. The FOH follows a parallel track under an FOH Manager, with hosts, servers, bartenders, and bussers beneath them. What makes a restaurant org chart distinctive is this dual-track structure — the Executive Chef and the FOH Manager often hold equal authority in their domains and both report up to the General Manager. As restaurants grow from a single location to a multi-unit operation, the structure scales by adding layers above the store level (Regional Managers, Directors of Operations) while the in-store hierarchy remains largely consistent.
Oversees the entire restaurant operation, from staffing and budgets to customer satisfaction and compliance. The GM is the bridge between ownership and the day-to-day team, ensuring FOH and BOH work in sync.
Leads the kitchen as the top culinary authority, responsible for menu creation, food quality, cost control, and managing all BOH staff. In larger operations, the role is primarily managerial rather than hands-on cooking.
The Executive Chef's second-in-command who manages daily kitchen operations, supervises line cooks, and steps in to run the kitchen when the Executive Chef is absent. Often the most hands-on leadership role in the BOH.
Manages all front-of-house operations including service flow, staff scheduling, guest complaints, and training for hosts, servers, bartenders, and bussers. Reports to the GM.
Works a specific station on the cooking line (grill, sauté, fry) to prepare dishes according to recipes and plating standards during service. Reports to the Sous Chef and is the backbone of food production.
The primary point of contact for guests during their meal, responsible for taking orders, delivering food, making menu recommendations, and ensuring an excellent dining experience.
Prepares and serves alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages, manages bar inventory, and interacts directly with guests seated at the bar. In many restaurants, bartenders also prepare drinks for the entire dining room.
The first person guests encounter, responsible for greeting diners, managing reservations and the waitlist, seating guests, and setting the tone for the dining experience.
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