--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Being general manager is like being the…" description: "\"Being general manager is like being the de facto owner. It's like wearing the crown of 'Restaurant Man' without being 'Restaurant Man.' You're trying t..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8ef/joe-bastianich-11198_bigs_being-general-manager-is-like-being-the_2208791.jpg" --- # Being general manager is like being the de facto owner… ![“Being general manager is like being the de facto owner. It's like wearing the crown of 'Restaurant Man' without being 'Restaurant Man.' You're trying to run the business, but you're running the ranch without riding the big horse.” quote by Joe Bastianich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8ef/joe-bastianich-11198_bigs_being-general-manager-is-like-being-the_2208791.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8ef/joe-bastianich-11198_bigs_being-general-manager-is-like-being-the_2208791.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8ef/joe-bastianich-11198_bigs_being-general-manager-is-like-being-the_2208791.jpg) > “Being general manager is like being the de facto owner. It's like wearing the crown of 'Restaurant Man' without being 'Restaurant Man.' You're trying to run the business, but you're running the ranch without riding the big horse.” [Joe Bastianich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-bastianich/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Managing a restaurant feels like owning it, yet the manager lacks true ownership, leading to a paradox of control and responsibility. **In simple terms:** Managers act like owners but aren't. Key Takeaway Align authority with responsibility. Themes leadership ownership responsibility Mood pragmatic analytical Type business motivational When to use this quote - opening a new venue - staff training - budget planning Key Concepts business management entrepreneurship role ambiguity Questions to Reflect On - How can managers gain more autonomy? - What structures support true ownership? A Different Perspective Authority without ownership can cause frustration and limited decision‑making power. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Business](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/business/) [Horse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/horse/) [Leader](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/leader/) [Management](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/management/) [Men](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/men/) [Riding](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/riding/) [Running](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/running/) ## Related quotes > [One of the reasons I'm lucky is to be around an owner like Jerry Jones. I'm not just saying it. The reality of it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tony-romo/one-of-the-reasons-i-m-lucky-is-to-be-around-an-owner-like-jerry/) [Tony Romo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tony-romo/) > [The general manager is kind of like the step into darkness when you reach the top of the league. As GM, you're responsible for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-bastianich/the-general-manager-is-kind-of-like-the-step-into-darkness-when-you/) [Joe Bastianich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-bastianich/) > [In England, your manager is like a boss.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bradley-wright-phillips/in-england-your-manager-is-like-a-boss/) [Bradley Wright-Phillips](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bradley-wright-phillips/) > [I'm not sure I'm cut out to be a manager. I like to be loved too much.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tony-adams/i-m-not-sure-i-m-cut-out-to-be-a-manager-i-like-to-be-loved-too-much/) [Tony Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tony-adams/) > [There are times when even the best manager is like the little boy with the big dog, waiting to see where the dog wants…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lee-iacocca/there-are-times-when-even-the-best-manager-is-like-the-little-boy/) [Lee Iacocca](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lee-iacocca/) > [I'm not trying to be anyone's label or manager or anything like that. I don't want anything to do with it for the most…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jesse-rutherford/i-m-not-trying-to-be-anyone-s-label-or-manager-or-anything-like-that/) [Jesse Rutherford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jesse-rutherford/) > [When a manager like Pep praises you it means a lot.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicolas-otamendi/when-a-manager-like-pep-praises-you-it-means-a-lot/) [Nicolas Otamendi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicolas-otamendi/) > [Hire people who are smarter than you, and don't be afraid to work with them as partners. Make it clear that you plan to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lynn-jurich/hire-people-who-are-smarter-than-you-and-don-t-be-afraid-to-work-with/) [Lynn Jurich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lynn-jurich/) > [From the word go, he showed great interest in me. It was a big moment, not just for me but for my career as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/miguel-almiron/from-the-word-go-he-showed-great-interest-in-me-it-was-a-big-moment/) [Miguel Almiron](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/miguel-almiron/) > [I'm a good people manager and I like that fact I can draw out their performances.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kathy-burke/i-m-a-good-people-manager-and-i-like-that-fact-i-can-draw-out-their/) [Kathy Burke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kathy-burke/) > [Knowing that a manager like Rafa Benitez wants you to be in his team is quite something plus Newcastle has a great history -…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/miguel-almiron/knowing-that-a-manager-like-rafa-benitez-wants-you-to-be-in-his-team/) [Miguel Almiron](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/miguel-almiron/) > [I can play anywhere the manager would like me to play.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eidur-gudjohnsen/i-can-play-anywhere-the-manager-would-like-me-to-play/) [Eidur Gudjohnsen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eidur-gudjohnsen/) > [The old-fashioned idea of a good manager is one who is supposed to know all the answers, can solve every problem himself, and can…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-e-p-box/the-old-fashioned-idea-of-a-good-manager-is-one-who-is-supposed-to/) [George E. P. Box](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-e-p-box/) > [I like to play 'Football Manager.' And I like to start in lower teams.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/diogo-jota/i-like-to-play-football-manager-and-i-like-to-start-in-lower-teams/) [Diogo Jota](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/diogo-jota/) > [I've made a lot of progress. As a man, mentally, but also physically. And tactically, too. That's a given with a manager like Antonio…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michy-batshuayi/i-ve-made-a-lot-of-progress-as-a-man-mentally-but-also-physically-and/) [Michy Batshuayi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michy-batshuayi/) ## More by Joe Bastianich > [He brought a sensibility and a hard-edged reasonableness to operating restaurants that had a lasting impact on me and still affects how I run…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-bastianich/he-brought-a-sensibility-and-a-hard-edged-reasonableness-to-operating/) [Joe Bastianich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-bastianich/) > [There are certain things that make restaurants work and a certain kind of DNA that people who excel in restaurants need. But it's a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-bastianich/there-are-certain-things-that-make-restaurants-work-and-a-certain/) [Joe Bastianich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-bastianich/) > [Babbo's menu is only four pages, but it's overwhelming - there are 20 different pastas in there, a lot of stuff. There is nothing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-bastianich/babbo-s-menu-is-only-four-pages-but-it-s-overwhelming-there-are-20/) [Joe Bastianich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-bastianich/) > [Most people who open restaurants will fail, because they lack the fundamental understanding of restaurant math. Either they think they're superstar cooks or they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-bastianich/most-people-who-open-restaurants-will-fail-because-they-lack-the/) [Joe Bastianich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-bastianich/) > [Maitre d's are at the financial spigot of the restaurant, meaning they control who gets in and who doesn't, but aside from that, they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-bastianich/maitre-d-s-are-at-the-financial-spigot-of-the-restaurant-meaning-they/) [Joe Bastianich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-bastianich/) > [In Italy, food is an expression of love. It is how you show those around you that you care for them. Having a love…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-bastianich/in-italy-food-is-an-expression-of-love-it-is-how-you-show-those/) [Joe Bastianich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-bastianich/) > [Classics can be phenomenal when done right. A simple roast chicken dish could be the best thing you ever eat.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-bastianich/classics-can-be-phenomenal-when-done-right-a-simple-roast-chicken/) [Joe Bastianich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-bastianich/) > ['Restaurant Man' is kind of the story, an unabridged story of what happened in my life, the good bad and ugly. Some people might…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-bastianich/restaurant-man-is-kind-of-the-story-an-unabridged-story-of-what/) [Joe Bastianich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-bastianich/) > [Pasta is the one food I can't live without. It's the food I eat to fuel my running.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-bastianich/pasta-is-the-one-food-i-can-t-live-without-it-s-the-food-i-eat-to/) [Joe Bastianich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-bastianich/) > [There are many things I'm looking forward to in 2013, both personally and professionally. Plans for new restaurants in the U.S., including Eataly Chicago,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-bastianich/there-are-many-things-i-m-looking-forward-to-in-2013-both-personally/) [Joe Bastianich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-bastianich/) > [Selling wine is all about sizing people up, and it takes a certain amount of chutzpah. The tableside bottle sell is a very funny…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-bastianich/selling-wine-is-all-about-sizing-people-up-and-it-takes-a-certain/) [Joe Bastianich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-bastianich/) > [I was raised in restaurants. My parents opened their first restaurant, Buonavia, in Queens when I was just 3. This business has always been…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-bastianich/i-was-raised-in-restaurants-my-parents-opened-their-first-restaurant/) [Joe Bastianich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-bastianich/) > ['MasterChef' is the search for America's culinary amateur talent, so this is a search for the best home cook in America, and it's our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-bastianich/masterchef-is-the-search-for-america-s-culinary-amateur-talent-so/) [Joe Bastianich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-bastianich/) > [With four-appetizer, four-entree menus, it's like, give me a break. That's not a restaurant, that's a dinner party.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-bastianich/with-four-appetizer-four-entree-menus-it-s-like-give-me-a-break-that/) [Joe Bastianich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-bastianich/) > [The general manager is kind of like the step into darkness when you reach the top of the league. As GM, you're responsible for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-bastianich/the-general-manager-is-kind-of-like-the-step-into-darkness-when-you/) [Joe Bastianich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-bastianich/) [Explore all 61 Joe Bastianich quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-bastianich/) ## More Bigs quotes > [I am certain that children always know more than they are able to tell, and that makes the big difference between them and adults,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacques-lusseyran/i-am-certain-that-children-always-know-more-than-they-are-able-to/) [Jacques Lusseyran](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacques-lusseyran/) > [It is said that history turns on small hinges. A human career, too, results from an accumulating series of decisions about large and small…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/norman-vincent-peale/it-is-said-that-history-turns-on-small-hinges-a-human-career-too/) [Norman Vincent Peale](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/norman-vincent-peale/) > [I'm a true believer in prayer, a big believer in prayer.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/janet-jackson/i-m-a-true-believer-in-prayer-a-big-believer-in-prayer/) [Janet Jackson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/janet-jackson/) > [The biggest change for me as a mom was realizing I needed to put someone else before me. Now the hardest part about the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kim-alexis/the-biggest-change-for-me-as-a-mom-was-realizing-i-needed-to-put/) [Kim Alexis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kim-alexis/) > [I'm a big fan of all the Boston guys that are acting - Matt Damon , Ben Affleck, Mark Wahlberg - they made a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kenny-wormald/i-m-a-big-fan-of-all-the-boston-guys-that-are-acting-matt-damon-ben/) [Kenny Wormald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kenny-wormald/) > [The only regret I have in my career, is my managers wanted a big payday, and I wanted four or five more fights before…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gerry-cooney/the-only-regret-i-have-in-my-career-is-my-managers-wanted-a-big/) [Gerry Cooney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gerry-cooney/) > [It goes to show you how we in the press so often miss the big stories that are right under our noses. There is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-ebert/it-goes-to-show-you-how-we-in-the-press-so-often-miss-the-big-stories/) [Roger Ebert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-ebert/) > [Okay, so I'll admit I'm curious. Big deal. We both know what that leads to. Dead cat.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-elizabeth-phillips/okay-so-i-ll-admit-i-m-curious-big-deal-we-both-know-what-that-leads/) [Susan Elizabeth Phillips](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-elizabeth-phillips/) > [I don't want this to be a distraction. This has been distracting enough. I'm not going to rehash this going forward. I'm sure other…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jayson-werth/i-don-t-want-this-to-be-a-distraction-this-has-been-distracting/) [Jayson Werth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jayson-werth/) > [I didn't get how big it was until I went home, turned on the television and saw it on all the news, and later…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-simon/i-didn-t-get-how-big-it-was-until-i-went-home-turned-on-the/) [Paul Simon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-simon/) > [It’s a small thing to help one animal, but to that one animal it’s a big thing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gene-baur/it-s-a-small-thing-to-help-one-animal-but-to-that-one-animal-it-s-a/) [Gene Baur](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gene-baur/) > [Since I was a little child, my nose - I think it's too big.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/celine-dion/since-i-was-a-little-child-my-nose-i-think-it-s-too-big/) [Celine Dion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/celine-dion/) > [People forget that there is a big difference between coercion and persuasion. The idea that evangelism is coercive is nonsense.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-dever/people-forget-that-there-is-a-big-difference-between-coercion-and/) [Mark Dever](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-dever/) > [I turn a lot of stuff down - big, big movies, the kind I wouldn't want to go to the cinema to see.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matthew-fox/i-turn-a-lot-of-stuff-down-big-big-movies-the-kind-i-wouldn-t-want-to/) [Matthew Fox](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matthew-fox/) > [I got in trouble my whole life for having a big mouth.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-tyler/i-got-in-trouble-my-whole-life-for-having-a-big-mouth/) [Steven Tyler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-tyler/) Browse all 15,539 Bigs quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Being general manager is like being the de facto owner. It's like wearing the crown of 'Restaurant Man' without being 'Restaurant Man.' You're trying to run the business, but you're running the ranch without riding the big horse.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Joe Bastianich" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-bastianich/being-general-manager-is-like-being-the-de-facto-owner-it-s-like/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Bigs" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-bastianich/being-general-manager-is-like-being-the-de-facto-owner-it-s-like/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8ef/joe-bastianich-11198_bigs_being-general-manager-is-like-being-the_2208791.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8ef/joe-bastianich-11198_bigs_being-general-manager-is-like-being-the_2208791.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8ef/joe-bastianich-11198_bigs_being-general-manager-is-like-being-the_2208791.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Being general manager is like being the de facto owner. It's like wearing the crown of 'Restaurant Man'…” — Joe Bastianich", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Joe Bastianich", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-bastianich/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Being general manager is like being...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-bastianich/being-general-manager-is-like-being-the-de-facto-owner-it-s-like/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-bastianich/being-general-manager-is-like-being-the-de-facto-owner-it-s-like/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```