noun
head clerk; chief clerk
Refers to a senior clerk or manager in a traditional Japanese shop, inn, or merchant house. Often the person in charge of accounts and customer relations.
老舗旅館の番頭が丁寧に客を迎えた。
The head clerk of the long-established inn politely welcomed the guests.
支配人 is a more general term for a manager or person in charge, used in modern businesses and hotels, while 番頭 specifically refers to the traditional role of a head clerk in a Japanese-style establishment.
Compound of 番 (ban, 'watch' or 'number') and 頭 (tō, 'head'), literally meaning 'head of the watch' or 'chief of the roster', referring to the person in charge of overseeing operations.