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Restaurant Server Resume Examples and Writing Guide

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Imagine your restaurant server resume as the daily specials board – it's got to be enticing enough to make hiring managers want to order. But if your resume reads like an overcooked steak, you'll be left out in the cold.

Fear not, aspiring server extraordinaire! Our guide will help you revise your resume with the perfect blend of skills and accomplishments. Ready to plate up a resume with hiring managers shouting 'bon appétit'? Grab your apron, and let's get started!

Want to save time and have your resume ready in 5 minutes? Try our resume builder. It’s fast and easy to use. Plus, you’ll get ready-made content to add with one click. See 20+ resume templates and create your resume here.

Sample resume made with our builder—See more resume samples here.

Want more restaurant resume examples? Here you go:

Sample Restaurant Server Resume Template

Ashleigh Eustis

ashleighzeustis@gmail.com

610-305-4928

linkedin.com/in/ashleighzeustis

Resume Summary

Accomplished restaurant server with 2+ years of experience creating a great dining experience in a fast-paced restaurant in downtown Milwaukee. Seeking to make customers happy at Beef & Reef. At Prime Chops, served an 8-table section with 4–8 guests each on busy Friday and Saturday nights.

Work Experience

Restaurant Server

Prime Chops, Milwaukee, WI

June 2018 – June 2020

  • Maintained an 8-table section with a 50-guest capacity, turning over about every 1.5 hours and serving ~200 guests during busy shifts.
  • Worked the busy Friday night, Saturday night, and Sunday morning brunch shifts.
  • Memorized standard menu along with 20+ specials per night, including entrées, sauces, desserts, and specialty drinks, sandwiches, and apps.
  • Used deep menu knowledge to guide guests to their ideal dining experience.
  • Served guests efficiently, handling busy times with ease, professionalism, and smiles.
  • Ran POS, entering 200+ orders per busy shift with zero errors.
  • Received restaurant server of the month award 5 times for professionalism and efficiency.

Busser

Prime Chops, Milwaukee, WI

June 2017 – March 2018

  • Took 20+ drink orders per shift.
  • Cleaned 600+ tables per shift.

Education

Milwaukee Community College

Associate Degree in Business Administration

Graduated: June 2017

  • Coach, Intramural Ultimate Frisbee Team
  • Treasurer, Student Fundraising Club

Additional Activities

  • Regular volunteer dog walker, River Street Animal Shelter.
  • Volunteer pharmacy assistant, 1 day per month, MAMC.

Core Skills

  • Hard Skills: POS operation, stocking, order taking, cleaning floors & bathrooms
  • Soft Skills: interpersonal skills, teamwork, communication, friendly attitude

Certifications

  • ServSafe Certification
  • Basic Life Support

Here’s how to write your own job-getting restaurant server resume:

1. Format Your Restaurant Server Resume Correctly

To get hired by a good restaurant, you need a well-presented restaurant server resume. The right resume layout makes you look good with clean margins, headings, line spacing, and fonts. Just like the right atmosphere makes food taste better, your formatting makes your resume appealing.

For a professional resume format:

Read more: What Are the Parts of a Resume?

2. Get Attention with a Resume Profile Statement

I’ve got some bad news. Most restaurant managers won’t read your restaurant server resume. They’re just too busy. They’ll do a quick taste-test, glancing through and moving on. Stop them and get them interested in your skills with a tempting resume introduction. That’s a short elevator pitch that makes them read your resume.

Are you writing a resume for a first job? In that case, write a career objective. In it, say what you’d like to do to help their restaurant succeed.

Have you been around since everything was cooked on open flames? If yes, write a resume summary instead. Dress it with your best food-service achievements. Add your years of experience and how you’ll help the restaurant.

Read more: How to Make Your Resume Stand Out

3. Customize Your Restaurant Server Job Description

If you write a one-size-fits-all resume for restaurant server jobs, you won’t get much response. Why not? Everybody likes to feel special—even restaurant managers. Show them they’re your #1 with a custom-fitted resume. With a little tweaking, you’ll make their mouths water, and the phone will ring.

Here’s how to add work experience in resume:

  • Begin with your last restaurant server job.
  • Use the business titles in the job ad. (If they advertised for a restaurant server, use that as your job title.)
  • Add the company name, the location, and the months and years you worked.
  • Knowing how to target a resume to a job is key. Write 3–6 bullet points with resume accomplishments that speak to their job posting.
  • Write with good resume words like served, maintained, and memorized. Avoid stale fare like responsible for.

Wondering what kind of paper to print a resume on? See our guide: Resume Paper: What Type of Paper Is Best for a Resume?

4. Write a Delicious Restaurant Server Resume Education Section 

Listing education on your resume can help you stand out. Give it more flavor by adding a couple of school accomplishments. The trick? Show restaurant server qualities like interpersonal skills or efficiency. For example, working in a student group can show teamwork, and volunteering can show work ethic.

Use these resume tips:

5. Prove the Right Restaurant Server Skills

There’s a right way and a wrong way to show professional skills on a resume. If you add every skill on the menu, the restaurant manager won’t know which ones are your strongest. But add the wrong restaurant server skills, and they’ll think you’re a poor fit. The key? Add skills from the job ad. This approach will also help you make your resume ATS-friendly.

Here's how to add restaurant server skills to a resume:

  • First choose the right skills. The job ad is your menu. List its most important skills on some scratch paper.
  • List the central hard skills and soft skills in your skills section.
  • Don’t stop there! To get hired, prove your skills with work history accomplishments like served 200+ entrees per busy Friday night shift.

Restaurant Server Resume Skills

Pro Tip: Don’t just say you’ve waited tables. If you apply to a seafood restaurant, saying you served 100+ seafood entrees per night makes a great resume keyword.

Creating a resume with our builder is incredibly simple. Follow our step-by-step guide and use content from Certified Professional Resume Writers to have a resume ready in minutes.

When you’re done, our easy resume builder will score your resume and our resume scanner will tell you exactly how to make it better.

6. Add Special Sections to Your Restaurant Server Resume

Sure you’ve waited tables, but so have lots of people. The employer wants to know—are you awesome to work with? Show it with extra sections.

Here’s how to make your resume irresistible:

Read more: What Are the Key Sections in a Resume?

7. Write a Cover Letter for Your Restaurant Server Resume

Are cover letters important for restaurant server resumes? Yep. They can show you’re not just trolling for any ol’ server job. Use yours to show you really care about this restaurant. Also convince the manager that if she hires you, you won’t skip 3 weeks later for a better job.

Write these cover letter parts:

  • Create a compelling cover letter opening that gets them on your side from the first sentence.
  • Write a second paragraph stuffed with satisfying restaurant server accomplishments.
  • For your cover letter closing, ask for an in-person meeting and make it clear why this restaurant would be a good place for you.

How long should cover letter be? Three to four paragraphs is perfect, because that’s long enough to cover the basics without making the manager feel queasy.

Pro Tip: A follow up email for a job is necessary if you want them to remember you. Make your follow up brief, and attach your resume and original cover letter.

Plus, a great cover letter that matches your resume will give you an advantage over other candidates. You can write it in our cover letter builder here. Here's what it may look like:

See more cover letter templates and start writing.

That’s it!

That’s everything you need to write a 5-star restaurant server resume!

Thanks for reading! Do you have more questions on how to write a restaurant server resume that hits the spot? Give us a shout in the comments section!

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This article has been reviewed by our editorial team to make sure it follows Zety's editorial guidelines. We’re committed to sharing our expertise and giving you trustworthy career advice tailored to your needs. High-quality content is what brings over 40 million readers to our site every year. But we don't stop there. Our team conducts original research to understand the job market better, and we pride ourselves on being quoted by top universities and prime media outlets from around the world.

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Tom Gerencer, CPRW
Tom Gerencer is a career expert and Certified Professional Resume Writer who has published over 200 in-depth articles on Zety. Since 2016, he has been sharing advice on all things recruitment from writing winning resumes and cover letters to getting a promotion.
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