Server Resume Example & Restaurant Server Skills (+ Tips)

You're a customer service representative, mind reader, and glassware balancing acrobat. Follow our tips to serve up your skills and experience on a full-flavored server resume.

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Taking orders, serving food, answering all the questions, and keeping not only a smile but a clean and neat presence. That’s the shortest summary of a server’s job. To land it, your restaurant server resume should highlight your relevant experience and skills that are useful for the job.

Sounds like carrying three plates on one arm? Luckily, creating a perfect server resume is easier than serving an entire pork roast while answering questions regarding 1991 Château Margaux! So, Garson, let’s get right to it, shall we?

This article will show you:

A restaurant server resume example better than 9 out of 10 other resumes.
How to write a server resume to land you more interviews.
Sample resume descriptions for server job application to help fill the work experience part.
Examples of essential restaurant server skills for a resume.

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.

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Targeting other jobs in the food industry? Look at our dedicated guides:

Server Resume Example

Bobby K. Price

Food Server

517-634-4836

BobbyKPrice@gmail.com

linkedin.com/in/bobbykprice

Resume Summary

Hardworking and dedicated server with 8+ years of experience providing excellent customer service in a fast-paced restaurant environment. Developed table turnover system for peak hours to increase customer satisfaction scores by 10%. Experienced in taking orders, making accurate changes, and upselling menu products. Seeking to join Josh’s Diner to boost its earnings.

Work Experience

Head Server

NoshFood, New York City, NY

February 2018–Present

Key Qualifications & Responsibilities

Led a team of 15 servers and bussers to ensure timely service and accurate order-taking.
Trained new staff members on restaurant policies and procedures to ensure proper functioning of operations.
Ensured smooth running operations while leading daily opening/closing duties like stocking condiments or checking cash registers.
Organized monthly meetings with waitstaff staff to discuss safety standards, customer experience goals ,and strategies for meeting revenue targets.

Key Achievement:

Developed a system for efficient table turnover during peak hours resulting in increased customer satisfaction scores by 10%.

Food Server

Cumin Restaurant, Chicago, IL

August 2015–January 2018

Key Qualifications & Responsibilities

Consistently exceeded sales goals by adding sides or drinks to customers’ orders based on preferences shared during conversations with them.
Maintained accuracy of cash register transactions by accurately counting money and entering data correctly into POS system.
Delivered excellent customer service while taking orders and making accurate changes at a fast pace.
Received outstanding feedback from guests regarding friendly attitude and professionalism in handling their orders.
Demonstrated an ability to handle stress calmly under pressure situations such as busy weekends or holidays without sacrificing quality of product delivered or level of customer service provided.

Key Achievement:

Achieved perfect score on health inspection reviews for two consecutive years from 2016 to 2017

Education

Manhattan International High School

New York City

September 2012–June 2015

Skills

Knowledge of food safety, health codes and regulations
Ability to work in a fast-paced environment
Understanding of customer service principles
Excellent communication skills
Attention to detail
Cash handling and POS operation experience
Strong organizational skills
Highly motivated and reliable team player
Skilled at multi-tasking efficiently
Proven ability to upsell menu items

Certifications

TIPS Alcohol Certification, 2019
ServSafe Food Handler, 2017

Language Skills

Spanish—Advanced

Now, here's how to write your server resume:

1. Choose the Best Format for Your Server Resume

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the demand for server jobs in the US will grow by 7% between 2016 and 2026. What does it mean to you as a candidate? Many job opportunities. Buts also⁠⁠—a lot of competition. To win this contest, you need a well-composed restaurant server resume. A list of server duties scribbled on a cocktail napkin won’t do the job.

So, begin with the professional server resume format. The reverse-chronological resume is your best choice. It will present your job history step by step and promote your recent achievements. A chronological resume will also help you pass Applicant Tracking Systems.

How about a restaurant server resume template? It needs to be elegant and easy to navigate. So divide your document into clear resume sections, pick the best resume fonts, and leave enough white space.

Finally, save your resume as a PDF, unless the employer asks for an MS Word file specifically.

Pro Tip: Writing a server resume with no serving experience? Still, go for a chronological resume format. However, put more focus on the skills that you can transfer from your other jobs.

2. Write a Restaurant Server Resume Objective or Summary

As a server in a dining establishment, you know the importance of the first impression. Charisma plus a smile⁠⁠—And your guests feel you care for them from the very first minute. Your server resume needs to work the same way because it makes for the recruiter’s first impression about you.

How to grab the hiring manager’s attention right away?

Write a professional profile, a short introductory paragraph that sums up your best career moments you put at the top of your catering server resume. It can be either a server resume summary or resume objective.

Here’s the difference between the two:

A resume summary works best for experienced candidates. It concentrates on your key achievements and best serving gigs.
A resume objective is a good choice for entry-level positions. It highlights the skills and describes your motivation to work at this particular place.

Take a look at the examples below:

Server Resume Summary Example

Right
Customer-focused server with 5+ years of experience serving guests at New York’s Senses and Tastes. Catered to up to 50 guests per night and ensured all meals are served on time. Handled the restaurant’s payment transactions with 99% accuracy.

That’s a first-class server resume summary. It’s short and to the point, shows facts and numbers, and paints an overall picture of the candidate’s experience.

Wrong
Friendly server with plenty of restaurant experience. Always kind to diners, knows how to advise customers and solve problematic issues. Dealt both with orders and payments.

“Friendly” server with “plenty of experience”? Unfortunately, this could be anyone. Avoid resume cliches. Instead, name achievements and quantify them.

Now for those less experienced in the food and beverage serving industry⁠—a sample objective for a restaurant server resume.

Server Resume Objective Example

Right

Well-organized college student with 2+ years experience as a weekend barista. Accustomed to a fast-paced environment and accurate with bills (98% correct cash transactions). Earned the “Barista of the Month” award in 2017. Eager to support your wait staff team at The Tasty. Wrong Hard-working server-to-be. Interested in your opening for a serving position at The Tasty. Previous experience includes bartending.

Wrong
Hard-working server-to-be. Interested in your opening for a serving position at The Tasty. Previous experience includes bartending.

The first server resume objective? Although the candidate doesn’t have any serving experience, they show transferable skills from other positions.

The second one? Without any facts and numbers, it’s not going to convince any recruiter.

Pro Tip: Write your server resume summary or objective once you finish writing all the other sections. It will be much easier to collect the best material this way.

Still not sure how to start your resume to grab the recruiter’s attention? Check out our guide: How to Start a Resume: A Complete Guide With Tips & 15+ Examples

3. Create the Perfect Resume Description for Server Jobs

Whether you’ve served at an upscale restaurant or in the local bar⁠—How you describe your work experience on a resume matters. Your server job description for a resume must treat the restaurant managers.

How to make this happen?

Find out exactly what they’re looking for and tailor your resume description for a server to the job ad.
Pick the most relevant achievements and describe them using resume action verbs, such as managed, ensured, coordinated, catered to, etc.
Always quantify your accomplishments. This way, you will help the hiring manager assess your work capacities.

Take a look at these sample server resume job descriptions:

Food Server Job Description for a Resume

Right

Head Server

January 2016⁠–December 2018

Moi Italian Restaurant, New York, NY

Key responsibilities:

Ensured quality service of up to 50 guests per night with no order mistakes.
Provided weekly menu items training to waitresses, waiters, and bartenders.
Mediated problematic situations and managed to solve all issues of this kind.
Coordinated the kitchen-service flow of orders and constantly monitored clients satisfaction.

Key achievements:

Designed a task management system that helped to speed up workflow by 20%.
Reduced diners’ wait time by 15% thanks to a new table placement proposal.

Wrong

Head Server

January 2016⁠–December 2018

Moi Italian Restaurant, New York, NY

Key responsibilities:

Provided daily quality service to guests.
Coordinated the kitchen-service flow of orders.
Monitored clients satisfaction.

Managed the staff tasks.

What’s the difference between these two? The “wrong” example is a boring list of duties. The “right” one shows both duties and achievements and backs them up with numbers.

Entry-Level Restaurant Server Resume⁠—Job Description

And what if you haven’t worked as a catering server before?

List all related jobs on your resume. Here’s how:

Right

Barista

July 2015⁠–April 2016

North Cafe, New York, NY

Key responsibilities:

Advised customers on coffee choices on the basis of their personal tastes.
Assessed personal satisfaction by performing weekly surveys (maintained 98% customer satisfaction score).
Provided tutoring sessions for fresher baristas.
Managed coffee orders and order payments.

Key achievement:

Supported the cafe manager with financial operations and helped to reduce monthly costs by $1500 thanks to well-estimated coffee grains demand.

See?

This former barista makes for a great future restaurant server.

Pro Tip: Make sure your experience bullets refer to both your hard skills and soft skills.

Trying to tailor your resume job description to the job ad? Read our dedicated guide: 6 Tips on How to Tailor Your Resume to a Job Description (Examples)

4. Make Your Server Resume Education Section Shine

To become a server, you don’t need any formal education. Most of the restaurants provide on-the-job training. However, any academic track record may boost your chances of winning that dream job.

Other requirements for a server job? Some restaurants ask for a food handler card or a special permit to work as a server. But these are usually sponsored by the employer.

Regardless of the education that you have⁠—the education section on a restaurant server resume does matter.

Here’s how to do it right.

Resume Description for a Server: Sample Education Section

Right

2008 Diploma in Restaurant Hospitality

Institute of Culinary Schooling, New York, NY

3.7 GPA

Your university degree is still in progress? Don’t worry:

Right

Diploma in Restaurant Hospitality

Institute of Culinary Schooling, New York, NY

Expected Graduation in 2019

And finally, a high school diploma:

Right

Victoria and Albert High School, New York, NY

Graduated: 2012

General tips:

Candidates with more than five years of professional experience should stick to listing their degree, school name and location, and graduation year.
Less experienced candidates may also add their GPA (if upwards of 3.5), extracurricular activities, academic accomplishments, and relevant coursework.
Don’t add a high school entry if you finished college.

Need more details regarding a resume education section? You’ll find them here: How to Put Your Education on a Resume [Tips & Examples]

5. Highlight Your Server Skills

All right. You have your professional profile and server job description for a resume ready. But recruiters are hungry for more! Satisfy their appetites with a strong list of server skills for a resume to prove you know how to serve plates and how to talk to guests.

Your server resume skills section needs to combine soft skills and technical abilities.

Use the list below to pick out skills for your restaurant server resume:

Server Resume Skills⁠—Examples

POS (Point of Sale) systems
Dining room setup
Cash and credit transactions
Drink dispenser use
Food safety procedures
Cashier skills
Restaurant Intercom
Politeness
Energy
Detail-oriented skills
Customer service skills
Reading comprehension
Communication skills
Stress management
Active listening
Active learning
Negotiation
Coordinated
Interpersonal skills
Monitoring self-performance
Persuasion
Teamwork skills
Critical thinking
Decision making
Leadership
Problem-solving
Time management

But don’t clutter your resume skill list with every single skill you can think of. Go back to the job ad to see what skills are mentioned there.

For instance:

Food and Beverage Server Job Ad

We’re looking for someone to serve food and drinks to guests with our new delivery system.

Responsibilities include: greeting guests, answering their questions, advising on food and drinks options, interacting with patrons, and ensuring a friendly atmosphere. Other duties: taking orders to the service bar and kitchen via the register system, responding to guest requests immediately, taking payments, making correct change, clearing and resetting dining tables.

Your custom-selected skills:

Excellent customer service
Communication
Collaboration and teamwork
Restaurant register systems
Time management
Perceptiveness
Fast counting
Table setup

That’s how you do it!

Pro Tip: Working in a fast-paced environment requires perfect time management and flexibility. If you consider a server’s job, but you feel it may be too fast for you, don’t worry. There are ways to improve your time management.

Looking for more skills examples? Check out this guide: 99 Key Skills for a Resume (Best List of Examples for All Types of Jobs)

When making a resume in our builder, drag & drop bullet points, skills, and auto-fill the boring stuff. Spell check? Check. Start building a professional resume template here for free.

Create my resume now

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

6. Add Other Sections to Your Server Resume

Extra sections on a restaurant server resume work just like a dessert course. They trick the recruiter’s brain into wanting more.

You can surely add:

But remember, pick the skills relevant to a server job.

Say, achievements. Maybe you maintained the highest client satisfaction rate or were named “The Friendliest Host of 2019”? Show it on your resume.

Here are some tips for other sections:

Hobbies and interests:

Passionate culinary blogger: [blog address]
Trained mixologist

Certifications:

Food Safety & Food Handler Certification (2020 expiration)
Certified Food Manager (2019)
Certified Food Executive (2018)

Pro Tip: If you’re looking for opportunities to get certified in the food serving industry, visit The National Restaurant Association website.

Want to list your server certifications on a resume, but you’re not sure how? More info here: How to List Certifications on a Resume: Guide (+20 Examples)

7. Attach a Server Resume Cover Letter

Do you need a cover letter for a server position? Quick answer⁠— You do. About 50% of recruiters expect your application to include a cover letter. That’s a lot.

So writing a good server cover letter can really boost your chances of getting this restaurant job.

How to create a gourmet server cover letter in no time?

Choose the right cover letter format.
Set the right tone in your cover letter intro.
Make an offer to the employer. Say how you can help them.
Include a call to action in your cover letter conclusion.

To make the process easier, see a great server cover letter sample here: Server Cover Letter

Pro Tip: Follow up on your job application. This will show the recruiter you really care.

Wondering what the best cover letter length is? Find out in our guide: How Long Should a Cover Letter Be? [Ideal Word Length & Page Count]

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:

Create my cover letter now

See more cover letter templates and start writing.

Key Takeaway

Here’s how to write your server resume:

Use the best format for your restaurant server resume. A reverse-chronological resume layout will help you promote your accomplishments.
Quantify your achievements and paint a compelling picture of your server work history in the experience section of your resume.
Tailor your server skills list to the job ad. You’ll find the skills they’re after in...the job offer itself.
Add a cherry on top by putting extra sections on your resume.
And, complement your resume with a mouth-watering cover letter for a server job.

And that’s how you write a winning server resume!

Are you writing a server resume for the first time? Or perhaps you’re a seasoned pro eager to help someone get the Michelin star? We’d love to hear from you, leave your comment below!

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Server Resume Example & Restaurant Server Skills (+ Tips)

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