How to hire a cafe attendant

How to hire a cafe attendant, step by step

Here's a step-by-step cafe attendant hiring guide:

• Step 1: Identify your hiring needs
• Step 2: Create an ideal candidate profile
• Step 3: Make a budget
• Step 4: Write a cafe attendant job description
• Step 5: Post your job
• Step 6: Interview candidates
• Step 7: Send a job offer and onboard your new cafe attendant
• Step 8: Go through the hiring process checklist

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   Before you start hiring a cafe attendant, identify what type of worker you actually need. Certain positions might call for a full-time employee, while others can be done by a part-time worker or contractor.

   Determine employee vs contractor status

   Is the person you're thinking of hiring a US citizen or green card holder?

   Yes

   No

   Hiring the perfect cafe attendant also involves considering the ideal background you'd like them to have. Depending on what industry or field they have experience in, they'll bring different skills to the job. It's also important to consider what levels of seniority and education the job requires and what kind of salary such a candidate would likely demand.

   This list shows salaries for various types of cafe attendants.

   Type of Cafe Attendant	Description	Hourly rate
   Cafe Attendant	Food and beverage serving and related workers perform a variety of customer service, food preparation, and cleaning duties in restaurants, cafeterias, and other eating and drinking establishments.	$10-16
   Food Preparer	A food preparer or food preparation worker is the person who executes routine tasks under the supervision of chefs, food service managers, and cooks. Food preparation workers slice meat, cut vegetables, and prepare cold foods... Show more	$9-17
   Food Server	A Food Server specializes in helping customers attain a pleasant dining experience while ensuring to meet all food handling and health regulation standards. Most of the responsibilities revolve around greeting customers and directing them to comfortable seats, responding to their inquires and taking their orders, and courteously suggesting options... Show more	$8-16

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Cleanliness
   • Food Handling
   • Food Service
   • POS
   • Customer Service
   • Wine
   • Cash Handling
   • Coffee Drinks
   • Food Orders
   • Cash Registers
   • Customer Satisfaction
   • Food Products
   • Cash Drawers
   • Punctuality

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Operate POS system cash registers.
   • assist with taking orders and when need assist at the fryers and hot line.
   • Control temperature preparation board accordance to HACCP regulations.
   • Train to make and serve Starbucks beverages.

   More cafe attendant duties

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in your cafe attendant job description is one of the best ways to attract top talent. A cafe attendant can vary based on:

   • Location. For example, cafe attendants' average salary in south carolina is 35% less than in california.
   • Seniority. Entry-level cafe attendants 38% less than senior-level cafe attendants.
   • Certifications. A cafe attendant with certifications usually earns a higher salary.
   • Company. Working for an established firm or a new start-up company can make a big difference in a cafe attendant's salary.

   Average cafe attendant salary

   $13.03hourly

   $27,109 yearly

   ---

   Entry-level cafe attendant salary

   $21,000 yearly salary

   Updated December 13, 2025

   Average cafe attendant salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	California	$32,790	$16
   2	Michigan	$30,842	$15
   3	Massachusetts	$29,257	$14
   4	Iowa	$28,461	$14
   5	Pennsylvania	$28,426	$14
   6	New Hampshire	$28,346	$14
   7	Nevada	$27,541	$13
   8	Arizona	$26,940	$13
   9	Tennessee	$25,733	$12
   10	Colorado	$25,409	$12
   11	Texas	$24,558	$12
   12	Illinois	$24,471	$12
   13	Virginia	$24,364	$12
   14	North Carolina	$23,661	$11
   15	Florida	$22,875	$11
   16	Georgia	$22,041	$11

   Average cafe attendant salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	University of Colorado Boulder	$34,710	$16.69
   2	Bon Appétit Management	$32,192	$15.48
   3	University Medical Center of Southern Nevada	$31,707	$15.24
   4	Earth Fare	$30,383	$14.61	1
   5	J.F. Shea Co	$30,305	$14.57	7
   6	Guest Services	$29,515	$14.19	10
   7	Willow Valley Communities	$29,454	$14.16
   8	Neighborhood Health	$29,420	$14.14
   9	Paramount Events	$29,357	$14.11
   10	Hueman	$29,194	$14.04
   11	Great Western Dining Service, Inc.	$29,059	$13.97	3
   12	RiverWoods Exeter	$29,043	$13.96
   13	Noble House Hotels & Resorts	$28,913	$13.90	19
   14	SAGE Dining Services	$28,884	$13.89	2
   15	NexDine	$28,791	$13.84	3
   16	Friendship Village	$28,575	$13.74
   17	St Joseph Medical Group	$28,402	$13.65	10
   18	Marriott International	$28,371	$13.64	330
   19	Sage Hospitality Group	$28,229	$13.57	47
   20	All Sport Health & Fitness	$28,003	$13.46	9

4. Writing a cafe attendant job description

   A cafe attendant job description should include a summary of the role, required skills, and a list of responsibilities. It's also good to include a salary range and the first name of the hiring manager. To help get you started, here's an example of a cafe attendant job description:

   Cafe attendant job description example

   This serving position with our hospitality team earns a competitive wage of $17 - $20/hour , depending on experience. We provide our Barista / Cafe Attendant great benefits , including medical, dental, vision, paid federal holidays, and life insurance . Our hospitality team also receives a 401(k) plan after 1 year of employment, free shift meals, a 50% employee discount at our restaurant, and an annual employee appreciation day .

   Are you friendly, personable, and customer service-oriented? Do you want the opportunity to launch a career in the hospitality industry? Would you like to join an innovative company that values hard work and creating special moments for the people we serve? If this sounds like the right food service opportunity for you, apply today to join our hospitality team!

   ABOUT PARAMOUNT EVENTS

   At Paramount Events, our strong values and hard work ethic extend to every event we encounter. As a woman-owned and green-certified business, we offer full-service and drop-off catering options that specialize in all-natural and fresh food year-round. We combine culinary experiences with innovative catering and impeccable service to bring Chicago's finest chef-driven cuisine to any table. No matter the size of an event, we strive to ensure that every moment is special and every menu is unique and fully customized.

   Our team is full of talented individuals who are passionate about hospitality and expertly curated experiences. We provide hands-on training in-house and on-site to help our employees thrive in their positions . Our high standards of service wouldn't be possible without our hardworking, dedicated team, which is why we are proud to offer competitive pay, great benefits , and a family-oriented environment that encourages growth and new opportunities .

   QUALIFICATIONS FOR A BARISTA / CAFE ATTENDANT

   • Excellent customer service skills
   • Covid-19 vaccination

   For front-of-house employees :

   • Food handler's certification
   • Illinois BASSET alcohol certification

   Experience working in the food service industry is preferred but multiple factors will be taken into consideration. Can you balance multiple tasks while keeping up in a fast-paced environment? Do you have excellent verbal and written communication skills? Are you highly organized and attentive to detail? Do you work well both independently and as part of a team? Can you easily learn new skills and technologies? If yes, you might just be perfect for this serving position with our hospitality team!

   A DAY IN THE LIFE OF A BARISTA / CAFE ATTENDANT

   As a Barista / Cafe Attendant, you use your exceptional customer service skills to keep the guests satisfied who use our corporate dining location. When serving guests, you take their orders and ensure they are accurately completed. Some of the orders you make include coffee drinks, smoothies, and fresh juices. Once you finish an order, you ring customers out at the register and make sure that payment is processed correctly. You are always quick to greet customers because providing high-quality beverage and food service is a top priority for you. Being in a serving position where you get to put your customer service skills to good use and keep our cafe operating smoothly is why you look forward to your job each day!

   WORK SCHEDULE

   This full-time serving position with our hospitality team works a daytime schedule, Monday to Friday with some occasional evening and weekend shifts.

   ARE YOU READY TO JOIN OUR FOOD SERVICE TEAM?

   If you feel that you would be right for this customer service job, please fill out our initial 3-minute, mobile-friendly application . We look forward to meeting you!

   Location: 60618

   
   
   Job Posted by ApplicantPro
   

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5. Post your job

   There are a few common ways to find cafe attendants for your business:

   • Promoting internally or recruiting from your existing workforce.
   • Ask for referrals from friends, family members, and current employees.
   • Attend job fairs at local colleges to meet candidates with the right educational background.
   • Use social media platforms like LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter to recruit passive job-seekers.

   Post your job online:

   • Post your cafe attendant job on Zippia to find and recruit cafe attendant candidates who meet your exact specifications.
   • Use field-specific websites.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   Your first interview with cafe attendant candidates should focus on their interest in the role and background experience. As the hiring process goes on, you can learn more about how they'd fit into the company culture in later rounds of interviews.

   Remember to include a few questions that allow candidates to expand on their strengths in their own words. Asking about their unique skills might reveal things you'd miss otherwise. At this point, good candidates can move on to the technical interview.

   The right interview questions can help you assess a candidate's hard skills, behavioral intelligence, and soft skills.

7. Send a job offer and onboard your new cafe attendant

   Once you've decided on a perfect cafe attendant candidate, it's time to write an offer letter. In addition to salary, it should include benefits and perks available to the employee. Qualified candidates may be considered for other positions, so make sure your offer is competitive. Candidates may wish to negotiate. Once you've settled on the details, formalize your agreement with a contract.

   It's equally important to follow up with applicants who don't get the job with an email letting them know that the position has been filled.

   To prepare for the new cafe attendant first day, you should share an onboarding schedule with them that covers their first period on the job. You should also quickly complete any necessary paperwork, such as employee action forms and onboarding documents like I-9, benefits enrollment, and federal and state tax forms. Finally, Human Resources must ensure a new employee file is created for internal record keeping.

8. Go through the hiring process checklist

   • Determine employee type (full-time, part-time, contractor, etc.)
   • Submit a job requisition form to the HR department
   • Define job responsibilities and requirements
   • Establish budget and timeline
   • Determine hiring decision makers for the role
   • Write job description
   • Post job on job boards, company website, etc.
   • Promote the job internally
   • Process applications through applicant tracking system
   • Review resumes and cover letters
   • Shortlist candidates for screening
   • Hold phone/virtual interview screening with first round of candidates
   • Conduct in-person interviews with top candidates from first round
   • Score candidates based on weighted criteria (e.g., experience, education, background, cultural fit, skill set, etc.)
   • Conduct background checks on top candidates
   • Check references of top candidates
   • Consult with HR and hiring decision makers on job offer specifics
   • Extend offer to top candidate(s)
   • Receive formal job offer acceptance and signed employment contract
   • Inform other candidates that the position has been filled
   • Set and communicate onboarding schedule to new hire(s)
   • Complete new hire paperwork (i9, benefits enrollment, tax forms, etc.)

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