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Dining car server vs food runner

The differences between dining car servers and food runners can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a dining car server has an average salary of $26,623, which is higher than the $25,536 average annual salary of a food runner.

The top three skills for a dining car server include exceptional dining, fine dining and meal service. The most important skills for a food runner are cleanliness, wine, and culinary.

Dining car server vs food runner overview

Dining Car ServerFood Runner
Yearly salary$26,623$25,536
Hourly rate$12.80$12.28
Growth rate10%14%
Number of jobs89,453240,853
Job satisfaction--
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 44%High School Diploma, 38%
Average age2823
Years of experience--

Dining car server vs food runner salary

Dining car servers and food runners have different pay scales, as shown below.

Dining Car ServerFood Runner
Average salary$26,623$25,536
Salary rangeBetween $20,000 And $34,000Between $18,000 And $34,000
Highest paying City-Seattle, WA
Highest paying state-Vermont
Best paying company-University of Massachusetts Boston
Best paying industry-Hospitality

Differences between dining car server and food runner education

There are a few differences between a dining car server and a food runner in terms of educational background:

Dining Car ServerFood Runner
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 44%High School Diploma, 38%
Most common majorBusinessBusiness
Most common college--

Dining car server vs food runner demographics

Here are the differences between dining car servers' and food runners' demographics:

Dining Car ServerFood Runner
Average age2823
Gender ratioMale, 26.8% Female, 73.2%Male, 59.0% Female, 41.0%
Race ratioBlack or African American, 11.0% Unknown, 5.6% Hispanic or Latino, 19.3% Asian, 9.8% White, 53.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8%Black or African American, 9.6% Unknown, 6.9% Hispanic or Latino, 18.6% Asian, 6.5% White, 57.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8%
LGBT Percentage6%8%

Differences between dining car server and food runner duties and responsibilities

Dining car server example responsibilities.

  • Manage POS systems, cash register processes and packing food.
  • Demonstrate knowledge of each culinary dish, from farm to table.
  • Maintain cleanliness and conditional issues for the front and back of the house.
  • Communicate to the kitchen additional requirements, allergies, dietary needs, and special requests for meals.
  • Provide guests of internationally acclaim Japanese fusion restaurant with exceptional service and culinary expertise.
  • Provide guests with an excellent dining experience by asking questions about allergies or preferences and initiating conversation for customer confidence.
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Food runner example responsibilities.

  • Manage labor and design of numerous weddings, banquets, buffets, and the restaurant floor.
  • Manage event reservations and party requests, inform customers about upcoming events and specials.
  • Provide excellent customer service to guests by describing and suggesting culinary options
  • Greet customers and prepare drinks (tea, smoothies).
  • Expedite the kitchen to ensure food leaves fast and accurately.
  • Demonstrate strong computational skills for tendering receipt of payments from clients.
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Dining car server vs food runner skills

Common dining car server skills
  • Exceptional Dining, 18%
  • Fine Dining, 15%
  • Meal Service, 10%
  • Genuine Hospitality, 7%
  • Customer Service, 5%
  • Bus Tables, 5%
Common food runner skills
  • Cleanliness, 20%
  • Wine, 9%
  • Culinary, 7%
  • Food Orders, 6%
  • Fine Dining, 5%
  • Food Handling, 5%

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