Fine dining server vs beverage server

The differences between fine dining servers and beverage servers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a fine dining server has an average salary of $32,140, which is higher than the $25,886 average annual salary of a beverage server.

The top three skills for a fine dining server include wine, fine dining and cleanliness. The most important skills for a beverage server are drink orders, guest service, and beverage orders.

Fine dining server vs beverage server overview

	Fine Dining Server	Beverage Server
Yearly salary	$32,140	$25,886
Hourly rate	$15.45	$12.45
Growth rate	10%	10%
Number of jobs	77,549	79,100
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 53%	Bachelor's Degree, 32%
Average age	28	28
Years of experience	-	-

What does a fine dining server do?

Fine dining servers the people who make your stay at a restaurant enjoyable. They deliver well-written orders for the kitchen to prepare and bring your food and beverage. Being a fine dining server is no easy task, as certain skill sets need to be met in order to become an effective dining server. An efficient server is detail-oriented, observant to the needs of the diners, and intuitive. An extensive knowledge of wines and other specific food categories may be required depending on the restaurant.

What does a beverage server do?

A beverage server specializes in mixing and preparing drinks, serving them to customers courteously. Their responsibilities also include greeting the customers, taking orders, answering inquiries, offering recommendations when necessary, and checking the customers' identification to confirm their ages. They may also provide assistance to managers by monitoring beverage inventories, receiving and unloading deliveries, organizing supplies and equipment, and maintaining the cleanliness of work areas. Moreover, as a beverage server, it is essential to have a clear communication line with co-workers for smooth work operations.

Fine dining server vs beverage server salary

Fine dining servers and beverage servers have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Fine Dining Server	Beverage Server
Average salary	$32,140	$25,886
Salary range	Between $21,000 And $47,000	Between $20,000 And $33,000
Highest paying City	-	-
Highest paying state	-	-
Best paying company	-	-
Best paying industry	-	-

Differences between fine dining server and beverage server education

There are a few differences between a fine dining server and a beverage server in terms of educational background:

	Fine Dining Server	Beverage Server
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 53%	Bachelor's Degree, 32%
Most common major	Business	Business
Most common college	-	-

Fine dining server vs beverage server demographics

Here are the differences between fine dining servers' and beverage servers' demographics:

	Fine Dining Server	Beverage Server
Average age	28	28
Gender ratio	Male, 39.6% Female, 60.4%	Male, 13.6% Female, 86.4%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 11.4% Unknown, 5.8% Hispanic or Latino, 19.6% Asian, 8.2% White, 54.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8%	Black or African American, 11.5% Unknown, 5.6% Hispanic or Latino, 19.3% Asian, 8.3% White, 54.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8%
LGBT Percentage	6%	6%

Differences between fine dining server and beverage server duties and responsibilities

Fine dining server example responsibilities.

Schedule and prioritize workload while managing multiple tasks as a representative of this distinctive establishment frequent by wine enthusiasts.
Maintain Microsoft windows base computer system.
Work closely with management to implement new organizational systems to facilitate efficient wine service and inventory.
Craft featured cocktails and signature drinks when bartending.
Inform chefs if guests have any allergies or other requests.
Maintain cleanliness of work areas, china, glass, etc., throughout the day.

Beverage server example responsibilities.

Open and close the register, provide credit card and cash reports, and batches on POS.
Learned more about different liquor, cocktails and wine, drink mixes and special drink of the month.
Work with large amounts of cash as well as credit cards, and knowledge of the POS system.
Present menus to guest, answer and give information about menu items such as wine selections to pair with meal.
Maintain cleanliness in assign section utilizing a silent service approach.
Supervise daily operations to ensure food safety, product preparation, cleanliness standards are maintain.

Fine dining server vs beverage server skills

Common fine dining server skills

Wine, 27%
Fine Dining, 24%
Cleanliness, 7%
Customer Service, 5%
Beverage Orders, 4%
POS, 4%

Common beverage server skills

Drink Orders, 10%
Guest Service, 9%
Beverage Orders, 8%
Exceptional Guest, 6%
Guest Satisfaction, 5%
Professional Appearance, 5%

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Fine Dining Server
Fine Dining Server vs Beverage Server

Updated January 8, 2025

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