What does a food and beverage server do?
Food and beverage server responsibilities
Here are examples of responsibilities from real food and beverage server resumes:
- Implement training of (service techniques, up-selling, food preparation, wine selections and excellent customer service).
- Perform bartending and hosting duties as well as set-up for group events.
- Advise on menu selection, accurately enter orders, settle checks using POS and ensure guests' experience.
- Perform all duties of hotel food and beverage including: event management, serving, bartending, etc.
- Enhance customer experience through spirits, wine knowledge, and recommendations; resulting in increase customer check average and bar sales.
- Provide recommendations on what might be best for each guest base off of dietary restrictions, allergies, and health concerns.
- Reconcile end-of-shift POS ledger against cash-on-hand.
- Ensure and maintain cleanliness and organization of store base on company policy.
- Recognize for consistent leadership skills and ability to maintain a positive and efficient team environment while maintaining high productivity and sales.
- Perform additional duties such as cook, dishwasher, and banquets/social hour hostess as needed.
- Create a server training manual, define daily duties, and establish opening and closing procedures for all FOH staff.
- Receive numerous restaurant recognition for service and sales performance, including front-of- house (FOH) staff member of the month.
- Provide excellent customer service to insure a pleasurable dining experience at a variety of venues in the same casino.
Food and beverage server skills and personality traits
We calculated that 18% of Food And Beverage Servers are proficient in Food Service, Wine, and Cleanliness. They’re also known for soft skills such as Detail oriented, Communication skills, and Customer-service skills.
We break down the percentage of Food And Beverage Servers that have these skills listed on their resume here:
- Food Service, 18%
Developed Training materials and maintained system for opening and closing of food service operation.
- Wine, 12%
Provide Food and wine descriptions (Including processes under which food is prepared) as well as recommendations upon request.
- Cleanliness, 9%
Ensured and maintained cleanliness and organization of store based on company policy.
- Beverage Orders, 8%
Demonstrated skills in greeting customers, presenting menus, taking food and beverage orders and expediting them through the kitchen.
- Guest Service, 6%
Demonstrated excellence in guest service and hospitality.
- Food Safety, 6%
Practice general food safety and sanitation.
"food service," "wine," and "cleanliness" are among the most common skills that food and beverage servers use at work. You can find even more food and beverage server responsibilities below, including:
Detail oriented. To carry out their duties, the most important skill for a food and beverage server to have is detail oriented. Their role and responsibilities require that "waiters and waitresses must record customers’ orders accurately." Food and beverage servers often use detail oriented in their day-to-day job, as shown by this real resume: "team-oriented environment that allows for the utilization of teamwork and effective communication skills. "
Communication skills. Many food and beverage server duties rely on communication skills. "waiters and waitresses must listen to customers, ask questions as needed, and relay information to the kitchen staff so that orders are prepared to the customers’ satisfaction.," so a food and beverage server will need this skill often in their role. This resume example is just one of many ways food and beverage server responsibilities rely on communication skills: "developed excellent rapport with customer relations and interface communications. "
Customer-service skills. This is an important skill for food and beverage servers to perform their duties. For an example of how food and beverage server responsibilities depend on this skill, consider that "waiters and waitresses are frontline workers for their restaurant." This excerpt from a resume also shows how vital it is to everyday roles and responsibilities of a food and beverage server: "greeted customers, took food and drink orders, and served patrons. ".
Physical stamina. food and beverage server responsibilities often require "physical stamina." The duties that rely on this skill are shown by the fact that "waiters and waitresses spend most of their work hours standing or walking and carrying trays, dishes, and drinks." This resume example shows what food and beverage servers do with physical stamina on a typical day: "fast-paced, busy, high volume and maintain physical stamina. "
Physical strength. Another crucial skill for a food and beverage server to carry out their responsibilities is "physical strength." A big part of what food and beverage servers relies on this skill, since "waiters and waitresses need to be able to lift and carry trays of food or other items." How this skill relates to food and beverage server duties can be seen in an example from a food and beverage server resume snippet: "introduced a wine seminar for servers strengthening knowledge. "
The three companies that hire the most food and beverage servers are:
- Target35 food and beverage servers jobs
- Bridge Investment Group18 food and beverage servers jobs
- J.F. Shea Co9 food and beverage servers jobs
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Compare different food and beverage servers
Food and beverage server vs. Waitstaff
The waitstaff takes responsibility for tasks like recommending dishes based on the tastes and preferences of guests, accepting payments, and taking orders. Waitstaff delivers food to tables, ensures outstanding guest experience, and accepts payments. They work with diligence to get outstanding service quality and work with the other staff. It is part of their job to show customers their seats and provide menu options. They attend to tables for food service and guarantee cleanliness standard compliance.
These skill sets are where the common ground ends though. The responsibilities of a food and beverage server are more likely to require skills like "guest service," "food safety," "teamwork," and "beverage service." On the other hand, a job as a waitstaff requires skills like "culinary," "team work," "meal orders," and "good communication." As you can see, what employees do in each career varies considerably.
Waitstaffs really shine in the health care industry with an average salary of $26,991. Comparatively, food and beverage servers tend to make the most money in the media industry with an average salary of $26,491.waitstaffs tend to reach similar levels of education than food and beverage servers. In fact, waitstaffs are 0.9% less likely to graduate with a Master's Degree and 0.2% less likely to have a Doctoral Degree.Food and beverage server vs. Host/waiter
A server and hostess is an employee who plays the dual role of both a hostess and a server. As implied by this, a server and hostess is in-charge of welcoming guests as they enter the restaurant, ensuring that the guests' tables are ready before leading them to their assigned tables, handing over the menu, and waiting for the guests to finalize their order. Once the guests are ready to order, the server and hostess takes on the server role by bringing the guests' order to the kitchen, waiting for the food to be ready, and bringing the food to the guests' table.
Each career also uses different skills, according to real food and beverage server resumes. While food and beverage server responsibilities can utilize skills like "food service," "wine," "cleanliness," and "guest service," host/waiters use skills like "food handling," "culinary," "waiter," and "to-go orders."
Average education levels between the two professions vary. Host/waiters tend to reach similar levels of education than food and beverage servers. In fact, they're 1.5% less likely to graduate with a Master's Degree and 0.2% more likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.Food and beverage server vs. Server and shift manager
The required skills of the two careers differ considerably. For example, food and beverage servers are more likely to have skills like "guest service," "teamwork," "beverage service," and "room service." But a server and shift manager is more likely to have skills like "math," "work ethic," "strong work ethic," and "phone calls."
Server and shift managers typically earn similar educational levels compared to food and beverage servers. Specifically, they're 0.7% less likely to graduate with a Master's Degree, and 0.1% less likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.Food and beverage server vs. Server and hostess
Types of food and beverage server
Updated January 8, 2025
