How to hire a food service/cashier

How to hire a food service/cashier, step by step

Here's a step-by-step food service/cashier hiring guide:

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

What does a food service/cashier do?

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   First, determine the employments status of the food service/cashier you need to hire. Certain food service/cashier roles might require a full-time employee, whereas others can be done by part-time workers or contractors.

   Determine employee vs contractor status

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

   Yes

   No

   A food service/cashier's background is also an important factor in determining whether they'll be a good fit for the position. For example, food service/cashiers from different industries or fields will have radically different experiences and will bring different viewpoints to the role. You also need to consider the candidate's previous level of experience to make sure they'll be comfortable with the job's level of seniority.

   The following list breaks down different types of food service/cashiers and their corresponding salaries.

   Type of Food Service/Cashier	Description	Hourly rate
   Food Service/Cashier	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
   Crew Member	Crew members assist in the overall daily operations of a business, including restaurants, hotels, resorts, and other industries needing a large workforce. Crew members' duties include attending on a customer's needs, processing payments, taking orders, and handling sanitation services... Show more	$10-17
   Food Prep	The primary duty of a food prep is to accomplish various food handling and preparation tasks according to the direction of supervisors, chefs, or cooks. One can work in different establishments or industry where there is food involved... Show more	$9-16

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Food Service
   • POS
   • Cleanliness
   • Basic Math
   • Math
   • Customer Complaints
   • Safety Standards
   • Food Products
   • Customer Service
   • Cash Handling
   • Exceptional Guest
   • Customer Satisfaction
   • Cash Receipts
   • Food Orders

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Cashier, serve food, manage calls, drawer counting, heavy lifting, heavy use of POS system and filing.
   • Greet guests, take food and drink orders, prepare and assemble food items, maintain the cash drawer and POS system
   • Time management while delivering patients orders and providing exceptional customer service in a fast pace environment.
   • Order and receive supplies for culinary needs of the fleet.
   • Maintain food safety and quality by applying HACCP principles throughout service.
   • Load and unload commercial dishwashers.

   More food service/cashier duties

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in the food service/cashier job description is a good way to get more applicants. A food service/cashier salary can be affected by several factors, such as the location of the job, the level of experience, education, certifications, and the employer's prestige.

   For example, the average salary for a food service/cashier in Georgia may be lower than in New Hampshire, and an entry-level engineer typically earns less than a senior-level food service/cashier. Additionally, a food service/cashier with lots of experience in the field may command a higher salary as a result.

   Average food service/cashier salary

   $13.69hourly

   $28,481 yearly

   ---

   Entry-level food service/cashier salary

   $22,000 yearly salary

   Updated January 18, 2026

   Average food service/cashier salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	New Jersey	$33,386	$16
   2	Massachusetts	$32,735	$16
   3	California	$32,539	$16
   4	District of Columbia	$31,321	$15
   5	Colorado	$30,350	$15
   6	Idaho	$29,933	$14
   7	Minnesota	$29,838	$14
   8	Illinois	$29,715	$14
   9	Pennsylvania	$28,420	$14
   10	North Carolina	$27,464	$13
   11	Arizona	$27,160	$13
   12	Nebraska	$27,098	$13
   13	New Mexico	$27,053	$13
   14	Missouri	$26,793	$13
   15	Virginia	$26,594	$13
   16	Indiana	$26,265	$13
   17	Nevada	$25,484	$12
   18	Washington	$25,200	$12
   19	Florida	$25,187	$12
   20	Texas	$23,995	$12

   Average food service/cashier salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	Aspen School District	$33,431	$16.07
   2	Whole Foods Market	$32,504	$15.63	176
   3	Banner Health	$32,434	$15.59	16
   4	Capistrano Unified	$32,153	$15.46
   5	Minnesota State College Southeast	$31,812	$15.29
   6	Brigham and Women's Hospital	$31,505	$15.15	18
   7	UCHealth	$31,479	$15.13	4
   8	Stewart's Shops	$31,403	$15.10
   9	Tenet Healthcare	$31,307	$15.05	15
   10	UC Health	$31,254	$15.03	5
   11	Compass Group USA	$30,930	$14.87	5,166
   12	UF Health Central Florida	$30,875	$14.84
   13	St. Luke's Health System	$30,756	$14.79	21
   14	Methodist Health System	$30,712	$14.77	3
   15	Memphis Zoo	$30,580	$14.70
   16	HealthTrust	$30,254	$14.55	1
   17	Food City	$30,159	$14.50	374
   18	Palmetto	$30,143	$14.49	3
   19	AVI Foodsystems	$29,978	$14.41	341
   20	Memorial Healthcare System	$29,625	$14.24

4. Writing a food service/cashier job description

   A good food service/cashier job description should include a few things:

   • Summary of the role
   • List of responsibilities
   • Required skills and experience

   Including a salary range and the first name of the hiring manager is also appreciated by candidates. Here's an example of a food service/cashier job description:

   Food service/cashier job description example

   Food Service Attendant 1

   Miami Valley Gaming is looking to hire a Food Service Attendant 1 to help our F&B Team deliver the exceptional guest experience we're known for. Are you interested in growing a hospitality career ? If you are a dynamic, dependable, and guest-focused individual, we would be lucky to have you join our F&B team in this position!

   This position starts at a competitive starting wage of $14.50/hr plus time and a half pay for select holidays and high-volume business days . We also offer great full-time benefits including medical, dental, vision, very generous paid time off (PTO), and company-paid life insurance . But that's not all! Our team members also enjoy great perks like 30% discounts at select restaurants, an employee referral program, and more! If this sounds like the right entry-level hospitality opportunity for you, apply for this F&B position today!

   WHY JOIN MIAMI VALLEY GAMING

   We do our very best to make sure our team members know how valued they are and are proud to offer exceptional benefits . We also offer many career paths for our team members to move forward. The majority of our leadership team has been promoted from within the company. We have a dynamic work culture and incorporate FUN into each of our company events! Our team members also get to participate in various charitable activities to give back to our community.

   A DAY IN THE LIFE AS A FOOD SERVICE ATTENDANT

   • You are a can-do person who likes to keep busy and doesn't mind to jump in and help with other tasks whenever needed.
   • You're happy that you're not stuck in a cubicle all day!
   • You are conscientious about adhering to all service, health, safety, and personal hygiene standards.
   • While you're self-motivated and able to work independently, you are a people person and also enjoy the camaraderie that's inherent in a tight-knit F&B team.
   • You are happy to take advantage of our excellent training and are considering advancing in a hospitality or culinary career. But whatever the future holds, for now, you enjoy working in a fun and friendly environment where you are never bored and time goes by quickly.

   
   

   QUALIFICATIONS FOR A FOOD SERVICE ATTENDANT

   • High school diploma or equivalent
   • Ability to perform typical tasks required in an entertainment/guest service environment
   • Ability to be on your feet for 8 hours at a time
   • Ability to pass a background check or be eligible for a gaming license
   • Customer service and hospitality skills

   Do you thrive in a fast-paced environment? Are you a dependable person who follows through on tasks? Do you have good communication skills? If so, then you might just be perfect for this position!

   READY TO JOIN OUR FUN F&B TEAM?

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

   
   
   Job Posted by ApplicantPro
   

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   There are various strategies that you can use to find the right food service/cashier for your business:

   • Consider promoting from within or recruiting from your existing workforce.
   • Ask for referrals from friends, family members, and current employees.
   • Attend job fairs at local colleges to find candidates who meet your education requirements.
   • Use social media platforms like LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter to reach potential job candidates.

   Post your job online:

   • Post your food service/cashier job on Zippia to find and recruit food service/cashier candidates who meet your exact specifications.
   • Use field-specific websites.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   Recruiting food service/cashiers requires you to bring your A-game to the interview process. The first interview should introduce the company and the role to the candidate as much as they present their background experience and reasons for applying for the job. During later interviews, you can go into more detail about the technical details of the job and ask behavioral questions to gauge how they'd fit into your current company culture.

   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 food service/cashier

   Once you've found the food service/cashier candidate you'd like to hire, it's time to write an offer letter. This should include an explicit job offer that includes the salary and the details of any other perks. Qualified candidates might be looking at multiple positions, so your offer must be competitive if you like the candidate. Also, be prepared for a negotiation stage, as candidates may way want to tweak the details of your initial offer. Once you've settled on these details, you can draft a contract to formalize your agreement.

   It's also good etiquette to follow up with applicants who don't get the job by sending them an email letting them know that the position has been filled.

   To prepare for the new employee's start date, you can create an onboarding schedule and complete any necessary paperwork, such as employee action forms and onboarding documents like I-9 forms, benefits enrollment, and federal and state tax forms. Human Resources should also ensure that a new employee file is created.

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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