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Restaurant worker skills for your resume and career

Updated January 8, 2025
2 min read
Below we've compiled a list of the most critical restaurant worker skills. We ranked the top skills for restaurant workers based on the percentage of resumes they appeared on. For example, 24.5% of restaurant worker resumes contained food handling as a skill. Continue reading to find out what skills a restaurant worker needs to be successful in the workplace.

15 restaurant worker skills for your resume and career

1. Food Handling

Here's how restaurant workers use food handling:
  • Learned about inventory control, FIFO, food handling techniques, handling deposits, and customer service skills.
  • Follow policy procedures and food handling guidelines.

2. Cleanliness

Here's how restaurant workers use cleanliness:
  • Trained and Experienced at Restaurant Industry Efficiency while Upholding a High Standard of Customer Service and Store Cleanliness.
  • Maintain cleanliness of dining area and back kitchen.

3. Customer Service

Customer service is the process of offering assistance to all the current and potential customers -- answering questions, fixing problems, and providing excellent service. The main goal of customer service is to build a strong relationship with the customers so that they keep coming back for more business.

Here's how restaurant workers use customer service:
  • Obtained much experience in customer service and working in high customer-volume situations
  • Performed multiple duties including cooking/baking, customer service and delivery

4. POS

POS is an abbreviation of "Point of Sale" which is the time and place where a customer completes a transaction. It can either be a physical shop that consists of POS terminals or a virtual shop. A POS system helps simplify the retail functions and track important sales data.

Here's how restaurant workers use pos:
  • Communicated clearly and positively with coworkers and management, Mastered point-of-service (POS) computer system for automated order taking.
  • Process customers transactions within established guidelines using POS Software!

5. Food Service

The food service industry is a vast industry comprising of restaurants, caterers, cafeterias operating in institutions and any other business offering a meal not prepared at home. Foodservice operators require necessary utensils for preparing food for the consumers, foodservice distributors are the people who take care of this need for them.

Here's how restaurant workers use food service:
  • Performed various tasks included but not limited to food preparation, food service, window service, and clean up.
  • Performed all food service tasks in an bar & grill style restaurant.

6. Food Orders

Here's how restaurant workers use food orders:
  • Prepared and managed individual food orders.
  • Recorded food orders, assembled and prepared the order, wrapped and bagged the food order.

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7. Food Preparation

Here's how restaurant workers use food preparation:
  • Provided outstanding service to customers* Dedicated employee- worked in all aspects of food preparation.
  • Prepared food as required in daily meal and operated food preparation equipment

8. Safety Standards

Here's how restaurant workers use safety standards:
  • Operated cash register/Greeted customers/Prepared kitchen/Maintained clean work station/Maintained sanitation, health and safety standards in work areas/Read food order slips
  • Demonstrated food and safety standards according to company and federal guidelines, Created a friendly/positive impression at the checkouts

9. Customer Relations

Here's how restaurant workers use customer relations:
  • Gained experience in taking instruction, customer relations, and punctuality.
  • Serviced customers in a friendly and orderly fashion, developing customer relations.

10. Waiter

Here's how restaurant workers use waiter:
  • Worked as Dishwasher/busboy, cashier, waiter and night maintenance to meet business needs.
  • Worked as waiter, cook, and delivery driver.

11. Bus Tables

Bus tables refers to the process of cleaning restaurant tables after the customer has finished and paid for the meal. This includes cleaning the table of any dirty dishes, wiping down the table and seats, and (sometimes) resetting the table for the next guests.

Here's how restaurant workers use bus tables:
  • Helped to bus tables, clean the restaurant, and maintain the salad bar.
  • Ring up food and drink purchases, bus tables, clean and stock restaurant.

12. Cooking Equipment

Here's how restaurant workers use cooking equipment:
  • Clean, store, and maintain kitchen utensils including but not limited to dishware and specialized cooking equipment.
  • Wash pots, pans, dishes, utensils, and other cooking equipment.

13. Customer Satisfaction

Here's how restaurant workers use customer satisfaction:
  • Directed server activities in the kitchen area to ensure customer satisfaction.
  • Work as a team to ensure customer satisfaction.

14. General Maintenance

General maintenance is the regular check-up and repairs of machinery, buildings, and other mechanical equipment. General maintenance is performed by repair workers who are skilled to handle the day-to-day defects produced in the machinery. General maintenance aims to make sure the items remain in the best operational conditions. Usually, a set of planned activities are performed regularly by an expert to monitor the maintenance.

Here's how restaurant workers use general maintenance:
  • Restocked shelves, worked the cash register and deep-fryer, made smoothies and provided general maintenance for the restaurant.
  • Cook, Busboy, Dishwasher, Salad bar restocking and general maintenance.

15. Drink Orders

Drink orders are made by a bartender working in a bar wherein he/she mixes up a drink that the customers want. There is a lot of different cocktail terminology a customer can ask the bartenders. The most commonly used are neat, it is a drink without any ice on it, but they can still add some by saying on the rocks. Also, you call a straight-up, a white or dark spirited drink poured in a cocktail glass.

Here's how restaurant workers use drink orders:
  • Coordinate with restaurant management regarding food and drink orders and recommendations to improve quality of service.
  • Record drink orders accurately and immediately after receipt into the register system.
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List of restaurant worker skills to add to your resume

Restaurant worker skills

The most important skills for a restaurant worker resume and required skills for a restaurant worker to have include:

  • Food Handling
  • Cleanliness
  • Customer Service
  • POS
  • Food Service
  • Food Orders
  • Food Preparation
  • Safety Standards
  • Customer Relations
  • Waiter
  • Bus Tables
  • Cooking Equipment
  • Customer Satisfaction
  • General Maintenance
  • Drink Orders
  • Guest Tables
  • Customer Complaints
  • Dishwashers
  • Credit Card Machines
  • Fast Food
  • Inventory Control
  • Busboy
  • Quality Customer Service
  • Fryers
  • Ice Cream
  • Customer Payments
  • Cooking Food
  • Clean Tables

Updated January 8, 2025

Zippia Research Team
Zippia Team

Editorial Staff

The Zippia Research Team has spent countless hours reviewing resumes, job postings, and government data to determine what goes into getting a job in each phase of life. Professional writers and data scientists comprise the Zippia Research Team.

Updated January 8, 2025

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