Customer and office

Restaurant Server resume example

Use covers, check averages and guest feedback to show you are fast and good at it.

Below: what to put in the summary, six sample bullets with numbers, the skills worth listing, and the mistakes that show up most. The sample resume is a fictional person.

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Sample restaurant server resume for Tessa Monroe, a fictional person, in the Starter layout. The names, employers and numbers are invented.

What to put in the summary

Name the type of restaurant, the covers per shift and one line on your style. A manager wants to know you are fast, accurate and calm at the busiest hour. Include availability and any alcohol-service certification.

Server in a 120-seat casual dining restaurant, three years on the floor. Runs a five-table section on Friday nights, with a check average above the team average and few comps. TIPS-certified, available nights and weekends.

Example summary, written for a fictional restaurant server.

Sample bullets with numbers

Covers, check average, comps and reliability tell a manager how you will do. Use what you know and keep it honest.

  • Served 60–80 guests per shift in a 120-seat restaurant, running a five-table section during peak hours.
  • Maintained a check average of $48, about $6 above the team average, through menu knowledge and pairing suggestions.
  • Kept order errors low enough that comps averaged under 0.5% of my sales.
  • Trained 10 new servers on the POS and section flow, and was asked to lead the pre-shift briefing on busy nights.
  • Handled allergy requests by checking ingredients with the kitchen and confirming at the table, with no incidents in three years.
  • Covered 15+ extra shifts during staffing shortages without a late arrival.

These numbers are invented to show the shape of a good bullet. Use your own, and leave a number out rather than guess.

Key skills to list

  • POS (Toast, Square)
  • Menu knowledge
  • Allergen awareness
  • Upselling and pairing
  • Section management
  • Team service
  • Cash handling
  • TIPS/alcohol certification
  • Conflict resolution
  • Food handler card

Certifications such as alcohol service and food handler go near the top. Name the POS you know.

Common mistakes

  1. Writing a long objective statement.
  2. Leaving out the restaurant type and size.
  3. Listing every shift you ever worked.
  4. Forgetting availability.

A layout that suits this resume

Starter is a light single column without clutter, so covers, check averages and reliability stand out on a one-page resume. See the Starter template, or compare all 22 layouts.

Restaurant Server resume questions

How long should a server resume be?

One page, and quite short. Managers read these fast, so lead with the venue, covers and reliability.

Do I list tips earned?

Not usually. Check average, sales per hour or guest feedback say more about performance.

Related resume examples

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