Server & bartender jobs

Need a flexible work schedule? Looking for on-the-job perks and discounts? Bartender and server jobs deliver.

Nature of the work

• Waiters and waitresses, the largest group of these workers, take customers’ orders, serve food and beverages, prepare itemized checks, and sometimes accept payment. Their specific duties vary considerably, depending on the establishment.
• Bartenders fill drink orders either taken directly from patrons at the bar or through waiters and waitresses who place drink orders for dining room customers.
• Hosts and hostesses welcome guests, maintain reservation or waiting lists, assign guests to tables suitable for the size of their group, escort patrons to their seats, and provide menus.
• Food and beverage serving and related workers are the front line of customer service in restaurants, coffee shops, and other food service establishments. Most work as part of a team, helping coworkers during busy times to improve workflow and customer service.

Working conditions

• Food and beverage service workers are on their feet most of the time and often carry heavy trays of food, dishes, and glassware.
• During busy dining periods, they are under pressure to serve customers quickly and efficiently.
• The work is relatively safe, but care must be taken to avoid slips, falls, and burns.
• Food service and drinking establishments typically maintain long dining hours and offer flexible and varied work opportunities.
• Many food and beverage serving and related workers work evenings, weekends, and holidays. Some work split shifts—they work for several hours during the middle of the day, take a few hours off in the afternoon, and then return to their jobs for evening hours. Many students and teenagers seek part time or seasonal work as food and beverage serving and related workers as a first job to gain work experience or to earn spending money while in school.

Training, other qualifications and advancement

• There are no specific educational requirements for food and beverage service jobs, though many employers prefer to hire high school graduates for waiter and waitress, bartender, and host and hostess positions.
• Food and beverage serving and related workers who exhibit excellent personal qualities, such as a neat clean appearance, a well-spoken manner, an ability to work as a member of team, and a pleasant way with patrons, will be highly sought after.
• Waiters and waitresses need a good memory, and should be either comfortable using computers to place orders and generate customers’ bills or quick at arithmetic so they can total bills manually.
• Prior experience waiting on tables is preferred by restaurants and hotels that have rigid table service standards.
• Usually, bartenders must be at least 21 years of age, but employers prefer to hire people who are 25 or older.
• Bartenders should be familiar with State and local laws concerning the sale of alcoholic beverages.
• Due to the relatively small size of most food-serving establishments, opportunities for promotion are limited. For waiters, waitresses, and bartenders, advancement usually is limited to finding a job in a busier or more expensive restaurant or bar where prospects for tip earnings are better. Some hosts and hostesses and waiters and waitresses advance to supervisory jobs, such as maitre d’hotel, dining room supervisor, or restaurant manager.

About SnagAJob.com
SnagAJob.com is America's largest hourly job website, featuring more than 100,000 active job postings in industries including: restaurant, retail, office, homecare, light industrial and more. With their quick ZIP code search, you can easily find and apply to part-time, full-time and seasonal jobs right around the corner – without ever leaving home. They'll even email you new job alerts. SnagAJob.com also has job tips to help you land your dream gig and thrive on the job. It's all free – and they're open 24/7. SnagAJob.com is dedicated to making life easier for students and hourly workers. Search for jobs now, and be sure to check out our job blog for regularly updated news, features and insights.