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Restaurant server resume example

A one-page resume for a server with three years of full-service experience. Restaurant managers want servers who sell, keep guests happy and work well with the kitchen, so the bullets show covers, check average and wine sales.

Restaurant server resume example, page 1 of 1Dante VillaseñorRestaurant Serverdante.villasenor@example.com · (504) 555-0135 · New Orleans, LASummaryServer with three years at a 160-seat Creole restaurant, after two years as a busser and food runner. I run afive-table section through a 300-cover Saturday, know the menu and wine list well enough to sell themhonestly, and keep my check average above the house. Certified Louisiana responsible vendor server andIntroductory Sommelier.ExperienceServerMay 2023 – PresentMagnolia and Vine · New Orleans, LA•Serve 45 to 70 guests a night in a 5-table section, with a check average of $78 against a house average of$69.•Lead the floor in wine by the bottle, about $9,000 a month, by tasting every new wine and pairing it with thespecials.•Run private dining parties of 20 to 40 guests, about 4 a month, with the event coordinator.•Trained 6 new servers on the menu, Toast POS and steps of service; all passed their menu test in the firstweek.Busser and Food RunnerMar 2021 – Apr 2023Frenchmen Street Oyster House · New Orleans, LA•Reset tables and ran food for 400 covers on festival weekends, helping cut table turn time by about 10minutes.•Promoted to server trainee after 18 months for speed and teamwork.EducationHigh School Diploma2016 – 2020Benjamin Franklin High School · New Orleans, LACertificationsLouisiana Responsible Vendor Server Permit2025Louisiana Office of Alcohol and Tobacco ControlIntroductory Sommelier Certificate2025Court of Master Sommeliers, AmericasServSafe Food Handler2024National Restaurant AssociationSkillsSteps of service · Menu and wine knowledge · Wine service · Upselling · Toast POS · Private dining ·Allergy and dietary needs · Cash and card handling · Teamwork with kitchen and bar
Restaurant serverUse this example

What recruiters look for

  • Volume: section size and covers a night. It tells a manager you can handle their Saturday.
  • Sales: check average against the house, wine or cocktail sales, dessert attachment.
  • Guest experience: regulars, review mentions, how you handle complaints.
  • Menu and beverage knowledge: in fine dining, wine training and allergy knowledge matter a lot.
  • Permits: your state’s alcohol server permit and a food handler card where required.

Writing the summary

Say how long you have served and in what kind of restaurant (casual, fine dining, high-volume, hotel), your section and covers, and one sales result. Add your permits.

The summary in this example

Server with three years at a 160-seat Creole restaurant, after two years as a busser and food runner. I run a five-table section through a 300-cover Saturday, know the menu and wine list well enough to sell them honestly, and keep my check average above the house. Certified Louisiana responsible vendor server and Introductory Sommelier.

Moving from casual dining to fine dining

Server with three years at a busy casual dining restaurant, handling 8-table sections and 120 covers on weekends. Studying wine for the Introductory Sommelier exam and ready to learn formal steps of service at a fine dining restaurant.

Server moving up to lead server or floor manager

Lead server with five years in full-service restaurants, now running pre-shift meetings, training new servers and covering the floor manager on weeknights. I want a supervisor or floor manager role.

Bullet points that work

Strong lines for this role, beyond the ones in the example. Borrow the shape and put in your own numbers.

  • Raised dessert sales in my section by 35% by describing desserts at the entrée check.
  • Kept a 4.9-star average on 200 server ratings in the restaurant’s guest survey.
  • Handled 8-table sections on weekend nights for 110 to 130 covers with no comped meals for slow service.
  • Memorized a 60-item menu and its allergens, and caught 12 allergy issues before plates reached guests.
  • Sold 80 tasting menus with wine pairings a month, the most of 14 servers.
  • Built a group of about 40 regulars who request my section.
  • Closed the restaurant 3 nights a week, including side work checklists and server cash-outs.
  • Served 3 wedding rehearsal dinners of 60 guests each as lead server.
  • Helped launch a new brunch service, writing the server notes for 18 new dishes.

Skills to list

Hard skills

  • Steps of service
  • Menu and allergen knowledge
  • Wine and cocktail knowledge
  • Suggestive selling
  • POS systems (Toast, Aloha, Square)
  • Cash handling and cash-outs
  • Private dining and banquets
  • Food safety and alcohol service rules

Soft skills

  • Reading guests and tables
  • Grace under pressure
  • Teamwork with the kitchen and bar
  • Handling complaints calmly

Certifications and licenses worth listing

  • State alcohol server permit: required in many states and cities (for example the Louisiana Responsible Vendor permit). Otherwise TIPS or ServSafe Alcohol.
  • Food handler card: required in some states and counties; list the one you hold.
  • Court of Master Sommeliers Introductory Sommelier Certificate or WSET Level 1 or 2 in Wines: a real plus for fine dining.

Length and format

One page. Summary, serving jobs with three or four bullets, earlier restaurant jobs with one or two, then permits and skills. List permits with the year so managers can see they are current.

Common mistakes

  • Writing only “took orders and served food”. Give your covers, section and check average.
  • Leaving out your alcohol permit when the job requires one. Many applications are filtered on it.
  • Listing every restaurant you worked at for a few weeks. Keep the ones that show growth.
  • Including tip income. Show sales instead.

Questions and answers

What should a server put on a resume?

The kind of restaurant, section size and covers, check average or sales results, menu and wine knowledge, POS systems and your permits. Show any training or lead duties.

Do I need a resume to be a server?

Casual restaurants often hire from an application, but fine dining, hotel and private club restaurants usually expect a resume. It also helps when you walk in to apply.

How do I find my check average?

Most POS systems show it on your server report. Ask your manager; it is one of the numbers they use to rank servers.

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