Server resume example
A complete resume for a restaurant server in fine dining and casual dining, plus summaries, bullet points, skills and the certifications to list.
What hiring managers look for
Restaurant managers reading a server resume want to know how much you can carry and how well you sell. They look for the size of your section, covers on a busy night, your check average and wine or dessert sales, then for the POS you know and an alcohol certification. The servers who get hired at better restaurants also show menu knowledge, allergy handling and regulars who request their section.
This example follows a server with five years in casual and fine dining in Nashville. Every job names the type of restaurant and its pace, and the bullets lean on numbers a general manager pulls from Toast every week. Banquet, catering, hotel restaurant and brunch servers can keep this order and swap in their own covers and sales.
Server resume summary examples
Experienced, 5 years
Server with 5 years in fine dining and high-volume casual restaurants. Runs a 6-table section through 90-cover nights, holds a $74 check average and sells wine pairings at the highest rate on staff. Calm with allergies, large parties and VIP tables.
First serving job
Busser and food runner with a year at a busy Italian restaurant, ready to take a section. Knows the menu, the table numbers and the kitchen's rhythm, and covered tables for servers during rushes. ServSafe Food Handler certified.
Banquet server
Banquet server with 4 years at a 400-room convention hotel, working plated dinners and buffets for events of 50 to 800 guests. Sets rounds to the BEO, serves on cue and finishes every breakdown on time.
Fine dining
Captain and server with 7 years in tasting-menu restaurants, leading a team of 3 through 10-course services. Completed the Court of Master Sommeliers Introductory course and sells wine pairings to 40% of guests.
Server resume bullet points
Strong bullets start with what you did and end with what changed. Borrow the pattern, then use your own numbers.
- Turned a 5-table patio section 3 times a night during summer rushes without a comp for slow service.
- Raised dessert sales by 22% in one quarter by describing the pastry chef's specials at every table.
- Closed out 40+ checks a shift across cash and cards with zero walkouts and a balanced drop.
- Recovered 12 unhappy tables in a month with quick fixes and a manager visit; 9 left 5-star reviews.
- Trained 10 new servers on steps of service, table numbers and the Toast handheld.
- Built a following of 30+ regulars who requested my section for anniversaries and business dinners.
- Served parties of up to 60 in the private dining room, coordinating courses with 2 bartenders and the kitchen.
- Ranked first of 22 servers in a spring contest for selling the new cocktail menu.
Skills for a server resume
Skills job postings ask for
- Steps of service
- Menu and wine knowledge
- Upselling and suggestive selling
- POS (Toast, Square, Aloha)
- Cash handling and checkouts
- Allergy and dietary safety
- Large party and banquet service
- Tray carrying and plating
- Side work and closing duties
- Responsible alcohol service
Skills to show in your bullets
- Warmth with guests
- Grace under pressure
- Memory for orders
- Teamwork with the kitchen
- Stamina
List the skills a posting names in its own words, and only the ones you can talk about in an interview. Qualities like these read best as results in your bullets, not as a list.
Tips for writing a server resume
- 1
Describe each restaurant in a few words
"140-seat fine dining" and "220-seat barbecue on game days" set the scene a manager needs. Your section size and covers only mean something next to the room.
- 2
Show that you sell
Check average, bottles of wine, desserts and featured specials are where servers make a restaurant money. Give one sales number in every job if you can.
- 3
Mention allergies and big parties
Allergy errors and messy group checks are what managers worry about most. A bullet showing you handle both well answers that worry.
- 4
Match the style of the restaurant you want
For fine dining, lead with wine, pacing and polish. For a busy casual spot, lead with speed, table count and turn times.
Food safety and alcohol certifications
Many states and counties require servers to hold a food handler card and an alcohol server permit, and restaurants often ask for both before a first shift. List each with its full name, issuer and the date earned, and renew them before they lapse.
- ServSafe Food Handler or your county's food handler card
- ServSafe Alcohol, TIPS or your state's server permit
- Allergen training, such as ServSafe Allergens
- Wine courses, such as the Court of Master Sommeliers Introductory or WSET Level 1
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