The server in a restaurant plays a central role in ensuring guests have a pleasant dining experience. Typical duties include:
- Greeting and seating customers, often working with a host and helping manage seating to balance workloads among servers[1].
- Taking and communicating orders accurately, including modifications for dietary needs or allergies, and relaying information efficiently to the kitchen and bar[1].
- Delivering food and beverages promptly, ensuring the correct items reach the right tables in a timely fashion[3].
- Making menu recommendations and answering questions about ingredients, allergens, and specials[5].
- Selling specials or promoting limited-time offers to guests[5].
- Processing guest transactions, including handling cash, credit card payments, and delivering bills and change[3].
- Maintaining cleanliness by bussing and resetting tables, wiping surfaces, and restocking stations with supplies like napkins, cutlery, and condiments[3].
- ID checking for guests ordering alcoholic beverages to ensure legal compliance[5].
- Completing side work such as refilling ice, assisting with prep tasks, and keeping work and break areas clean[5].
- Coordinating with team members and management, reporting any customer concerns or special requests, and supporting a positive team environment[7].
Servers are expected to have strong communication skills, attention to detail, and the ability to work efficiently under pressure. Their responsibilities may expand depending on the establishment’s needs, and they are often required to wear a uniform appropriate to the restaurant’s standards[5].
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