RESUME EXAMPLE · HOSPITALITY AND FOOD SERVICE
Server resume example and how to write your own
A server resume gets read with a practical eye. The manager wants to know what kind of service you’ve worked (fine dining, casual, high-volume, banquets, bar), how many tables or covers you handle on a busy night and whether you can pick up a Friday shift without being taught the basics. The same resume works whether the posting says server, waiter, waitress or food server: the title changes, what managers look for doesn’t.
Hands-on experience outweighs education: the type of restaurant, your volume, the POS systems you know (Toast, Square, Aloha), how you handle food allergies and the languages you can serve guests in. Your food handler card or alcohol server certification and your availability for nights, weekends, holidays and doubles each deserve a clear line. Looking for your first job? Lean on our guide to a resume with no experience and make the most of events, volunteer work and summer jobs.
Server resume example
Brianna Collins
Server with 6 years of fine dining, resort and banquet experience
Charleston, SC · brianna@example.com
Professional summary
Server with six years of experience in upscale restaurants, a beachfront resort and banquets of up to 250 guests. Comfortable running a six-table section on a sold-out Saturday, ordering on handheld POS and suggesting wine pairings for each course. Conversational Spanish, solid knowledge of the major food allergens and experience training on-call banquet servers in setup and service. Looking for a lead server or captain role at a chef-driven restaurant.
Experience
Tidewater Oyster Kitchen · Charleston, SC
- Run a six-table section, about 60 covers per shift, in a 140-seat seafood restaurant with patio seating.
- Proposed expanding the wine-by-the-glass list from 6 to 12 options; now recommend a pairing at every table based on the entrees ordered.
- Lead two server assistants and weekend on-call staff through opening side work, silverware polishing and closing duties.
- Enter every guest allergy in Toast and confirm it with expo before plates leave the kitchen.
Breakwater Bay Resort · Isle of Palms, SC
- Served weddings, rehearsal dinners and corporate events of 80 to 250 guests, with plated, buffet and family-style service.
- Set up ballrooms from banquet event orders (BEOs) and floor plans, including cocktail receptions and open bars.
- Worked the breakfast buffet in peak season, restocking stations and checking hot and cold holding temperatures.
Sandbar Grill & Patio · Folly Beach, SC
- Bussed and reset tables on a 25-table beachfront patio with fast turnover, from lunch through close.
- Ran food from the kitchen and drinks from the service bar during peak hours.
- Restocked side stations, rolled silverware and helped close the dining room every night.
Education
Cooper River Community College
Skills
Languages
English · Native Spanish · Conversational
Certifications
- ServSafe Food Handler and ServSafe Allergens (2024)
- ServSafe Alcohol (2024)
- WSET Level 1 Award in Wines (2023)
Server resume summary: 3 examples
Your summary is the first thing a recruiter reads. Pick the one closest to your situation and rework it until it sounds like you. You will find more formulas in our resume summary guide.
Upbeat, dependable team player with a strong memory for orders and a ServSafe Food Handler certificate. Two summers as a host at a busy family restaurant, greeting guests, managing the waitlist and helping keep tables turning, plus weekend weddings as an on-call banquet server. Available nights, weekends and holidays. Looking for a busser or server assistant role to learn full-service dining and grow into a server position.
Server with five years in upscale-casual Italian and New American restaurants doing 150 to 200 covers a night. Comfortable running a full section on Toast and answering questions about the menu, allergens and wine list without checking with the kitchen. Consistently among the team’s top sellers of wine and appetizers, and trusted to train new hires and close out the floor. Looking for a full-service restaurant with polished service and room to take on more responsibility.
Dining room manager with ten years in hospitality and four leading teams of up to 12 servers, bussers and hosts in restaurants and event venues. Experienced in scheduling, OpenTable reservations, wine inventory and reviewing sales and labor reports with the general manager. Rolled out a food allergy protocol and a structured onboarding program for new hires. Looking to run the dining room of a full-service restaurant or a hotel banquet department.
How to describe your experience as a server
Start each bullet with an action verb and, whenever you can, add the result. Use these lines as a starting point: swap in your own details and delete anything you have not done.
- Ran a [number]-table section serving up to [number] covers per shift, timing each course with the kitchen.
- Raised average check by [number]% by suggesting wine pairings and shareable appetizers tailored to each table.
- Trained [number] new servers in table setup, tray service and the restaurant’s allergy protocol.
- Resolved guest complaints at the table with a fix or an alternative before they reached the manager.
- Set up and served events of up to [number] guests following the BEO and floor plan.
- Cut glassware breakage by reorganizing the bus station and the route to the dish pit.
- Helped the bar manager create the seasonal cocktail menu.
- Helped replace paper tickets with handheld POS devices and taught the rest of the floor to use them.
- Served guests in [language], explaining the menu and the allergens in each dish.
- Cashed out accurately at the end of every shift for [length of time] with no discrepancies.
- Named in [number] positive guest reviews on [review site] for attentive, friendly service.
Skills for a server resume
Hard skills
- Fine dining, casual and banquet service
- Plated, buffet and family-style service
- Tray service and clearing
- Service bar, coffee and cocktails
- Wine knowledge and food pairing
- POS systems (Toast, Square, Aloha)
- Reservations and waitlists (OpenTable, Resy)
- Food allergy and dietary restriction protocols
- Food safety and sanitation
- Responsible alcohol service and ID checks
- Table and banquet room setup
- Payments, cash handling and checkout
Soft skills
- Memory for orders and regulars
- Warm but polished guest service
- Composure during the rush
- Clear communication with the kitchen
- Handling complaints on the spot
- Stamina for long shifts on your feet
- Suggestive selling without pressure
Only list skills you can back up with an example from your experience. More ideas in our guide to resume skills.
Common keywords in server job postings
These terms show up often in job postings for this role. If they truly describe you, use them with the same wording as the posting so both the recruiter and the applicant tracking system (ATS) can find them.
Tips for your server resume
Name the type of restaurant and your volume
A sports bar, a steakhouse and a wedding venue are different jobs. For each position, note the format (fine dining, casual, high-volume, banquets, room service), roughly how many tables or covers you handled and whether you worked the floor, the bar or the patio. Those details replace empty adjectives like “hardworking” or “people person” and help the manager picture you on their floor.
Make your certifications easy to find
Many states and counties require servers to hold a food handler card, and many states or employers also require responsible alcohol service training, such as ServSafe Alcohol, TIPS or a state-specific program. Requirements vary, so check with your local health department and your state’s alcohol agency. List each certificate under Certifications with the year it was issued (and its expiration date, if it has one) so a manager knows you’re ready to work your first shift.
Show results, not just duties
Managers know what servers do; what they want to know is how well you do it. Where you can, add numbers you can back up: covers per shift, table turns, average check, wine or dessert sales, upselling contests you won or guest reviews that named you. One solid number per job is enough to set you apart from resumes that only list duties.
Spell out your availability
Nights, weekends, holidays, doubles, brunch shifts or a summer season: in restaurants, availability is a requirement, not a detail. Mention it in your professional summary or in a short line under your contact details, and add that you have reliable transportation if the restaurant is far from public transit or closes late.
Use the job posting’s words on your server resume
Restaurant groups and hotel chains often screen applications with an applicant tracking system. If the posting asks for a “banquet server with fine dining experience,” use those words if they’re true, and avoid tables or text boxes that can trip up automated screening. More tips in our guide to an ATS-friendly resume.
Frequently asked questions
Should I write “server,” “waiter” or “waitress” on my resume?
Use the title in the job posting. “Server” is the most common, gender-neutral title in US restaurants, but some postings still say waiter, waitress, food server or waitstaff. If you apply to several kinds of places, keep your real job title in the experience section and work the other terms into your summary or skills so you show up in either search.
How do I write a server resume with no experience?
Start with a short summary that covers your availability and what you can already do: carry plates, run food, handle cash, greet customers. Then add any related experience (host, busser, barista, retail, catering, volunteering at school or community events) and your food handler card. Our guide to a resume with no experience shows how to order the sections.
Should I put my tips on my resume?
No. Tip income depends on the restaurant’s prices and traffic as much as on you, and pay is a conversation for the interview or the offer. Show your impact instead with numbers a manager can verify: covers per shift, section size, average check, wine or dessert sales and guest feedback.
Should I include a photo on my server resume?
No. Photos aren’t expected on a US resume, and many employers prefer not to receive them so hiring decisions stay focused on your skills. Leave out your age, date of birth and marital status too. Your personality will come through in the interview or on a trial shift.
Should I list seasonal and summer jobs?
Yes, especially if they were in restaurants, hotels or catering. If you worked several seasons at the same place, group them in one entry (“Server, summer seasons, 2021 — 2024”) and describe the volume. Jobs outside food service can go in a single line unless they add related skills, such as cash handling or customer service.
How do I tailor my resume to each job posting?
Check what each posting emphasizes (bar, banquets, fine dining, languages) and put the matching experience first. In Mi Resumen you can paste the job posting: the AI assistant suggests changes and separates the requirements you truly meet from the ones you don’t, and you decide what to apply. If the restaurant asks for a cover letter, follow our cover letter guide.