Restaurant Manager Resume Examples and Templates
Restaurant Server Resume Examples and Templates for 2025
Last Updated:
December 21, 2024
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
- Restaurant Server Resume Templates and Examples (Download in App)
- How To Write a Restaurant Server Resume Example
- How To Pick the Best Restaurant Server Resume Template
- Restaurant Server Text-Only Resume Templates and Examples
- Frequently Asked Questions: Restaurant Server Resume Examples and Advice
- Check Out Related Examples
Restaurant Server Resume Templates and Examples (Download in App)
- Upscale Restaurant Server
- Fine Dining Restaurant Server
- Professional Restaurant Server
Restaurant Server with No Experience Resume Example
High-End Restaurant Server Resume Example
Casual Dining Server Resume Example
Event Server Resume Example
As a professional restaurant server, it’s easy to overlook your resume, especially if you’ve primarily advanced your career by leveraging the local connections you’ve built within the hospitality industry. That said, having a strong accomplishment-driven resume is still important, as it allows you to pursue lucrative opportunities when applying cold.
The other advantage is that providing an exceptional resume shows that you’re willing to go above and beyond what’s expected of you, which grabs the eye of restaurant owners. This guide will provide expert tips and insights to help you translate your serving experience into a powerful marketing document.
Key Takeaways:
- Highlight your hospitality expertise: Showcase your ability to deliver an unparalleled dining experience to guests using compelling examples from your career
- Quantify your achievements achievements: Use metrics to demonstrate impact, such as exceeding sales goals and achieving remarkable guest satisfaction scores
- Use industry-specific keywords: Include relevant terminology to help your resume pass applicant tracking systems (ATS)
How To Write a Restaurant Server Resume Example
Before crafting your content, you need to select a suitable format to properly display your experience and achievements within the hospitality industry. Your restaurant server resume should include these sections:
- Contact information
- Profile
- Key skills
- Professional experience
- Education and certifications
1. Share your contact information
Provide your full name, phone number, email address, city, state, and any professional links. Keep the details current to ensure potential employers can reach you easily.
Example
Jane Doe
[email protected] | (555) 123-4567 | Denver, CO | LinkedIn
2. Write a compelling profile summarizing your restaurant server qualifications
Lead with an engaging opening summary to immediately grab the hiring manager’s attention. Start with a sentence that captures your years of experience in the hospitality industry and key skills the restaurant seeks. Emphasize your ability to deliver a personalized guest experience that sets you apart from other servers.
Experienced example
Restaurant server with over five years of experience delivering exceptional customer service in high-volume dining establishments. Skilled in upselling menu items, managing large parties, and maintaining a 95% customer satisfaction score. Adept at fostering team collaboration to streamline service operations.
Entry-level example
Enthusiastic server with experience in customer service and a passion for providing memorable dining experiences. Skilled in multitasking, resolving guest concerns, and maintaining composure in high-pressure environments.
3. Add an accomplishment-driven professional experience section
Your professional experience section must emphasize your most engaging achievements as a server. Consider how you’ve successfully utilized upselling strategies to exceed sales goals. Demonstrate your ability to communicate with diverse clientele and coordinate effectively with kitchen staff, hostesses, and servers to enhance service delivery during stressful, high-volume periods.
Professional Experience Example
Lead server
The Bistro at Main, Boulder, CO | March 2018 to present
- Trained and supervised a team of 10 servers, reducing onboarding time by 30%
- Improved table turnover rate by 15% during peak hours, enhancing revenue
- Collaborated with the kitchen team to resolve service delays, increasing customer satisfaction scores by 12%
Server
Tasty Eats, Denver, CO | June 2015 to February 2018
- Delivered prompt, friendly service to over 100 guests daily in a high-volume restaurant
- Suggested pairings for over 50 dishes, increasing average ticket sales by 15%
- Maintained a clean and welcoming dining area, consistently receiving positive feedback on hygiene standards
Resume writer’s tip: Quantify your experience
Incorporating numbers and metrics is a great way to highlight further your impact on previous establishments within the hospitality industry. In particular, highlight your expertise in upselling menu items and achieving outstanding guest satisfaction ratings, as both speak to your talents as a professional restaurant server.
Do
- "Increased beverage sales by 20% through suggestive selling techniques”
Don't
- "Responsible for taking drink orders"
What if you don’t have experience?
If you lack hands-on experience in the hospitality industry, you can still position yourself effectively for these types of roles. Include any previous customer service-related roles at the top of your resume. And if you’re entering the workforce for the first time, focus on extracurricular activities or volunteerism that show you can excel in team-based environments.
4. Include relevant education and certifications
Formal education is often secondary to experience in restaurant roles. That said, certifications in food safety and customer service can set you apart, especially if you’re pursuing a leadership position. For instance, a Certified Restaurant Manager (CRM) designation shows that you’ve taken the steps to fully prepare yourself as a management professional within the hospitality industry.
Education
Template:
[Degree Name], [School Name], [City, State Abbreviation] | [Graduation Year]
[Relevant coursework or honors]
Example:
Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) Hospitality Management | 2020
Community College of Denver | Denver, CO
Certifications
Template:
[Certification Name] | [Awarding Organization] | [Completion Date]
Examples:
- ServSafe Food Handler Certification | 2019
- Certified Hospitality and Tourism Professional (CHTP), AHLEI | 2020
5. List pertinent key skills
Although not every restaurant will have an ATS, featuring the right skills on your resume is still helpful in showing hiring managers that you have the knowledge and expertise of the hospitality industry to succeed in the position. Below, you’ll find a list of potential keywords you may encounter while pursuing server jobs at high-end restaurants:
| Key Skills | |
|---|---|
| Client relations | Communication |
| Conflict resolution | Customer service |
| Food and beverage knowledge | Food safety |
| Guest relations | Hospitality management |
| Inventory management | Operations management |
| Point-of-sale (POS) system operation | Sales strategy |
| Staff training | Team collaboration |
| Upselling techniques | |
Resume writer’s tip: Use common action verbs
Incorporating action verbs is an excellent way to bolster the strength of your bullet points. They allow you to frame seemingly mundane job responsibilities proactively, showing how you’ve positively contributed to the restaurant’s reputation and satisfaction ratings. We’ve compiled a list of verbs you can use to build the professional experience section of your restaurant server resume:
| Action Verbs | |
|---|---|
| Achieved | Collaborated |
| Communicated | Conducted |
| Delivered | Drove |
| Enhanced | Exceeded |
| Implemented | Improved |
| Led | Managed |
| Oversaw | Resolved |
| Trained | Upsold |
How To Pick the Best Restaurant Server Resume Template
Select a clean and professional layout that emphasizes readability. Avoid overly elaborate designs, as they can detract from your qualifications. Instead, use a format that logically organizes your experience and skills, showcasing your professionalism.
Restaurant Server Text-Only Resume Templates and Examples
Frequently Asked Questions: Restaurant Server Resume Examples and Advice
How do you align your resume with a restaurant server job description?
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, restaurant server jobs are expected to grow by 1% between 2023 and 2033. Although this is slower than the national average, this increase amounts to over 410,000 new openings yearly. That said, the most lucrative restaurants are selective in who they hire, so it’s essential to tailor your resume to each individual job application. For example, if an establishment is looking for a server with a strong leadership background, emphasize how you helped mentor new servers, especially those struggling to succeed in fast-paced hospitality environments. If a restaurant targets a candidate with exceptional sales skills, illustrate how you upsold menu items or educate guests on signature specials.
What is the best restaurant server resume format?
The reverse chronological format is ideal for restaurant servers because it allows you to display your work history below your qualifications summary. This immediately shows the hiring manager that you have a proven history of delivering outstanding service and supporting restaurant operations during the most demanding and challenging times.
Expert advice:
Include a cover letter with your resume
Although a cover letter typically isn’t required or expected for a restaurant server position, building one can help set you apart from other candidates. This allows you to add a personal touch to your application, conveying your genuine passion for the hospitality industry, which will make a lasting impression on the hiring manager.
Check Out Related Examples
Executive Resume Writer and Career Coach
Andrew Stoner is an executive career coach and resume writer with 17 years of experience as a hiring manager and operations leader at two Fortune 500 Financial Services companies, and as the career services director at two major university business schools.
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