How to hire food servers, nonrestaurant
A job description you can copy, interview questions tied to the real work, and what to pay. Free.
Job description template
Copy it, fill in the brackets, and remove anything that does not fit your job. Keep only must-haves you would really turn someone away for.
[Job title] at [Company name] [City, State] · [Full-time / Part-time] · [Pay range] About the role [Two or three sentences about your team, the work and why it matters.] What you will do • Clean or sterilize dishes, kitchen utensils, equipment, or facilities. • Examine trays to ensure that they contain required items. • Load trays with accessories, such as eating utensils, napkins, or condiments. • Monitor food distribution, ensuring that meals are delivered to the correct recipients and that guidelines, such as those for special diets, are followed. • Monitor food preparation or serving techniques to ensure that proper procedures are followed. • Place food servings on plates or trays according to orders or instructions. • Remove trays and stack dishes for return to kitchen after meals are finished. • Take food orders and relay orders to kitchens or serving counters so they can be filled. What you bring • [Required license, certification or years of experience, if any] • [Education, only if you truly need it. Typical to start in this job: No formal educational credential] • Strong active listening and speaking skills • Working knowledge of customer and personal service and English Language • [Anything else you would really turn someone away for] Pay and benefits [Pay range]. For reference, the U.S. median for this job is $17.00 an hour ($35,360 a year). [Benefits, schedule and anything else candidates should know.] How to apply [Apply on JAI Bot. Every applicant hears back.]
Interview questions for food servers, nonrestaurant
Ask every candidate the same questions, in the same order, and write down what they say. Questions about past work show what someone has actually done.
- Tell me about a time you had to clean or sterilize dishes, kitchen utensils, equipment, or facilities. What did you do, and how did it turn out?
- Tell me about a time you had to examine trays to ensure that they contain required items. What did you do, and how did it turn out?
- Tell me about a time you had to load trays with accessories, such as eating utensils, napkins, or condiments. What did you do, and how did it turn out?
- Tell me about a time you had to monitor food distribution, ensuring that meals are delivered to the correct recipients and that guidelines, such as those for special diets, are followed. What did you do, and how did it turn out?
- Tell me about a time you had to understand a request or problem that was explained poorly. How did you make sure you got it right?
- Explain something technical from your last job as you would to a new coworker.
- Why this job, and why now? What would make you stay here for the long term?
Good answers name a real situation, what the person did themselves and what happened. Avoid questions about age, family plans, religion, health, national origin or anything else unrelated to the job.
What food servers, nonrestaurant do
- Clean or sterilize dishes, kitchen utensils, equipment, or facilities.
- Examine trays to ensure that they contain required items.
- Load trays with accessories, such as eating utensils, napkins, or condiments.
- Monitor food distribution, ensuring that meals are delivered to the correct recipients and that guidelines, such as those for special diets, are followed.
- Monitor food preparation or serving techniques to ensure that proper procedures are followed.
- Place food servings on plates or trays according to orders or instructions.
- Remove trays and stack dishes for return to kitchen after meals are finished.
- Take food orders and relay orders to kitchens or serving counters so they can be filled.
Skills that matter most
Education, experience and outlook for food servers, nonrestaurant
- Typical education to start: No formal educational credential (BLS)
- Related work experience most have: Up to 1 month (O*NET)
- Training on the job: Short-term on-the-job training (BLS)
- Job outlook: +4.5% over ten years, about as fast as average · about 48,800 openings a year (BLS)
What to pay food servers, nonrestaurant
Pay depends a lot on where the job is. Highest and lowest median yearly pay by state:
| State | Median yearly pay |
|---|---|
| New York | $39,370 |
| California | $39,010 |
| Colorado | $38,900 |
| Washington | $38,870 |
| District of Columbia | $37,920 |
| Arkansas | $27,600 |
| Mississippi | $27,250 |
| Louisiana | $27,200 |
See food servers, nonrestaurant pay in every state
Related hiring guides
- Dining Room and Cafeteria Attendants and Bartender Helpers
- Fast Food and Counter Workers
- Waiters and Waitresses
- Food Preparation Workers
- Dishwashers
- Cooks, Restaurant
- Hosts and Hostesses, Restaurant, Lounge, and Coffee Shop
- Cooks, Institution and Cafeteria
- Cooks, Short Order
- Food Service Managers
Post this job on JAI Bot. Free to start: JAI Bot reads every applicant against your must-haves, shows the resume evidence behind each one, and helps you reply to everyone. People make every decision.
Post a job freePay by areaJob duties and skills: O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA), used under the CC BY 4.0 license; O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA. JAI Bot has modified this information; USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed, or tested these modifications. Pay: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS, May 2025. Interview questions and the job description template: JAI Bot, based on the duties and skills above.