Combined food preparation and serving workers perform duties which combine both food preparation and food service.  Job responsibilities include accepting payment from customers, and making change as necessary. They request and record customer orders and computes bills using cash registers; they clean and organize eating and service areas, too.  Additionally, combined food preparation and serving workers serve customers in eating places that specialize in fast service and inexpensive carry-out food; tasks may include preparing and serving cold drinks, desserts, milkshakes, or frozen custard from machines, and selecting food items from serving or storage areas and placing them on dishes or serving trays, or in takeout bags.  The job frequently requires workers to prepare simple foods and beverages such as sandwiches, salads, and coffee.  Serving workers also notify kitchen staff of shortages or special orders.  It is not unusual to cook or re-heat food items such as French fries. Frequently, food preparation and serving workers wash dishes, glassware, and silverware after meals. Sample job titles include: deli clerk (delicatessen clerk), dietary aide, school cafeteria cook, bar hop, deli worker (delicatessen worker), food service worker, prep cook (preparation cook), deli manager (delicatessen manager), drive thru window order taker, and front line worker.

Average Salary:

$17,400

Average Hours (per week):

Food service and drinking establishments typically maintain long dining hours and offer flexible and varied work opportunities. Many food and beverage serving and related workers work evenings, weekends, and holidays. The long business hours allow for more flexible schedules that appeal to many teenagers who can gain valuable work experience. More than one-fifth of all food and beverage serving and related workers were 16 to 19 years old in 2008 — about six times the proportion for all workers. Part-time work is more common among food and beverage serving and related workers than among workers in almost any other occupation. In 2008, those on part-time schedules included half of all waiters and waitresses and almost three-fourths of all hosts and hostesses.

Union:

Many large hotels and restaurant kitchen workers belong to unions, including the Service Employees International Union or the Hotel Employees and Restaurant Employees International Union.

Certifications:

Food preparation and serving workers typically receive on the job training. The certified foodservice management professional designation, available through the National Restaurant Association Education Foundation, while not a requirement for employment or advancement, is a widely recognized and respected designation, and can lead to higher positions and increased salary.

Training Period:

Waiters and waitresses need a good memory to avoid confusing customers’ orders and to recall faces, names, and preferences of frequent patrons. Knowledge of a foreign language can be helpful to communicate with a diverse clientele and staff. Restaurants and hotels that have rigid table service standards often offer higher wages and have greater income potential from tips, but they may also have stiffer employment requirements, such as prior table service experience or higher education attainment than other establishments.

Strongest Market(s):

Jobs are located throughout the country but are more plentiful in larger cities and tourist areas. Vacation resorts offer seasonal employment.  The overwhelming majority of jobs for food and beverage serving and related workers were found in food services and drinking places, such as restaurants, fast food outlets, bars, and catering or contract food service operations. Other jobs are in hotels, motels, and other traveler accommodation establishments; amusement, gambling, and recreation establishments; educational services; nursing care facilities; and civic and social organizations.

Entry Level Salary:

Salaries range from a starting rate of $6.73 to $7.32 per hour.

Top Salary:

$29,660

Job Growth Forecast:

Job growth over the next decade is projected at an average of 10 percent.  Job opportunities at most eating and drinking places will be excellent because many people in these occupations change jobs frequently, which create a large number of openings. Keen competition is expected, however, for jobs in popular restaurants and fine dining establishments, where potential earnings from tips are greatest.

Related posts:

1. Culinary Jobs – First-Line Supervisors of Food Preparation and Serving Workers
2. Culinary Jobs – Food Preparation Workers
3. Culinary Jobs – Dining Room and Cafeteria Attendants, Bartender Helpers
4. Culinary Jobs – Cook, Fast Food
5. Culinary Jobs – Food & Beverage Director