Description
Take orders and serve food and beverages to patrons at tables in dining establishment.
- • Check patrons' identification to ensure that they meet minimum age requirements for consumption of alcoholic beverages.
- • Collect payments from customers.
- • Write patrons' food orders on order slips, memorize orders, or enter orders into computers for transmittal to kitchen staff.
- • Take orders from patrons for food or beverages.
- • Check with customers to ensure that they are enjoying their meals, and take action to correct any problems.
- • Serve food or beverages to patrons, and prepare or serve specialty dishes at tables as required.
- • Prepare checks that itemize and total meal costs and sales taxes.
- • Present menus to patrons and answer questions about menu items, making recommendations upon request.
- • Inform customers of daily specials.
- • Clean tables or counters after patrons have finished dining.
- • Prepare hot, cold, and mixed drinks for patrons, and chill bottles of wine.
- • Explain how various menu items are prepared, describing ingredients and cooking methods.
- • Prepare tables for meals, including setting up items such as linens, silverware, and glassware.
- • Perform food preparation duties, such as preparing salads, appetizers, and cold dishes, portioning desserts, and brewing coffee.
- • Stock service areas with supplies such as coffee, food, tableware, and linens.
- • Garnish and decorate dishes in preparation for serving.
- • Fill salt, pepper, sugar, cream, condiment, and napkin containers.
- • Escort customers to their tables.
- • Describe and recommend wines to customers.
- • Bring wine selections to tables with appropriate glasses, and pour the wines for customers.
- • Roll silverware, set up food stations, or set up dining areas to prepare for the next shift or for large parties.
- • Remove dishes and glasses from tables or counters, and take them to kitchen for cleaning.
- • Assist host or hostess by answering phones to take reservations or to-go orders, and by greeting, seating, and thanking guests.
- • Perform cleaning duties, such as sweeping and mopping floors, vacuuming carpet, tidying up server station, taking out trash, or checking and cleaning bathroom.
- • Provide guests with information about local areas, including directions.
Related specializations
Interview options
Interview options
Interviewee gender
Interviewee accent
Interview time
Related Pathways
Hospitality, Events & Tourism
View
Source
Tasks & skills:
O*NET occupational data (work activities, skills, knowledge).
Learn more
Sources & Standards:
This site includes information from O*NET by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA), used under the CC BY 4.0 license. Career Clutch has modified some of this information for student readability. USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed, or tested these modifications. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA.
Last reviewed: Jan 2026
