About This Career

Facilitates food service. Cleans tables; removes dirty dishes; replaces soiled table linens; sets tables; replenishes supply of clean linens, silverware, glassware, and dishes; supplies service bar with food; and serves items such as water, condiments, and coffee to patrons.

This career is part of the Hospitality and Tourism cluster Restaurants and Food/Beverage Services pathway.

A person in this career:

• Serves ice water, coffee, rolls, or butter to patrons.
• Runs cash registers.
• Scrapes and stacks dirty dishes and carries dishes and other tableware to kitchens for cleaning.
• Wipes tables or seats with dampened cloths or replaces dirty tablecloths.
• Sets tables with clean linens, condiments, or other supplies.
• Greets and seats customers.
• Cleans up spilled food or drink or broken dishes and removes empty bottles and trash.
• Maintains adequate supplies of items, such as clean linens, silverware, glassware, dishes, or trays.
• Locates items requested by customers.
• Fills beverage or ice dispensers.

Working Conditions and Physical Demands

People who do this job report that:

• You would often handle loads up to 20 lbs., sometimes up to 50 lbs. You might do a lot of lifting, carrying, pushing or pulling.
• Work in this occupation involves bending or twisting your body more than one-third of the time
• Work in this occupation involves using your hands to hold, control, and feel objects more than one-third of the time
• Work in this occupation requires being inside most of the time
• Work in this occupation involves making repetitive motions more than one-third of the time
• Work in this occupation involves standing more than one-third of the time
• Work in this occupation involves walking or running more than one-third of the time

Working in this career involves (physical activities):

• Bending, stretching, twisting, or reaching
• Seeing clearly up close
• Speaking clearly enough to be able to be understood by others
• Identifying and understanding the speech of another person
• Exerting oneself physically over long periods of time without getting out of breath
• Lifting, pushing, pulling, or carrying objects
• Using abdominal and lower back muscles repeatedly or over time without tiring

Work Hours and Travel

• Rotating shift work
• Weekend work