Top 12 Food Server Skills to Put on Your Resume
Crafting an impactful resume as a food server means spotlighting a nimble mix of technical know-how and people-first grace. Showcasing a sharp, relevant skills list helps you stand out as adaptable, fast on your feet, and ready to lift the guest experience in any dining room.
Food Server Skills
- POS Systems
- OpenTable
- Time Management
- Customer Service
- Upselling Techniques
- Multitasking
- Conflict Resolution
- Menu Knowledge
- Wine Pairing
- Food Safety
- Cash Handling
- Teamwork
1. POS Systems
A POS (Point of Sale) system for a food server is the digital hub for taking orders, sending tickets, splitting checks, and closing payments—tightening service flow for staff and guests alike.
Why It's Important
POS systems cut errors, speed up ordering and payments, provide live sales and inventory data, and trim wait times. Faster tables, happier guests, smoother nights.
How to Improve POS Systems Skills
Level up by focusing on speed, clarity, and clean data. Try this approach:
Integrations: Connect your POS with inventory, accounting, and guest profiles so info moves without friction and insights come easy.
Cloud Access: Real-time updates and secure backups mean less downtime and more flexibility across devices.
Simple Screens: Favor intuitive layouts, clear modifiers, and logical menu mapping to shrink training time and reduce mis-taps.
Contactless + Mobile Pay: Offer tap, wallet, and pay-at-table options to keep the flow quick and clean.
Reports That Matter: Use dashboards for sales mix, voids, comps, and peak hours so you can adjust staffing and specials with evidence.
Guest Tools: Loyalty, notes, and preferences help personalize service without slowing things down.
Scalability: Make sure the system can handle more items, more seats, more locations—no lag, no hiccups.
Dial these in and the POS stops being a hurdle and becomes your quiet superpower.
How to Display POS Systems Skills on Your Resume
2. OpenTable
OpenTable is a real-time reservation and waitlist platform that helps restaurants manage bookings, table turns, and guest preferences more smoothly.
Why It's Important
It streamlines arrivals, reduces bottlenecks, and gives servers a heads-up on special occasions or allergies—leading to better pacing, fewer surprises, and more polished hospitality.
How to Improve OpenTable Skills
Refine usage to make every seat count:
Targeted Training: Practice seat maps, pacing controls, and guest notes until they’re second nature.
Real-Time Alerts: Set clear flags for allergies, VIPs, birthdays, and accessibility needs so servers can adapt on the fly.
Feedback Loop: Log issues and suggestions after shifts; refine table timing and overbooking rules accordingly.
Service Metrics: Watch covers per hour, average dining time, and no-show patterns to tune pacing and staffing.
Shift Coordination: Align reservations with server sections and breaks to avoid pileups and long waits.
Used well, it smooths the night and lifts guest satisfaction without adding noise.
How to Display OpenTable Skills on Your Resume
3. Time Management
Time management for a food server means juggling order-taking, running food, refills, payments, and resets—without dropping the ball or the smile.
Why It's Important
It drives table turns, keeps the kitchen synced, reduces guest wait, and lowers stress when the rush hits.
How to Improve Time Management Skills
Work smarter in the weeds and out of them:
Prioritize: Triage by urgency and impact—hot food first, then quick wins like refills and check drops.
Batch Tasks: Combine runs: clear, refill, check on two tables in the same sweep.
Prep the Station: Stock pens, printers, napkins, and ramekins before the push so you don’t sprint mid-service.
Communicate: Update the expo and your section mates fast—course fires, allergies, remakes—so flow stays tight.
Micro-Breaks: Short resets (water, breath, quick checklist scan) keep accuracy high throughout the shift.
Reflect: After service, note time sinks and tweak your sequence for the next round.
How to Display Time Management Skills on Your Resume
4. Customer Service
Customer service for a food server is the art of reading the table, responding quickly, and making guests feel looked after from hello to goodbye.
Why It's Important
It shapes the memory of the meal, influences tips and reviews, and turns first-timers into regulars.
How to Improve Customer Service Skills
Small moves, big impact:
Listen fully: Let guests finish, confirm details, and repeat orders with modifiers to avoid misses.
Know the menu: Offer confident recommendations and steer around allergens and preferences.
Be prompt: First greet fast, long waits never; check back after the first bites, then at natural breaks.
Fix issues fast: Own the problem, apologize sincerely, and present clear solutions.
Personalize: Use names when possible, note repeat preferences, celebrate occasions.
Ask for feedback: A quick check at the end shows care and surfaces chances to improve.
How to Display Customer Service Skills on Your Resume
5. Upselling Techniques
Upselling is the gentle nudge—suggesting upgrades, add-ons, or pairings that genuinely enhance the meal and raise check average without pressure.
Why It's Important
It lifts revenue, spotlights menu stars, and helps guests discover something memorable.
How to Improve Upselling Techniques Skills
Subtle, timely, relevant:
Master the menu: Know flavor notes, portions, and fan favorites so your pitch lands naturally.
Listen first: Use cues—diet needs, mood, occasion—to tailor suggestions.
Pair smartly: Suggest logical matches (starters with mains, sauces, sides, beverages, dessert finales).
Feature specials: Highlight limited items or chef features with a quick, vivid description.
Be genuine: Recommend what you truly like. Enthusiasm sells; pushiness repels.
How to Display Upselling Techniques Skills on Your Resume
6. Multitasking
For servers, multitasking means orchestrating many moving parts—orders, runs, checks, resets—without losing accuracy or warmth.
Why It's Important
It shortens waits, keeps courses in rhythm, and helps handle full sections during the crush.
How to Improve Multitasking Skills
Make complexity feel simple:
Prioritize on the fly: Tackle hot, time-bound items first, then stack quick tasks together.
Organize your zone: A tidy station and stocked pockets reduce zigzags and delays.
Routinize: Create standard sequences for greet, ring, run, check-back, and close.
Use tools well: Tight POS entries, clear modifiers, and precise seat numbers prevent rework.
Active listening: Hear details while moving—confirm and adapt without stopping the service flow.
Stay composed: Breathe, steady your pace, and protect accuracy when the tempo spikes.
Keep learning: After shifts, note misses and refine your pattern.
How to Display Multitasking Skills on Your Resume
7. Conflict Resolution
Conflict resolution is the calm, quick cleanup when expectations wobble—whether it’s a missed modifier, a long ticket, or a seating snag.
Why It's Important
Handled well, tense moments turn into trust. Guests feel heard, the team stays steady, and service recovers fast.
How to Improve Conflict Resolution Skills
Defuse, then deliver:
Listen actively: Let the guest speak without interrupting; clarify what went wrong.
Show empathy: Acknowledge their frustration and validate the experience.
Apologize sincerely: Own the moment, even if the cause was upstream.
Offer options: Replace, remake, adjust the bill, or provide an alternative that fits the situation.
Follow up: Check back to ensure the fix landed well and note takeaways for the team.
How to Display Conflict Resolution Skills on Your Resume
8. Menu Knowledge
Menu knowledge is a deep grasp of ingredients, prep methods, portions, allergens, and pairing ideas—so guidance feels confident and safe.
Why It's Important
It builds trust, sharpens recommendations, protects guests with allergies, and reduces back-and-forth with the kitchen.
How to Improve Menu Knowledge Skills
Make it stick:
Study intentionally: Review ingredients, cooking styles, and portion sizes; update notes when menus change.
Taste when allowed: Real experience beats guesswork—learn textures, heat levels, and standout flavors.
Talk to the kitchen: Ask about substitutions, prep nuances, and common guest questions.
Shadow pros: Observe seasoned servers; borrow their phrasing and pairing tips.
Flashcards and drills: Quick reps during lineup or pre-shift keep knowledge fresh.
Practice descriptions: Use vivid, accurate language—avoid overselling, promise only what the dish delivers.
Keep allergen notes current: Track common allergens, including sesame, and know safe swaps.
How to Display Menu Knowledge Skills on Your Resume
9. Wine Pairing
Wine pairing matches a wine’s body, acidity, sweetness, and tannin with the dominant flavors of a dish to elevate both.
Why It's Important
Done right, it deepens the dining experience, boosts check averages, and makes your recommendations feel curated.
How to Improve Wine Pairing Skills
Keep it practical and guest-friendly:
Balance weight: Light dishes with lighter wines; hearty plates with fuller styles.
Match to the dominant element: Sauce, spice, or prep method often matters more than the protein.
Play with contrast and complement: Acid for rich dishes, sweetness to tame heat, earthy with earthy.
Watch structure: High acid cuts fat; tannins love protein; sweetness balances salty and spicy.
Know a few anchors: Sauvignon Blanc with citrusy seafood, Pinot Noir with mushrooms, Champagne with salty starters.
Practice and note: Taste, compare, and record what sings—then share those wins with guests.
How to Display Wine Pairing Skills on Your Resume
10. Food Safety
Food safety means handling, holding, and serving food in ways that prevent illness—clean hands, clean tools, safe temperatures, and no cross-contact.
Why It's Important
It protects guest health, preserves trust, and keeps the restaurant compliant and reputable.
How to Improve Food Safety Skills
Non-negotiables for servers:
Hand hygiene: Wash thoroughly and often; wear gloves correctly when required and change them between tasks.
Prevent cross-contact: Separate raw from ready-to-eat items; use dedicated utensils and clear labels for allergens.
Hold at safe temps: Keep cold foods at 41°F (5°C) or below and hot foods at 135°F (57°C) or above.
Cook temps matter: Confirm proteins meet safe minimums before serving when applicable.
Allergen awareness: Know the major allergens (including sesame) and confirm modifications clearly with the kitchen and the guest.
How to Display Food Safety Skills on Your Resume
11. Cash Handling
Cash handling, for a server, covers taking payments accurately, counting change, balancing at close, and keeping funds secure—across cash, card, and contactless methods.
Why It's Important
It prevents losses and errors, builds guest confidence, and keeps the day’s numbers tight.
How to Improve Cash Handling Skills
Accuracy first, always:
Organize: Use a secure apron or bank for bills and coins; keep denominations separated.
Count out loud: Verify cash received and announce change back to the guest before handing it over.
Reconcile: Match payments to checks during the shift and balance at close to spot issues early.
Secure drops: Move larger amounts to a safe promptly; never leave cash unattended.
Know policy: Follow tip reporting and tip-pooling rules; understand comps, voids, and manager approvals.
Stay current: Be fluent with chip, tap, split checks, and digital wallet workflows.
How to Display Cash Handling Skills on Your Resume
12. Teamwork
Teamwork for a server is tight coordination with hosts, bartenders, runners, and the line—so guests feel one seamless experience, not handoffs.
Why It's Important
Shared awareness shortens waits, cuts mistakes, and keeps the energy positive when the room is full.
How to Improve Teamwork Skills
Make collaboration your default:
Communicate clearly: Quick, specific updates—seat numbers, coursing, allergies, refires.
Align on goals: Know the shift plan—turn targets, specials to push, sections to flex.
Distribute load: Trade runs, pre-bus for each other, and cover breaks without drama.
Invite ideas: Share what’s working and what isn’t at lineup and post-shift huddles.
Give kind feedback: Be direct, be respectful, and focus on the fix.
Celebrate wins: Call out great saves and five-star comments—morale fuels service.
Train together: Cross-train roles and practice service standards so the team moves as one.
How to Display Teamwork Skills on Your Resume
