Food Service Assistants
Overview
Food service assistants work behind the scenes in restaurants, cafeterias, and dining establishments to keep everything running smoothly. You'll help servers and bartenders by cleaning tables, carrying food and dishes, setting up dining areas, and making sure customers have what they need. This job teaches valuable teamwork and customer service skills while working in fast-paced environments where every team member plays an important role. Many food service assistants use point-of-sale systems and work flexible schedules that can fit around school commitments.
Did you know?
Food service assistants must be prepared for physically demanding work including long hours of standing, lifting heavy items, and working in fast-paced, often hot kitchen environments.
At a Glance
Median Wage
$30,165.29 Avg/yr
Growth
Fast Growing
Top Skill
Operations Monitoring
Key Responsibilities
- Stock refrigerating units with wines or bottled beer or replace empty beer kegs.
- Scrape and stack dirty dishes and carry dishes and other tableware to kitchens for cleaning.
- Locate items requested by customers.
- Maintain adequate supplies of items, such as clean linens, silverware, glassware, dishes, or trays.
- Stock cabinets or serving areas with condiments and refill condiment containers.
- Serve ice water, coffee, rolls, or butter to patrons.
- Serve food to customers when waiters or waitresses need assistance.
- Run cash registers.
- Garnish foods and position them on tables to make them visible and accessible.
- Slice and pit fruit used to garnish drinks.
- Clean and polish counters, shelves, walls, furniture, or equipment in food service areas or other areas of restaurants and mop or vacuum floors.
- Perform serving, cleaning, or stocking duties in establishments, such as cafeterias or dining rooms, to facilitate customer service.
- Clean up spilled food or drink or broken dishes and remove empty bottles and trash.
- Carry trays from food counters to tables for cafeteria patrons.
- Fill beverage or ice dispensers.
- Carry food, dishes, trays, or silverware from kitchens or supply departments to serving counters.
- Replenish supplies of food or equipment at steam tables or service bars.
- Wash glasses or other serving equipment at bars.
- Carry linens to or from laundry areas.
- Greet and seat customers.
- Set tables with clean linens, condiments, or other supplies.
- Mix and prepare flavors for mixed drinks.
- Wipe tables or seats with dampened cloths or replace dirty tablecloths.
Career Considerations
Physical Demands and Work Environment
Food service assistants must be prepared for physically demanding work including long hours of standing, lifting heavy items, and working in fast-paced, often hot kitchen environments.
Career Advancement Opportunities
This entry-level position offers pathways to advance to line cook, kitchen supervisor, or restaurant management roles with experience and additional training.
Wage Structure and Benefits
Most positions start at or near minimum wage with potential for tips in some establishments, though full-time positions with comprehensive benefits are less common in this field.