About This Career

Directly supervises and coordinates activities of workers engaged in preparing and serving food.

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

A person in this career:

• Performs various financial activities, such as cash handling, deposit preparation, and payroll.
• Compiles and balances cash receipts at the end of the day or shift.
• Resolves customer complaints regarding food service.
• Presents bills and accepts payments.
• Inspects supplies, equipment, and work areas to ensure efficient service and conformance to standards.
• Performs food preparation and serving duties, such as carving meat, preparing flambe dishes, or serving wine and liquor.
• Trains workers in food preparation, and in service, sanitation, and safety procedures.
• Supervises and participates in kitchen and dining area cleaning activities.
• Performs personnel actions, such as hiring and firing staff, providing employee orientation and training, and conducting supervisory activities, such as creating work schedules or organizing employee time sheets.
• Controls inventories of food, equipment, smallware, and liquor, and reports shortages to designated personnel.

Working Conditions and Physical Demands

People who do this job report that:

• You would often handle loads up to 10 lbs., sometimes up to 20 lbs. You might do a lot of walking or standing, or you might sit but use your arms and legs to control machines, equipment or tools.
• Work in this occupation involves use of protective items such as safety shoes, glasses, gloves, hearing protection, a hard hat, or personal flotation devices
• Conditions are very hot (above 90 F) or very cold (under 32 F)
• 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):

• Seeing clearly at a distance
• Seeing clearly up close
• Speaking clearly enough to be able to be understood by others
• Identifying and understanding the speech of another person

Work Hours and Travel

• Overtime work
• Weekend work