By Julia Nikolaus, Contributor
There’s no shortage of employment options for folks looking to join the restaurant field. Whether you’re an industry vet exploring new restaurant career paths, an owner looking to attract new hires to expand your business, or someone seeking an entry-level position to get your foot in the door, it’s important that you understand the different types of jobs that are available.
Here are seven restaurant career ideas to get you started on your journey.
Restaurant Career Path #1: Chef/Cook
If you’re the type of person who’s always experimenting in your home kitchen, becoming a cook or chef is the next logical step. Both positions perform similar tasks, but a chef is someone who has typically graduated from a culinary university and has trained extensively under a reputable chef. Chefs often create their own menus and have supervisory roles in the kitchen. It’s also common for culinary creators to start their own restaurants.
Cooks, on the other hand, handle the day-to-day tasks, such as preparing and cooking food and other kitchen duties. Over time, cooks can become chefs. In short, a cook is an entry-level position, while a chef is an advanced position.
There are specific rankings for chefs and cooks:
Executive/Head Chef: The person in charge of everything, including purchasing inventory, creating the menu, managing the kitchen staff, and coming up with plating designs.
Sous Chef: The second in command, the sous chef’s responsibilities include overseeing food rotation, conducting line checks, and acting as the head chef when the head chef isn’t around.
Station Chef/Line Cook: The station chef handles specific cooking processes, such as frying or sautéing. There may be rankings among station chefs, such as first cook and second cook.
Range Chef: A range chef is an apprentice who’s in training to become a station chef.
Prep Cook: The prep cook is in charge of making sure that food is prepared for cooks and chefs to use. Not all restaurants have designated prep cooks.
Restaurant Career Path #2: Server/Counter Server
As you might have guessed, servers serve food. However, there’s much more to the position than just bringing dishes from point A to B. Server and waitstaff duties include describing the menu to guests, recommending special items, upselling, communicating guests’ needs with the back-of-house staff, and ensuring that each guest’s needs are promptly handled.
Counter servers perform similar tasks, with the main difference being that they work behind the counter, rather than serving multiple tables. Rather than approaching guests, the guests approach the counter server. A café’s barista is a common example of a counter server.
In both cases, the server is a huge part of a guest’s overall experience. A bad server can ruin an otherwise great experience but a good server can turn a bad day into a great experience for guests. In general, the best servers are a people-person, with great social and communication skills, the ability to set a positive tone, and solid communication and problem-solving skills.
Restaurant Career Path #3: Restaurant Manager
You guessed it — the restaurant manager manages the restaurant. Restaurant managers must be able to wear many hats, as the position is quite fluid, and responsibilities can vary widely from day to day. In short, the manager must make sure that everything runs smoothly and that the restaurant is successful.
From supervising the staff, marketing the restaurant, keeping track of inventory, scheduling regular equipment maintenance, handling guest issues, create a shift scheduling, making sure the business complies with all safety regulations, the job of a restaurant manager can be overwhelming at times. That’s why they must have plenty of experience working in restaurants. A degree in hospitality management is very helpful, and some self-care in the restaurant industry can go a long way too!
Restaurant Career Path #4: Kitchen Manager
A kitchen manager manages the kitchen (are you noticing a trend with these job titles?). Because the restaurant manager is usually too busy to oversee the kitchen, it’s important to have a designated manager for the back-of-house.
The kitchen manager’s duties typically include monitoring kitchen staff to ensure compliance with safety regulations, checking the plating designs, checking food temperature and quality, and keeping orders organized.
Restaurant Career Path #5: Bartender
To nobody’s surprise, the bartender tends the bar. Besides preparing and serving beverages (and sometimes food), bartenders are responsible for checking guests’ IDs, accepting payments, counting down the drawer/balancing receipts, and cleaning glassware and other various bar tools.
A bartender’s duties can vary widely depending on where they work. For example, at a dive bar, they’re mostly going to be pouring and serving shots and beers (and maybe the occasional security duties). On the other hand, bartenders at an upscale restaurant may need to know how to make a vast range of cocktails, and a bartending degree may be required for some positions.
Restaurant Career Path #6: Busser
Bussers are largely responsible for ensuring the sanitation of the dining area. They remove and replace silverware, glassware, and dishes as needed, clear and wipe down the tables after the guests leave, and perform other similar duties as needed to support the servers. A busser is usually an entry-level position more than an actual career path, and bussers may move up the ranks over time if they prove themselves valuable to the team and as they pick up new skills.
Restaurant Career Path #7: Host
The host greets guests, answers the phone, schedules their reservations, hands out menus, manage guest seating arrangements, and seats guests at their table. Because the guests’ first impression of a restaurant is usually with the host, a charming and pleasant demeanor is a must!
Resources for Following a Restaurant Career Path
The requirements for joining the restaurant industry vary widely depending on your desired position. While some positions may require college degrees or relevant experience, the restaurant industry is great for people who are looking to climb the ladder with little to no formal training or education. It’s quite common for restaurant managers to promote employees in-house before outsourcing hires.
Breaking into any new career can be challenging. This is especially true in underserved communities. Fortunately, some organizations support people who are interested in joining the field, as well as people who already work in restaurants. Even if you don’t have a degree or experience, you might be able to find a program to help you pursue your dreams.
For example, Everytable is a food service provider that has a program called Everytable University that allows participants to manage an Everytable location, learning the ins and outs of restaurant & food service management as they go. After graduating, participants can apply to own and operate an Everytable storefront.
Similarly, there are plenty of other nonprofit and business organizations that exist solely to help people who work in the restaurant industry. For example, One Fair Wage and the Restaurant Employee Relief Fund provide direct cash assistance to struggling restaurant workers. Whether you’re looking to start a career or get assistance, there’s a lot of help available out there. After all, people love dining out!
Reach Out to the Community for Further Guidance
We’ve barely scratched the surface with these common restaurant positions. There are so many different restaurant career paths to choose from, so spend some time doing your homework so you can land your dream gig or hire the right team for your establishment. The best way to learn is to get information right from the source, so talk to restaurant workers in person and online. You might end up discovering a restaurant career path you never knew existed.
About the Author
Julia Nikolaus is a content strategist for an LA-based company. She enjoys working with food and drink brands along with beauty and fashion clients. In her free time, Julia likes to bake new recipes, take dance classes, and spend time outdoors.
