Server Resume Example (Restaurant)

Server (Restaurant) resume example.

A strong server resume proves you keep a busy section moving and sell while you do it. Hiring managers scan for the POS you have run (Toast, Aloha, Micros), a food safety or alcohol-service certification, and hard numbers: covers per shift, check averages, upsell rate, and table turn time. The example below leads with those, names the systems by their real names, and turns everyday FOH work into results a manager can picture in seconds.

Mateo Alvarez

Restaurant Server | High-Volume FOH Service

[email protected] · (555) 368-2985 · Minneapolis, MN · linkedin.com/in/mateo-alvarez

Summary

Restaurant server with 4 years in high-volume casual and upscale-casual dining, comfortable running an 8 to 10 table section on a busy Friday and closing checks accurately in Toast. ServSafe Food Handler and TIPS certified, with a steady record of upselling appetizers and wine without slowing the floor. Known for fast, friendly turns and clean cash drawers.

Experience

Server2023 to Present

The Cedar House Kitchen

Serve a 9-table section during peak Friday and Saturday dinner rushes, handling 90 to 120 covers per shift while keeping food running on time with the kitchen.
Lifted average check by roughly 14 percent through suggestive selling of appetizers, wine pairings, and dessert, ranking in the top three of a 22-server team for add-on sales.
Enter and modify orders in Toast POS, split checks for large parties, and process card and cash payments with a balanced drawer at close.
Cut average table turn time from 62 to 48 minutes by pre-bussing and coordinating with bussers and the host stand during the dinner rush.

Server and Food Runner2021 to 2023

Maple & Vine Bistro

Ran a 6-table section and covered food running across the floor at a 140-seat bistro, learning the full menu and daily specials within two weeks.
Answered allergen and ingredient questions and flagged dietary restrictions to the kitchen, keeping allergen errors at zero across two years.
Trained four new hires on POS workflow, table maintenance, and steps of service during onboarding.
Handled cash and card payments through Aloha POS and reconciled tips and the bank at the end of each shift.

Skills

POS systems (Toast, Aloha, Micros) · Upselling and suggestive selling · Cash handling and check reconciliation · Menu, wine, and allergen knowledge · Table turnover and section management · Multitasking under high-volume pressure · Steps of service and guest experience · OpenTable reservation and table management

Education

Hillsboro High School, Nashville, TN. Coursework toward Associate of Arts, Nashville State Community College.

Certifications

ServSafe Food Handler, National Restaurant Association
TIPS (Training for Intervention ProcedureS) Alcohol Certification

How to make this resume stronger

Specific to server (restaurant) roles, not generic advice.

Quantify the floor, not just the duties

Servers are judged on volume and sales. Put numbers on it: covers or tables per shift, average check size, upsell or add-on percentage, and table turn time. "Served a 9-table section, 90-plus covers a shift" tells a manager far more than "provided excellent customer service."

Name the POS and any certification up top

ATS matching is literal. If the posting says Toast, write Toast, not "POS software." Name the system you have actually run (Toast, Aloha, Micros, Square) and put ServSafe or TIPS in a certifications line. Alcohol service certification is required in many states and is one of the first things a manager checks.

Show you can sell while you serve

Upselling is what separates an order-taker from a strong server. Use a bullet that ties suggestive selling to a result: appetizers, wine pairings, or dessert that raised the average check. If you ranked on a sales board or hit a contest target, say so. It reads as money the restaurant makes.

Common mistakes to avoid

Writing "responsible for taking orders and serving food" instead of the section size, covers per shift, and sales you handled.

Listing "POS software" generically when the posting names Toast, Aloha, or Micros, which the ATS matches word for word.

Leaving off ServSafe or TIPS when the role serves alcohol or the state requires a food handler card.

Skipping numbers entirely, so a manager cannot tell whether you can handle a busy section or sell once you are on the floor.

Server (Restaurant) resume FAQ

What skills should a server put on a resume?

A mix of the technical and the service side. Technical: the POS you have run (Toast, Aloha, Micros, Square), cash handling and check reconciliation, and any reservation or table-management software (OpenTable, Resy). Service: upselling, menu and allergen knowledge, table turnover, multitasking under pressure, and steps of service. Add a certification like ServSafe Food Handler or TIPS. Mirror the exact tools and terms from the job posting, since the ATS matches them literally.

Do you need certifications to be a server?

It depends on the state and the restaurant. Many states require a food handler card, often satisfied by ServSafe Food Handler from the National Restaurant Association, and serving alcohol usually requires a responsible-beverage-service certification such as TIPS or ServSafe Alcohol. List whichever you hold in a certifications section near the top. If you are not yet certified, note that you are eligible or scheduled, since these courses are short and inexpensive.

How do you make a server resume stand out with no experience?

Lead with transferable proof and any food-service basics you have. A food handler certification, familiarity with a POS, and customer-facing work like retail, cashiering, or volunteering all show you can handle a register, guests, and a fast pace. Quantify what you can, for example customers served per shift or a balanced cash drawer, and state your availability for nights and weekends, which managers value highly for this role.

Server (Restaurant) resume example.

Keywords ATS systems scan for

How to make this resume stronger

Common mistakes to avoid

Server (Restaurant) resume FAQ

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