What are the Different Restaurant Jobs?

There’s a lid for every pot when it comes to restaurant job roles. In other words, the restaurant industry offers many exciting opportunities and caters to diverse skill sets.

If you’re curious about working in the hospitality industry and want to know more about getting your slice of the pie, read on to find out about the different restaurant positions that could be a good fit for you.

Front-of-house restaurant jobs

Barback 

As a barback, your main goal is to make sure the bartenders have everything they need. Throughout the course of a shift, a barback would spend their time collecting glasses, refilling supplies like napkins and making sure the bar area and tables are clean and tidy.

Barback key skills

• Ability to be on your feet for a full working day

• Conscientious and customer-oriented

• Old enough to serve alcohol

• Organised and able to multitask

Bartender

Bartenders often sit at the centre of any eating establishment. Highly skilled and knowledgeable in their craft, they’re the experts in charge of pouring, mixing and serving alcoholic beverages to customers in a bar or restaurant.

Bartender key skills

• Excellent customer service skills

• Expert knowledge of alcohol types, measures and mixology 

• Strong communication skills 

• Time management

Barista

No coffee shop can function without the expertise of baristas. They’re the ones in command of the coffee machine, so knowing the difference between a cortado and a cappuccino is essential. Being able to remain calm and perform under high levels of pressure during busy periods is also key to success as a barista, as is knowing how to handle caffeine-starved customers. 

Barista key skills

• Deep knowledge of different coffee types and measures

• Laser focus

• Great customer service skills

• Ability to multitask

Busser

Bussers spend their time clearing and cleaning restaurant tables and keeping the dining area clean. This is an entry-level position which has scope to grow in responsibility. Daily tasks for a busser might include polishing cutlery, replenishing condiments and re-setting tables.

Busser key skills

• Teamwork 

• Energy and enthusiasm

• Flexibility

• Eagle eye for detail

Expeditor 

This role intersects between the chefs in the kitchen, the waiters in the restaurant and the customers waiting for their meals. Expeditors are ultimately responsible for kitchen timings, ensuring that food is plated and transported out of the kitchen promptly. To be an expeditor, you need to be able to manage multiple food orders simultaneously and have an in-depth knowledge of  menu items.

Expeditor key skills

• Calm under pressure 

• Steady hands 

• Ability to multitask 

• Excellent food knowledge

Fine dining server

Fine dining servers are renowned for providing exceptional customer service at upscale fine dining establishments and Michelin restaurants. They are expected to have an encyclopedic knowledge of flavour profiles and pairings. Servers with fine dining restaurant experience also need to have the restaurant’s menu, specials, and wine list memorised, so they’re equipped to answer questions or make recommendations to customers. 

Fine dining server key skills

• Unshakable focus

• Passionate and knowledgeable about food

• Great memory

• Dedication to customer service

Head waiter

As the most senior waiter on the restaurant floor, the head waiter, or Maître d' is responsible for overseeing a team of restaurant wait staff. In a nutshell, they uphold the restaurant’s high standards by training staff, providing impeccable food service, enhancing the dining experience and acting as keepers of the dining room seating plan. 

Head waiter key skills

• Passion for creating great customer experiences

• People management skills

• Team-centric mindset

• Detail oriented

Hostess/host 

The host is often the first person that guests interact with when they walk into a restaurant. They’ll take reservations, seat guests and manage waiting times, often acting as the face of the establishment. To be a great host or hostess, you’ll be a keen multitasker who wants to give their all to their guests. 

Hostess/host key skills  

• Love of customer service

• Calm under pressure

• Willing to wear many hats

• Great memory

Restaurant runner

A restaurant runner’s role is to deliver food from the kitchen to tables quickly and efficiently. Their main goal is to ensure that the correct customer orders are delivered to the correct tables so that a smooth service is maintained.

Restaurant runner key skills

• Great communication skills

• Time management

• Speed, accuracy and efficiency

• Quick on your feet

Server

Severs bring the food hot from the kitchen and serve it to guests at the tables. To do this job well, great customer service skills are key, and steady hands are a must.

Server key skills

• Unflappable

• Quick on your feet

• Quick learner 

• Winning charm

Sommelier

A Sommelier is a wine expert who typically works at high-end restaurants. They are responsible for pairing the menu with the appropriate wines, as well as training restaurant staff and team members on tasting notes. 

Sommelier key skills 

• Keen sense of taste and smell 

• Excellent communication skills

• Ability to pair food and wine

• Adaptability and trend spotting skills

Waiter/waitress

Wait staff are responsible for the tableside experience, providing guests with menus, as well as taking their food and drink orders, ensuring any guests' allergies have been noted and processing payments tableside using handhelds.

Waiter/waitress key skills

• A love of customer service

• Strong interpersonal skills

• Quick learner

• Winning charm

Back-of-house restaurant jobs

Baker

Running a bakery costs, on average, £427,800 per year. So, having a crack team of exceptional bakers to bring in profits is vital. Day-to-day bakers are in charge of preparing, making and decorating bread, pastries and cakes to sell in bakeries.

Baker key skills

• Accuracy and attention to detail

• Understanding the science of baking

• Patience

• Creativity 

Dishwasher

A dishwasher keeps the restaurant's supply of clean crockery and utensils coming. It’s a tough job, with dishwashers often spending hours on their feet keeping the work area clean. However, it’s a vital role that keeps the kitchen running. 

Dishwasher key skills

• Stamina

• Attention to detail

• Ability to work seamlessly with other kitchen staff 

• Great time-management skills 

Delivery driver

These days, delivery drivers are a familiar sight on roads the world over. And, with the UK food delivery market expected to reach £4.4 billion in revenue by 2030, the demand for delivery drivers doesn’t look set to change. Above all, delivery drivers are expected to pick up and transport goods to customers carefully and safely, ensuring that deliveries reach their intended destination in a timely manner.

Delivery driver key skills

• Drivers license

• Organisation

• Communication skills

• Time management 

Executive chef

Occupying the highest-ranking position in the kitchen, the executive chef is responsible for running the entire kitchen. They develop recipes and techniques for food preparation and ensure that the food produced is of a high quality. Generally, to reach the executive chef level, you’d need around 10 years of experience working in a professional kitchen.

Executive chef key skills

• Leadership abilities

• Menu planning

• Recipe development

• Problem solving 

Head chef 

Head chefs are the heart of the kitchen team, coming second in command only to the executive chef. They manage other chefs and contribute the culinary finesse and vision that gives a restaurant a strong reputation. Typically, it can take 8-12 years to become a seasoned head chef. 

Head chef key skills 

• Creativity and food presentation skills

• Advanced culinary knowledge

• Understanding food safety standards, hygiene and HACCP

• Communication and leadership skills

Inventory specialist

When increasing restaurant revenue is top of mind for restaurant owners and managers, the skills that inventory specialists bring to the table, such as stock rotation and minimising waste, are vital. Strong budgeting and financial planning skills are essential for success in an inventory specialist role. 

Inventory specialist key skills

• Strong financial literacy

• Knowledge of food hygiene

• Logistics skills

• Data analysis 

Kitchen manager

Without a kitchen manager, there would be chaos. To ensure calm, kitchen managers oversee kitchen operations, including the ordering and preparation of food, as well as keeping an inventory of produce. People management is also a big part of the role, with training new kitchen staff a key focus. 

Kitchen manager key skills

• Highly organised

• Conflict management skills

• Calm in high stress situations

• Planning skills

Line cook

Line cooks work ‘on the line’ to prepare one specific aspect that makes up a dish, such as the meat or vegetables. They typically have at least one year of professional cooking experience under their belts.

Line cook key skills 

• Speed and accuracy

• Strong communication skills

• Maintaining a work station

• Commitment to food hygiene practices

Pastry chef

In a bustling kitchen, pastry chefs are responsible for creating a range of desserts, including cakes, pastries and tarts. As a pastry chef, you may manage a team of commis pastry chefs, and your day may involve 

Pastry chef key skills 

• Passion for flavour and food

• Exceptional attention to detail

• Artistic flare

• Management skills

Prep cook

Armed with exceptional knife skills, prep cooks act as the chef’s set of hands. They chop, portion and pre-prepare food ready for the shift ahead. This role is often the first stop in a cook’s career, often being undertaken by young cooks who are training to be chefs, so it’s all about learning the rules and ropes of the professional kitchen.

Prep cook key skills 

• Food hygiene

• Listening skills

• Knife skills

• Stock organisation and rotation 

Short order cook

Short order cooks generally work in quick-service restaurants, producing fast food food to order. During their working day, they might specialise in making items such as burgers, sandwiches or breakfast foods like pancakes.

Short order cook key skills

• Food hygiene

• Speed and accuracy

• Calm under pressure

• Great all-round cook

Sous chef

In the professional kitchen hierarchy, the sous chef reports to the head chef - the French word ‘sous’ translates to ‘under’ in English. So what does a sous chef do? They manage how food is plated and quality control the dishes that are leaving the kitchen. 

Sous chef’s key skills

• Time management 

• High level of accuracy and attention to detail

• Strong communication skills 

• Love of food

Restaurant management jobs

Assistant manager

The assistant manager at a restaurant is second in command to the general manager. Your restaurant vocabulary must be up to scratch to seamlessly communicate between the front and back-of-house, and you must be ready to pivot your focus at any moment, from dealing with customers one minute, to strategising methods for more efficient service and devising rotas the next.

Assistant manager key skills

• Perfect people management skills

• Great in a crisis

• Ability to devise rotas and budgets

• Flexible and adaptable

Food and beverage manager

This role is grounded in finance and forecasting, with food and beverage managers being responsible for the ordering of food and drinks at a restaurant or bar.

Food and beverage manager key skills

• Ability to spot trends

• Passion for food and drink

• Highly organised

• Financial background

General manager

The general manager is responsible for smooth restaurant operations, which requires juggling the front and back-of-house seamlessly. Day-to-day, they might spend time in the restaurant’s back office, handling hiring, payroll, finding the right POS system, financial planning, budgets and inventory. During the restaurant’s opening hours, they'll also prioritise customer satisfaction, dealing with customer complaints and ensuring great service.

General manager key skills

• Excellent organisation skills 

• Ability to hire and manage a team effectively

• Budgeting and inventory control

• Health and safety knowledge and certification

Where to find restaurant jobs

Looking for a new restaurant role? Here are five places you can find restaurant job roles and job descriptions tailored to your requirements:

1. Caterer.com As the largest UK hospitality job board, you can find over 20,000 hospitality jobs at all levels with employers of all sizes.

2. Hospitality Jobs UK HJUKs mission is to help people get jobs in hospitality. They work with employers of all sizes, helping candidates to secure employment across the hospitality sector from cafes to quick service restaurants and beyond. 

3. Only Chefs Specialising in jobs for chefs, Only Chefs is the place where London’s top chef talent and employers meet. So much so, it was voted Best Chef Recruitment Platform in the UK Enterprise Awards in 2024.

4. Department of Work and Pensions Jobs Board The UK Department of Work and Pensions Jobs Board is a government-backed resource that regularly advertises a diverse range of hospitality and catering positions.

5. Coffee Jobs Board Specialising in placing candidates in the coffee industry, the Coffee Jobs Board was created to bridge the gap between coffee professionals looking for work and businesses looking for house staff. Perfect for baristas looking for career opportunities.

Working in a restaurant can feel like high steaks, but it’s all about fostering a team mindset to create an environment that functions like a well-oiled machine. Now that you know the responsibilities of each of the restaurant job roles, and where to look for your perfect restaurant position, it’s time to start applying. Good luck!