Fine dining restaurants require a different type of server than quick-serve restaurants or diners. There’s the expectation when visiting a high-brow restaurant that you’ll be offered better service with staff that’s more attentive to your needs and knowledgable about menu items.

According to an industry survey, 7 out of 10 customers report they’re willing spend more at businesses offering exceptional service so hiring the right people to serve as the face of your restaurant is critical.

But where do you start? How do you find a fine dining server for your restaurant that meets the expectations of your customers? I’ve written a job description for a fine dining waiter or waitress that you can edit and publish on hiring websites or newspaper job postings to attract your desired candidate. Jump straight to section most important to you below.

Introduction

Looking for a fine dining server? Here’s what to do.

A fine dining server is an attendant / wait staff at an upscale restaurant. A competent server will take orders, enter orders into a computer, serve customers their food, interact with guests, and of course deliver the bill to each table at the conclusion of a meal.

This job might look simple when you’re observing an experience server, but this job it isn’t like being a waitress at a diner. Upscale restaurants are expensive for a reason. Aside from the higher quality food and decor, elevated service is what customers expect with the higher priced meal. Fine dining servers must understand the restaurant menu like the back of their hand and be able to recite details of the menu. They should also be quick to respond to  customers’ needs.

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This includes offering suggestions off the menu if they have any health concerns, answer to their requests to be seated at a different area, know when to serve the next course or dessert, and understand the nuance of providing top-notch hospitality.

Exceptional service depends on fine dining servers so you must be specific when you’re putting up a job description for them. We’ll tackle those below.

Job Description Summary

What is a fine dining server?

Start your fine dining server job description with a short summary of your business and what you’re looking for. The specifics of the job description will come right after. But posting up a summary will get the applicant a insight into job posting.

Here is a sample job description summary you can do:

For more than a decade, Alexandria’s Steak Room has been the number one place for the best steaks in the city. Not only do we serve the finest cuts but we also provide outstanding dining service to our patrons.

We are looking for fine dining servers to join our growing team. The responsibilities include waiting on tables, knows how to multi-task, can work well with others, and can follow instructions down carefully.

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There are no specific tasks or skills mentioned in the summary yet but just by reading the description, the applicant understands the basics of the role. Stating how long your restaurant has been up and running also gives the applicant assurance that your business is run well. If you’re a new, you can share a vision you want to build instead.

Primary Responsibilities of Fine Dining Servers

Writing down the primary responsibilities you need in a server follows after the summary. In this section, it is highly recommended to be specific so your expectations are clear for the applicant.

General responsibilities for a fine dining server include:

  • Greeting customers and showing them to their table.
  • Presenting the menu to them and introducing specials for the day or new items not on the menu. You would need to be very familiar with the menu to describe items and explain some terms and ingredients to them if they have any questions.
  • Take their orders carefully and jot down their special requests should they have any.
  • Provide refills of water and alcoholic beverages.
  • Coordinate with the kitchen on their orders and deliver them back to the customers when it’s ready.
  • Accommodating customers’ needs and questions.

If your restaurant has any other workflow that needs to be done here, you can add this list of responsibilities too. This section presents the applicant a simple list of expectations they should meet.

Desired Skills / Role Requirements

This section is all about listing the background you’re looking for in a fine dining server. Keep in mind that just because an applicant doesn’t have all of these background experiences, doesn’t mean they won’t make an exceptional server.

Below are some skills you need to look for in a fine dining server:

  • Has at least 1-year experience working in a casual or fine dining restaurant.
  • Has finished high school education.
  • Has excellent oral communication skills.
  • Must have good listening and understanding skills.
  • Is able to balance and carry dishes on a tray.
  • Can handle being on their feet for 4 hours or more.
  • Is a team player.
  • Has basic knowledge in fine dining cuisine.

You may list down more skills that best suit your fine dining restaurant. For instance, if you have an item on the menu that requires your servers to prepare it in front of your customers, like cooking pasta in a cheese wheel in front of them, then you’ll need to specify basic cooking skills on the list too.

Sample Job Description Template

Below is a sample job description template you may use in looking for a fine dining server. Please edit out the necessary sections such as the schedule, salary pay, and the like. You may also add or remove skills to your liking:

Alexandria’s Steak Room – Fine Dining Server Position

For five years, Alexandria’s Steak Room has been the number one place for the best steaks in the city. We are known for our prime U.S. steaks that are cooked to perfection. Not only do we serve the finest cuts bu