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 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, is able to work well with others, and can follow instructions down carefully. It is a job for those looking to broaden their experience and passion for food and beverage, particularly in the fine dining department.

Fine Dining Server Job Responsibilities:

  • Greeting customers upon arrival 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. This includes kinds of steaks and what their difference is. You would also be ready to recommend steaks depending on their preference.
  • Take their orders carefully. This includes asking them for any allergies they might have so as to help them avoid items on the menu.
  • Coordinate with the kitchen on their orders and deliver them back to the customers once it’s ready.
  • Accommodate customers’ needs and requests to the best of your capabilities. This includes changing their tables upon their request if there is an available one, refilling their drinks, and changing their utensils if they accidentally drop them.
  • Collect the customers’ bill and double-checking on table satisfaction.
  • Removal of plates and help clear and set the table for the next round of customers.

Skills and Experiences:

  • Has at least 1-year experience working in a casual or fine dining restaurant
  • Has finished high school education
  • Has a food handler’s permit or license
  • Has excellent oral communication skills
  • Must have good listening and understanding skills
  • Has good selling skills
  • Is able to balance and carry dishes on a tray
  • Can handle being on their feet for long hours
  • Is a team player and practices professionalism
  • Has basic knowledge in fine dining cuisine

Job Type: Full Time

Schedule: Tuesday to Sunday; 5 pm to 12 midnight

Salary rate: $25 per hour

Supplemental Pay: Tips

Benefits:

  • Employee discount
  • Health insurance
  • 401 K
  • Two weeks paid time off after a 1-year service

Contact information: (insert both your email and number)

If you have all the skills and can perform the necessary responsibilities mentioned above, then send us your resume in the email provided. To know that you have read through this description, email us with the subject line “Well done!”

Questions to Ask During an Interview

Here are some interview questions to ask.

After screening applicant resumes, it’s time to meet for an interview. The interview is for you to gauge your applicant’s personality and get a first impression on whether or not they’ll be the right fit for the role. Here are appropriate interview questions for a during a fine-dining server interview:

  1. What were your responsibilities at your previous job?
  2. Why did you leave your last job?
  3. How many tables do you think you can wait on at one time?
  4. Do you have any knowledge about wine pairings?
  5. What is it about this job that interests you the most?
  6. What do you think will be the easiest task you can do and what do you think will be the most difficult?
  7. How will you be able to handle a customer’s question or inquiry that you do not know the answer to?
  8. Describe an instance you were challenged at your past jobs and how were you able to handle them.
  9. What are your long-term goals in this career?
  10. What is an exceptional fine dining service for you?

Average Salary Job Statistics

Broaden your knowledge about the fine dining industry with these statistics.

Salary is less important for fine dining servers will make the lion’s share of their income from tips. With that being said, you can make your restaurant more appealing by ensuring your restaurant is busy and has generous customers that tip well. Busy restaurants that turn tables fast, make a happy wait staff.

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Here are some dining server salary statistics to keep in mind while you’re drafting your job description:

  • In the United States, the average hourly pay of a fine dining server is $25 (including tips). This will of course vary from shift to shift, restaurant to restaurant, and time of day (lunch or dinner).
  • According to the Bureau of Labor, these are the roles and responsibilities of a server:
    • Greeting customers, presenting to them the menu, and explaining to them the specials of the day
    • Answer customers’ inquiries and offer suggestions for their orders
    • Take customers’ orders and bringing them to the kitchen
    • Helps prepare food and beverages such as doing the garnishing and pouring drinks for customers
    • Carry food and beverage to the customers’ tables
    • Double checks the orders, brings the bill, and takes the payments from the customers
    • Helps clear the tables when the customers finish for the next batch
    • Stocks service areas and helps set up the dining area which includes refilling condiments
  • There is a 7.02% estimated job growth for waiters and waitresses. This is a role that will continue to be in demand over the next five years.
  • There are 12.5 million employees in the restaurant industry in 2020.
  • According to Zippia, the average age of food servers is 39 years old. 61% are women while 34% are men.
  • The same study presents that the common level of education for 27% of food servers is a high school degree.
  • 70% of employees in restaurants claim that they would like to receive training from managers.
  • Out of all the restaurants in the United States, 1.4% are full-service fine dining restaurants. This makes your establishment unique.
  • In 2019, Ruth’s Chris Steak House is the leading fine dining restaurant chain in the United States.

With this job description sample for servers, you can start editing this template to publish on a restaurant website or online job board. Pair this detailed job description with the right training processes, you’ll be able to find rock-star servers to join your team even in this competitive labor market.

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