A great server resume sells one thing: the guest experience you create and the revenue you drive while you do it. Restaurant managers skim for proof you can carry a busy section, upsell without being pushy, ring orders fast and accurately on the POS, and keep tables happy when the kitchen is slammed.
Restaurant server with 5+ years in high-volume and upscale-casual dining. Maintained a 4.9/5 guest satisfaction rating while serving 120+ covers per shift, and ranked top 2 of 18 servers for upsells by lifting average check size 22% through wine and dessert recommendations. Calm under a full section, fast on Toast POS, and trusted to train new hires.
The strongest server resumes lead with numbers, such as covers per shift, average check size, upsell rates, and guest satisfaction scores, then back them with the systems you know like Toast, Aloha, or Micros. Even hourly hospitality roles increasingly run applications through an ATS or an online screening form, so the wording matters.
The parser is matching your resume against the posting, which means the exact terms (POS, fine dining, food safety, cash handling) need to show up in yours. This page gives you a complete, manager-tested server resume example you can read top to bottom, plus a section-by-section guide to writing each part for your own background, whether you are stepping up from busser or host or you already run a fine-dining floor.
Use the example as a structural template, swap in your own quantified wins, and mirror the language from the restaurant you are targeting so both the human and the software see a fit fast.
Skip "hardworking team player." Open with your years, the venue type, and your single most impressive number, whether that is covers per shift, average check growth, or a guest satisfaction score. A manager decides in seconds whether you can carry a busy floor, and a concrete metric in line one is what proves it.
Every bullet should answer "so what?" Replace "Took customer orders" with "Lifted average check size 22% through wine and dessert recommendations." Use the pattern: action verb plus what you did plus measurable impact. Aim for 3 to 4 bullets per role, front-loaded with your biggest sales and service wins.
List the actual tools, not vague phrases. Write "Toast," "Aloha," or "Micros" by name, plus "cash handling" and "ServSafe" if the posting uses them. A parser is matching exact terms, and a manager wants to know you can jump on their system with minimal training.
Service quality has numbers: guest satisfaction scores, repeat-table rates, complaints resolved, loyalty signups, table-turn speed. "Converted 9 of 10 unhappy tables into positive reviews" reads far stronger than "provided excellent customer service."
Keep a master resume, then reorder skills and bullets to match each posting. Applying to a fine-dining room? Move wine knowledge and upselling to the top. Applying to high-volume casual? Lead with covers per shift and table-turn speed instead.
Mirror the exact terms from your target job description. The ATS matches strings, so the words in the posting belong in your resume.
Per year. Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics – Waiters and Waitresses (OOH)
How long should a server resume be?
One page is the right length for nearly every server, even with years of experience across several restaurants. Managers skim quickly during hiring rushes, so a tight one-pager that leads with covers, check size, and guest scores beats a padded two-pager every time.
What if I have no formal serving experience?
Lead with transferable roles like host, busser, barista, retail, or cashier work, and emphasize customer service, cash handling, and fast-paced multitasking. If you have any food-running or bar-back experience, put it up top, and add a ServSafe or food handler certification to show you take the basics seriously.
Should I list my POS systems on a server resume?
Yes. Name the systems you know, such as Toast, Aloha, or Micros, in your skills section and bullets. Managers want to know how fast you can ramp on their floor, and many screening forms search for the exact system name, so spell it out the way the posting does.
How do I show upselling on a resume without sounding pushy?
Frame it as guest experience plus revenue. "Lifted average check size 22% through wine and dessert recommendations" shows you can sell while keeping tables happy. Pair it with a satisfaction score so it reads as great service, not pressure.
What is the most common server resume mistake?
Listing duties instead of results. "Greeted guests and took orders" tells a manager nothing about how good you are. "Served 120+ covers per shift at a 4.9/5 rating" shows volume, skill, and impact in one line, and that is what gets you the interview.
