

Many high-end restaurants offer a specific style of cooking-they may feature French, Greek, Italian, Japanese, or some other specialized cuisine. In fine, elegant restaurants, waiters are supervised by a headwaiter and must serve food in special, formal ways. There are many different kinds of restaurants, and the work of waiters varies accordingly. In some restaurants waiters handle guests' payments for meals in others guests take their checks directly to the cashier. When guests are ready to leave, waiters take the checks to the tables. They also record the food and drink prices on the guests' checks. They refill coffee cups and water glasses and ask if guests want to order anything else. Waiters give constant attention to the guests.

This kind of service assures good tips and brings customers back to the restaurant. Alert waiters remember what each person has ordered and can place the correct dish in front of the person who ordered it. When the food is ready, waiters carry it from the kitchen to the tables. They write down customers' orders so that the cooks can prepare each dish exactly as requested.

Waiters give a copy of the restaurant's menu to each customer and sometimes explain how the different meals on the menu are prepared. They are usually assigned to serve a certain number of tables (called a station) by the restaurant manager, the host or hostess, or the headwaiter. Waiters are the men and women who take orders and serve food in restaurants throughout the country. Salary: Median-$6.75 per hour including tipsĮmployment Outlook: Good Definition and Nature of the Work Education and Training: On-the-job training
