What different restaurant jobs can you do?
There are two main areas within a restaurant. Front of House is ‘outside the kitchen’ where you will be face to face with the public. Back of House is ‘behind the doors’, which generally means the kitchen staff.
Front of House Job Titles
- Waiter/Waitress
- Head Waiter/Waitress
- Restaurant Manager
- Bartender
- Bar Manager
- Barista
Some restaurants will have someone employed as Front of House to meet and greet the customers, show them to their seat, give them their menus and generally check that the restaurant is running smoothly and the guests are happy. As a Waiter or Waitress you will be talking to the customers, advising them on their meal choices, taking their orders, liaising with the kitchen and serving the food. A Head Waiter or Waitress will be responsible for supervising other waiting staff.
At busy times of day a restaurant can become a crazy place to work, so a Front of House job requires you to be able to remain calm in times of stress. There will be occasions when you have Chefs shouting at you from the kitchen whilst you are trying to maintain good customer service with a smile on your face in the restaurant. If you can do that and you enjoy varied work, as well as being part of a team, then this is a good role for you.
Another Front of House role is working at the bar as a Bartender or Bar Manager. Here you will be responsible for making the drinks and keeping up with table orders from the waiting staff. In some restaurants and pubs there will be a separate bar area so you will also be dealing directly with customers. If you are sociable, enjoy providing good customer service and meeting new people then this is an ideal job.
The hours in a restaurant can be unsociable and you will often have to work late into the evening and on weekends. The plus side is that in a temporary Waiter/Waitress or Bartender job you have more flexibility to choose your hours and the opportunity to work in different kinds of restaurants. This all adds to your experience which will help you progress in your hospitality career.
Back of House Job Titles
- Kitchen Porter
- Commis Chef
- Chef de Partie
- Pastry Chef
- Sous Chef
- Head Chef
A restaurant kitchen can be a hot, busy, stressful place to work, but if you have a love of food and cooking and want to pursue a career as a Chef, then it is a great place to get the experience you need; working as part of a team and learning from other creative cooks.
If you don’t have any previous cooking experience then starting as a Kitchen Porter is a good way to get started in your Chef career. If you have worked in a kitchen before and have a catering qualification such as an NVQ or diploma, then working as a Chef in a restaurant will give you plenty of experience as well as the opportunity to continue working your way up the Chef hierarchy.
Being a Chef in a restaurant is hard work, but if you are prepared for long shifts, late nights and have the stamina to work in a hot, sometimes stressful environment, then a job in a restaurant kitchen is a great place to pursue your love of cooking and creating quality food.
