employment- jobs and career

Hosts and hostesses greet guests and keep track of reservations and waiting lists. If the costumers must wait, a host or hostess can take them to a coat room, bathroom, or seating area until their table is ready. They must seat guests at tables appropriate for the number of people, walk them to their seats, and hand them menus. Further, they schedule dining reservations, organize parties, and arrange for any necessary special services. A few restaurants require hosts and hostesses to be cashiers as well.

Dining room and cafeteria attendants and bartender helpers clean tables, remove used and soiled dishes, and supply serving areas to assist waiters, waitresses and bartenders. They are also known as backwaiters or runners as they bring meals from the kitchen and help waiters and waitresses in passing out dishes to tables. Further responsibilities include: stocking up clean linens, dishes, silverware, and glasses in the dining room and keeping the bar supplied with glasses, liquor, ice, and garnishes for drinks. Dining room attendants are in charge of setting tables using clean tablecloths, napkins, silverware, glasses, and dishes; filling glasses with ice water; and supplying rolls and butter. When the costumers are done eating, attendants take away the dirtied dishes and linens. The responsibilities of cafeteria attendants include supplying serving tables with food, trays, dishes, and silverware and assisting dining patrons with their trays. The responsibilities of bartender helpers include maintaining clean bar equipment and glasses. Dishes, cutlery, and other bar equipment may also be cleaned by dishwashers.

Counter attendants work in cafeterias, coffee shops, and carryout eateries to take orders and serve food. Those who work in cafeterias serve food presented on steam tables, cut and carve meat, spoon out vegetables, scoop sauces and soups, and fill up drink glasses. Counter attendants who work in lunchrooms and coffee chops are responsible for waiting in costumers at the counter, taking orders to the kitchen, and transferring food from the kitchen to costumers. Additionally, they are in charge of beverages such as, coffee, soda, and other beverages; and make fountain specialties including milkshakes and ice cream sundaes. Counter attendants take to-go orders from diners, package these orders up, clean counters, write up detailed bills, and occasionally take payments. A few counter attendants may prepare sandwiches and salads or other short-menu items.

A few food and beverage serving workers at fast-food restaurants may take orders of costumers at counters or in drive-through. They put orders together, distribute the orders, and take payment. Several of these workers are combined food preparation and serving workers with duties of cooking and wrapping food, preparing coffee, and filling beverages from dispensing machines.

Other workers may serve to costumers outside of a restaurant. For example, they may wait on people in hotel room, cars, etc.

In 2002, food and beverage serving workers and related employees occupied 6.5 million jobs. The following are numbers of the distribution of these jobs: