Resume template · Updated October 2026
Server resume template
Short answer
Leslie suits a restaurant server: it prints work experience straight after a short summary, so the kind of restaurant, your section and what you sold are read before the skills list. The fictional sample serves at a 140-seat upscale Creole restaurant, suggests wine with each course, works private events and trains new servers, after three years at a busy brunch spot.
Download the server sample
Brianna is a fictional server. Replace every detail with your own before you send it.
The files are made in your browser by Resumity's own exporters, from this sample. The builder opens it as your own resume: click any line to replace it. Free plan, no watermark.
Why Leslie suits a server resume
Leslie goes summary, work experience, skills, education, and a hiring manager judges a server on where they have worked and how they ran the floor: covers, section size, check average, private events. The centred blue header and short blue underlines give the page one polished touch that suits front-of-house work without looking loud.
Second choice: Olivia. Olivia's blue header band and skills-first order suit a server applying to hotels or lively concepts who wants to stand out.
What goes in each section, in Leslie's order
Leslie prints its sections in a fixed order, the same in the PDF and the Word file. Here is that order for this sample, and what to put in each section.
- Professional Summary. Service style (fine dining, casual, banquet, high-volume brunch), years, typical section and covers, and one selling strength such as wine or desserts. Mention your alcohol service certificate if the posting requires one, since certifications print last.
- Work Experience. For each restaurant: seats, style and your section. Then covers per shift, check average or add-on sales against the team, events you worked, and duties you were trusted with (trainer, closer, side work lead).
- Skills. Labelled rows that follow the jobs. Technical holds menu and wine knowledge, allergen procedures, suggestive selling and event service; Tools names the POS and reservation system. A Languages row helps in tourist areas.
- Education. A diploma or degree on one line. Hospitality courses can sit here, though servers are mostly hired on floor experience.
- Certifications. Alcohol service training (ServSafe Alcohol or your state's own program) and a food handler card, with years. Name the exact program, because some states add their own content.
The sample resume as text
The same content as the files above, so you can copy a line or compare it with your own.
Brianna Walsh
Server, Fine Dining and Private Events
New Orleans, LA | brianna.walsh@example.com | (504) 555-0113
Server with six years in fine dining and high-volume brunch. Works a five-table section of 70 to 90 covers on busy nights, suggests wine with every course and serves private events of up to 60 guests. ServSafe Alcohol certified.
Experience
Server, Magnolia and Main, New Orleans, LA (03/2022 to Present)
- Serve a five-table section of a 140-seat upscale Creole restaurant, 70 to 90 covers on Friday and Saturday nights.
- Suggest wine pairings with each course; my check average runs about 12% above the team average.
- Serve private events of 20 to 60 guests in the courtyard room, including plated dinners with wine service.
- Follow the allergen procedure on every order and confirm it at the pass with the expediter.
- Trained eight new servers on the menu, wine list and coursing.
Server, Bayou Breakfast Company, Metairie, LA (05/2019 to 02/2022)
- Served a high-volume brunch with 45-minute table turns and hour-long waits on weekends.
- Ran food and drinks for other sections during the rush and closed side work for the shift.
- Built a group of regulars who asked for my section by name.
Education
BA, Communication, Pontchartrain State University (05/2019)
Certifications
- ServSafe Alcohol, National Restaurant Association (2025)
Skills
Wine and cocktail suggestions, Coursing and table maintenance, Allergen procedures, Private event service, Menu knowledge, Toast POS, OpenTable, Reading a table, Calm in a full dining room
How to make the sample yours
Give section size and covers
Tables or seats in your section and covers on a busy night. A manager can then picture you on their floor.
Show what you sell
Check average, wine by the bottle, desserts, specials. If you beat the team average, give both figures.
Name the service style
Fine dining with coursing and wine service, casual with fast table turns, banquets with plated or buffet service. Each restaurant hires for the style it runs.
Show allergy and alcohol care
Following the allergen procedure on every ticket, checking ID, cutting off a guest responsibly. Managers worry about these more than about any upsell.
Mention events and regulars
Parties you served, regulars who asked for your section, wine dinners you set up. They show trust from both managers and guests.
Keywords to keep where they are true
Terms this kind of resume is usually searched for. Use the posting's exact wording, and only for work you have done.
- server
- restaurant server
- fine dining
- table service
- wine pairing
- suggestive selling
- check average
- POS
- guest experience
- allergen procedures
- alcohol service
- private events
- menu knowledge
- side work
Mistakes to avoid
- "Took orders and served food" with no restaurant type, section or sales detail.
- Listing tip amounts; check average or sales say the same thing better.
- Leaving out alcohol service training when the posting asks for it.
- Overstating wine knowledge you could not explain to a guest at the table.
How the sample PDF reads in text extractors
We exported this sample with Resumity's PDF exporter in Chrome on 2026-10-29 and read the file back with three open-source text extractors. This shows whether software that turns a PDF into text can recover it; it is not a test of any commercial applicant tracking system. How we test templates.
| Extractor | Name, email, phone | Headings | Bullets intact |
|---|---|---|---|
| pdf.js 4.10.38 | All found | 5 of 5 | 8 of 8 |
| pdftotext (Xpdf) 4.00 | All found | 5 of 5 | 8 of 8 |
| pypdf 6.13.0 | All found | 5 of 5 | 8 of 8 |
Frequently asked questions
Do I need an alcohol service certificate to be a server?
It depends on your state and sometimes your city. ServSafe Alcohol is one responsible alcohol service program, and ServSafe notes that several states require extra state-specific material or a quiz. If the posting asks for a certificate, list the program and year; if your state runs its own, use that name.
Should I put tips on a server resume?
No. Tip totals read as income rather than performance. Use check average, wine sales, covers or guest feedback instead.
How do I move from casual dining to fine dining?
Show the pieces fine dining wants: menu and wine knowledge, coursing, careful pacing, private events. Any tasting menu or wine dinner you worked deserves a bullet.
What goes on a server resume if I have never waited tables?
Host, busser, food runner, barista or retail jobs all show guest service. Add any food or drink knowledge you have and when you can work, including weekends.
Does a server resume need a summary?
A short one helps a manager reading many applications: your service style, typical covers and any certificate they need.
Will applicant tracking systems read this Leslie PDF?
The sample PDF read back with its contact details, all 5 section headings and all 8 bullets intact in three open-source text extractors (pdf.js, pdftotext and pypdf). Commercial systems such as Workday, Greenhouse or Taleo were not tested, and each employer configures its own.
Guides and templates for this resume
Sources, checked 29 October 2026
We opened every page below on that date. Pay, rules and requirements change, so check the source before you rely on a detail.
- ServSafe (National Restaurant Association): ServSafe Alcohol (responsible alcohol service training developed by the National Restaurant Association; several states require supplemental information and in some cases a state-specific quiz)
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