Server meaning in hospitality

A server is a hospitality professional who takes orders, serves food and drink and looks after guests in restaurants, cafes, bars and other dining establishments. Servers are the main point of contact between the customer and the kitchen, to ensure the customer has a great dining experience.

Servers are important in hospitality as they have a direct impact on customer satisfaction. They create the atmosphere, recommend the menu, address concerns and keep the service flowing. Good servers can turn a simple meal into an experience, get you to come back and leave a good review.

Let’s say you’re running a busy restaurant on a Friday night. You see one of your servers, Sarah, handling a table of 12 with ease. She’s taking orders, recommending wine, keeping the table entertained with chat and when a guest mentions a food allergy she’s straight into the kitchen to check with the chef to make sure the dish is safe. She’s keeping the big table happy and allowing other servers to focus on their own tables, keeping the service flowing throughout the restaurant. This is how a great server can make a big impact on the overall dining experience and the restaurant.'

External Reading

• •This resource from Teal provides a comprehensive overview of the server role in hospitality, emphasizing the importance of providing an exceptional dining experience.
• •Workable offers a detailed job description for restaurant servers, outlining key responsibilities and expectations in the hospitality industry.
• •RestaurantOwner.com provides foundational insights into creating an effective server training program, essential for maintaining high service standards.
• •Indeed's guide covers the responsibilities and skills required for servers, offering practical advice for those pursuing a career in hospitality.
• •Push Operations discusses what to include in server job descriptions, highlighting the roles and responsibilities crucial for success in hospitality.