The quality of service your staff can provide relies on giving realistic and specific roles they can focus on. On average, you should aim for one server per four to six tables.
If you serve more than the ratio of your waiters, then you need to hire an assistant — a food runner.
However, not everyone is a good fit for the job, so you need a comprehensive food runner job description to find the best applicant.
Start by defining the role and outlining the duties and responsibilities, as well as the demands of the job. But that’s just the beginning.
To truly maximize your efforts, promote this job description across online job boards, social media, and even feature it on your QR code menu landing page, expanding your reach using these channels.
Head over to this comprehensive guide to start your journey in finding the best of the best.
What is a food runner’s job?
The main role of a food runner is to deliver food orders from the kitchen to the customers’ tables quickly and accurately.
You might ask, “How about waiters, don’t they do the same thing?”
Apparently, they don’t. Although they both serve your customers, waiters often take the orders, provide menu recommendations, and manage the overall dining experience.
Food runners act as the middleman to ensure that the right items are served to the right table. They also extend their responsibilities by assisting waiters with tasks that require speed and physical labor.
5 essential steps in creating a food runner job description
Define the role you’re looking for
Understanding the role of a food runner clearly helps you assess the expectations you can set for potential candidates applying for the job.
Apart from assisting waiters with additional tasks, like clearing the table or responding to customers’ requests, food runners are responsible for delivering orders from the kitchen to the customers’ tables.
Overall, they serve as a middleman that ensures the kitchen-to-table process is efficient and seamless.
Structure the food runner job description meticulously
Just like making a managerial, busser, or bartender job description, you should follow a structure that will guide you on what to put out there, making sure to catch the attention of possible applicants.
Here’s a rundown of the essential sections to have in your job description:
- Start with a clear title
Clarity helps readers understand the content of the job post.
As much as possible, use a straightforward title such as “Food Runner Job Vacancy” to avoid any confusion.
This makes it easy for your candidates to know what they are applying for.
- Write a brief job summary
Provide a concise overview of the role.
Also, include what your business is all about, its vision and mission, and other important details that will help your applicants set their expectations once they are ready for the interview.
But most importantly, helps you to attract candidates who are very much interested in joining your team.
- Detail the responsibilities
What are food runners’ day-to-day duties and responsibilities? Explain them clearly and organize them so your applicants understand what you are expecting from them.
For example:
- Deliver food orders quickly and accurately.
- Double-check orders for accuracy before they leave the kitchen.
- Assist servers with additional tasks such as clearing tables and resetting them.
- Include the required skills and qualifications
The food runner checklist of skills and qualifications filters out the best of the best from the pool of applicants.
By including them in your job description, applicants can evaluate themselves to determine whether they are suited for the role.
Thus, saves you time during the hiring process, accepting those who are fitted to the job.
- State the physical and scheduling requirements
A food runner’s job requires an individual to move around often, so be upfront about the physical demands and schedule expectations.
Highlight the benefits your restaurant is offering
Keep in mind that a well-crafted job description not only outlines expectations but also highlights what the role offers to potential candidates in return.
Here, you emphasize any opportunity for growth. It could be any potential for promotion or free training benefits for other areas in your restaurant.
Don’t forget to mention the pay rate and any additional incentives you offer once they’ve finished their probationary period or reached six to one year of service.
Also, describe your work environment and team culture. This is for them and for you to gauge if these suit their preferences and work dynamics.
Review and refine the job description thoroughly
Give time to proofread your job description.
Make sure that it is easy to read and has a straightforward outline so that potential candidates can immediately understand what you are looking for.
Additionally, assess if the description aligns with your restaurant branding strategies and values. This will help you attract candidates who resonate with your business’s mission and culture.
Post the job
Once you have everything checked, choose the right platform to advertise it.
General job boards like LinkedIn, Glassdoor, and Indeed are excellent for reaching a broad audience.
These platforms are among the most popular job search engines used by millions of job seekers across the globe.
To better maximize its popularity, use keywords in your job title and description to make the post more searchable. Be sure to have all the relevant information there.
Another effective option is to post it to various industry-specific sites.
These platforms can attract candidates who are specifically looking for jobs in restaurants, bars, and related fields, which can also narrow down your options for candidates who are highly interested in your industry.
Lastly, social media for restaurants and other establishments is a powerful marketing tool for reaching a more targeted and engaged audience.
By promoting your job post on your social media channels, you can tap into your existing follower base and extend your reach through shares and engagements.
Tips for writing a compelling food runner job description
Making your job description attractive can be a challenge, especially if you don’t pay that much attention to how it is written.
So, to prevent this, here are some tips that can help you:
Use clear and concise language
The purpose of this is for your potential candidates to be able to quickly understand the role, responsibilities, and requirements without getting bogged down in industry jargon or overly complex sentences.
To do this, just avoid using technical terms that might confuse them, especially if they are not essential for understanding the job.
Instead, opt for a simple language that effectively communicates what the job entails.
Be specific and honest
Clearly outline what you want and what they need to do.
This helps applicants understand exactly what is required and whether they are a good fit for the position.
For instance, instead of saying “responsible for customer service,” you could specify it as “taking orders, serving food and beverages, and addressing customer inquiries and concerns.”
Also, be honest about the challenges of the role. If the job involves long hours or physical labor, state this upfront.
Transparency helps in setting realistic expectations and reduces the likelihood of turnover due to mismatched expectations.
Incorporate your restaurant’s brand value
Your restaurant’s job description should reflect your brand’s personality, mission, and values.
This will not only attract the right candidate who resonates with your brand but also foster a sense of belongingness and purpose among your team members.
If the pride of your restaurant is technological advancement through the use of a digital menu ordering system and gadgets, then mention how this helps build a quality service.
And highlight how the candidate can add to this exceptional customer service.
This can help you build a cohesive and strong team where everyone works toward the same goals, creating a harmonious and productive workplace.
Food Runner job posting template
To give you examples of the job posting templates for food runners, we’ve prepared a list from different types of restaurants and other businesses in the hospitality industry:
Fine dining
Casual dining
Hotel and travel
Food Runner’s salary range
According to records from ZipRecruiter, the average hourly pay for a food runner in the United States is $14 as of September 2024.
It also added that a food runner’s hourly wage can be as high as $20.43 or as low as $5.77, depending on various factors, such as type of restaurant, size of the business, demand for the job and among others.
Glassdoor, one of the top major job posting sites, posted a projected median total pay for food runners ranges from $33,000 to $ 46,000 per year in the United States alone.
Leveraging MENU TIGER smart QR code menu software as your hiring assistant
Juggling two roles at the same time can take a toll on you: preparing for the hiring process while managing your business with the utmost quality.
If not well taken care of, one aspect may be compromised, leading to negative results.
That’s why you need a helping hand to take a load off your back like this advanced restaurant technology tool, MENU TIGER.
This will not only provide you with features and solutions to streamline your workflow but also double as your right hand in helping the best candidates.
Here how:
- Boost your restaurant’s image using innovative QR code menus
Using a QR code menu in your restaurant can greatly enhance your patron’s dining experience.
To save wait periods and possible order queries, your guests can simply scan them and place their orders at their convenience, which can lead to favorable reviews online and a stronger brand reputation.
Just make sure to have your staff trained in assisting customers on how to scan a menu QR code especially those who haven’t had any experience of using it.
- Efficient communication channel for your job vacancy
Using this smart menu software, you can create targeted email marketing campaigns using the customer email list it collected.
You’ll be able to tailor your restaurant newsletter according to your list, which will contain not only your promotions and other deals but also the details of your job postings.
Who knows, you might turn a customer into a member of your stellar team.
- Design a user-friendly website
You don’t need to be a coding expert to create a website for your restaurant.
Thanks to advanced technology, you can easily input essential details about your business, such as its history and offerings, with just a few clicks.
What sets this apart, is its highly customizable interface, allowing you to add a dedicated section for promoting job openings.
Write it right to find the best fit for your restaurant
How well you write your food runner job description determines the kind of candidates you’ll attract.
This way you’ll be able to communicate well in the the most clear and straightforward manner, making it easier for interersted invididuals to understand what are you looking for.
With the right people on your team, you’re assured of streamlined operations and customer service overall.
With your packed schedule, wearing many caps at the same time, you deserve a co-pilot the help you navigate the whole promotiona period — thus, MENU TIGER restaurant ordering software.
You can leave your email marketing campaigns and local advertising using this cutting-edge solution.
But there’s even more to this smart technology. So, head over to the website, create your account, and discover you’re the best middleman.
