Waiter and waitress positions that require a cover letter are often high-paying opportunities at upscale establishments. To differentiate yourself from the competition during the job search, feature accomplishments that emphasize your sales expertise, interpersonal skills, and knowledge of the hospitality industry. This guide provides examples and expert advice to help you build an accomplishment-driven cover letter and secure your next big job opportunity.
Waiter/Waitress Cover Letter Templates and Examples
Entry-Level Restaurant Waiter/Waitress (No Experience) Cover Letter
Cocktail Waitress Cover Letter
Experienced Restaurant Waiter/Waitress Cover Letter
Waiter/Waitress Cover Letter
Fine-Dining Waiter/Waitress Cover Letter
Lead Server Cover Letter
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Waiter/Waitress Text-Only Cover Letter Templates and Examples
How To Write a Waiter/Waitress Cover Letter
To write a great waiter/waitress cover letter, build your document around your most compelling achievements and experiences within the hospitality industry. Highlight your ability to drive guest satisfaction and deliver an exceptional dining experience. Emphasize your background collaborating with back of the house and wait staff to enhance restaurant operations. Below, we’ll walk you through each section of your waiter/waitress cover letter:
1. Contact information and salutation
List all essential contact information at the top of your waiter/waitress cover letter, including your name, phone number, email, and LinkedIn URL. Greet the hiring manager by name — Mr. or Ms. [Last Name]. If you can’t find the hiring manager’s name, use a variation of “Dear Hiring Manager.” Avoid salutations such as “To Whom It May Concern,” as these greetings are less personal and widely considered outdated.
2. Introduction
Open your waiter/waitress cover letter with a strong introductory paragraph to grab the attention of potential employers. Emphasize your years of experience within the hospitality industry and mention restaurants you’ve worked for in the past. Feature one of your most impressive career achievements to demonstrate your customer service, sales, and serving skills.
In the example below, the candidate highlights the types of establishments they’ve worked for in the past. They also focus on highlighting their exceptional sales skills using hard numbers. This helps to show their keen attention to detail, which is essential for any server position. By featuring deeper insights into your hospitality background, you can strengthen the impact of your waiter/waitress cover letter.
Example
As a waitress with over 10 years of experience within the hospitality industry, I’ve developed an expertise in fine dining and sales techniques. At The Ocean Wind, I upsold specialty cocktails and gourmet seafood specials to generate over $90,000 in annual revenue. Collaborating with hostesses, servers, and kitchen staff, I improved daily operations and service standards. My experience within the restaurant industry would be an asset to your team.
3. Body paragraphs
In the body paragraphs of your waiter/waitress cover letter, continue to emphasize your hospitality experience using tangible examples from your career. Say something specific about the restaurant’s reputation and why this draws you to apply for the opportunity. Demonstrate your ability to deliver exceptional service to guests during high-volume periods and support the restaurant’s image through positive interactions.
Notice how this candidate personalizes their application by showing their familiarity with the establishment’s cuisine. They also establish how their experience working in high-volume chain restaurants will allow them to transition into fine dining. Telling your unique story is a great way to help your waiter/waitress cover letter stand out in today’s job market.
Example
Franko’s Italiano has a reputation for the authenticity of its cuisine, which resonates with me as a hospitality professional. Having acquired my initial serving experience at a chain restaurant, I am eager for the opportunity to apply my hospitality and service skills in a fine dining establishment. I can provide valuable contributions to your team based on the following experiences from my career:
- Achieved 120% to 150% of sales goals each month by educating guests on menu items, upselling entrees and appetizers, and providing recommendations based on guest needs
- Provided quality service to over 80 guests per day, coordinated with hostesses, servers, and kitchen staff, and supported team members during high-volume periods
- Ensured compliance with ServSafe regulations and customer service standards
4. Waiter/waitress skills and qualifications
Although it’s impractical to feature a comprehensive list of skills on your waiter/waitress cover letter, integrate keywords from the job description into your paragraphs. Focus on providing examples of you utilizing these skill sets in fast-paced restaurant environments. Below, we’ve gathered a variety of skills you can consider adding to your waiter/waitress cover letter:
| Key Skills and Qualifications | |
|---|---|
| Attention to detail | Bartending |
| Communication | Conflict resolution |
| Customer service | Fine dining |
| Food and beverage service | Food and wine pairing |
| Food safety | Guest relations |
| Inventory monitoring | Process improvement |
| Team collaboration | Sales |
| Upselling | |
5. Closing section
In the conclusion of your waiter/waitress cover letter, include a call to action (CTA) that invites the hiring manager to bring you in for an interview. Further emphasize how your background within the hospitality space can positively impact sales or guest satisfaction. Be sure to thank the hiring manager for their time and consideration in the last sentence of the paragraph.
Example
I hope to speak with you further regarding how my experience within fine dining can help your restaurant continue to deliver quality service to your guests. You may contact me for more information on my background at your convenience. Thank you for your time and consideration.
Best regards,
Skyler Thompson
Waiter/Waitress Cover Letter Tips
1. Use specific examples to highlight your serving skills
When detailing your serving skills, provide tangible examples of your unique experiences within the restaurant industry. In the example below, the server wants to transition from a chain restaurant to a fine dining establishment. Although they don’t have experience working in an upscale environment, the candidate provides key details about their time at Olive Garden that showcase their capabilities as a waiter.
They included those insights because many of the menu items are refillable without additional charge. This position can be especially challenging for even an experienced server during peak hours. By providing these details, the candidate showcases time management skills that are transferable across the hospitality space.
- As a waiter at Olive Garden, I delivered a high-quality dining experience to guests in a fast-paced, high-volume restaurant. Due to the unlimited refills for more than half of the menu items, this position required quick thinking under pressure to ensure guest satisfaction. These experiences have allowed me to develop an advanced understanding of guest relations and time management, which will allow me to thrive in the server position at your restaurant.
2. Quantify your serving experience
Sales experience is a crucial aspect of any waiter or waitress position. To capture the hiring manager’s interest, leverage numbers and metrics from throughout your serving career. If you generated substantial revenue, the monetary figure should be prioritized over a percentage. But if you aren’t confident that the dollar figure is high enough to impress the reader, use percentages to show how you exceeded monthly or weekly sales goals. In the example below, the applicant has experience working in a fine dining establishment and effectively demonstrates their sales and customer service capabilities:
- Delivered high-quality service to over 100 guests per day, upsold high-end seafood entrees and specialty cocktail beverages, generated over $95,000 in annual sales, achieved guest satisfaction ratings of 90%, and contributed to a 5-star Google ranking
3. Feature your leadership abilities
Your ability to work collaboratively with both front-of-the-house and back-of-the-house staff is valuable to hiring managers within the restaurant industry. Communication breakdowns between servers and kitchen personnel are a frequent cause of operational issues for many establishments, so your leadership abilities are important to feature in your cover letter. In the example below, the candidate provides a strong example of coordinating with each of the various team members to improve food service delivery and communication protocols:
- Coordinated with the front and back of the house and management to improve guest satisfaction metrics from 78% to 92% by enhancing communication protocols and providing training to servers on effective usage of the POS system for custom items and guest requests
Waiter/Waitress Cover Letter FAQs
Why should I include a waiter/waitress cover letter?-
While most waiter/waitress positions are obtained through industry connections, taking the extra step to provide a cover letter certainly won’t hurt your chances. Submitting a cover letter speaks to your professionalism and genuine enthusiasm for the hospitality industry, even if it isn’t requested in the job application.
How long should my waiter/waitress cover letter be?-
It’s best to keep your cover letter short but engaging when applying for serving positions at upscale restaurants. Crafting a cover letter for this type of role shows your initiative and interest in the role and avoids having your most compelling achievements overshadowed by including an excess of information.
How do I make my cover letter stand out?-
The best way to make a lasting impression on the hiring manager is by aligning your waiter/waitress cover letter with the restaurant you’re applying to. Mentioning specific details about their reputation or cuisine shows you’ve researched beforehand and makes your cover letter stand out during the application process.
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