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
- Mid-Career
- Senior-Level
How To Write a Waiter/Waitress Cover Letter
A great waiter/waitress cover letter has five main elements:
1. Heading. Use a professional template to enhance the style and presentation of your cover letter. Be sure your heading includes:
- Your name, title, and contact info
- The current date
- The addressee’s details
2. Salutation. 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.”
3. Introduction. Lead 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.
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. I am confident my experience within the restaurant industry would be an asset to your team.
4. Body paragraphs. Continue to emphasize your expertise as a waiter/waitress in your paragraphs using tangible examples from your career. Make a point to say something specific about the restaurant’s reputation or cuisine 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.
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 believe that 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
5. Closing section. Think of your conclusion as a call to action. Ask the hiring manager to contact you so you can learn more about the position. Be sure to thank them for their time and consideration.
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 I believe will allow me to thrive in the server position with 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 of the house, 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 Text-Only Cover Letter Templates and Examples
- Entry-Level
- Mid-Career
- Senior-Level
Allison Rosenberg
Waitress | [email protected] | (123) 456-7890 | New York, NY, 12345 | LinkedIn
January 1, 2024
Hector Martinez
Hiring Manager
Empellon
(987) 654-3210
[email protected]
Dear Mr. Martinez,
As a waitress at Casa Villa, I provided an exceptional fine dining experience to clientele at an upscale Mexican restaurant. I identified many opportunities to enhance the quality of service for our guests and supported efforts to strengthen collaboration between the front-of-the-house and back-of-the-house staff. My experience in fine dining and leadership skills will allow me to thrive in the waitress position with your restaurant.
Empellon’s reputation for excellence in its food quality and service standards strongly aligns with my professional background. I believe I can provide valuable contributions to your team based on the following achievements from my professional career:
- Coordinated with the front of the house, 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 point-of-sale (POS) system for custom items
- Upsold menu items and daily specials to guests, provided education on dishes, ingredients, and spice levels, and achieved 130% of monthly sales goals
- Provided training to over 15 new servers on restaurant service standards, daily operations, menu items, and the company POS system
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.
Sincerely,
Allison Rosenberg
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 resume to 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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