Waiter/Waitress
Cover Letter Example

If you’re great with people and can keep up with the fast pace of a busy restaurant, you have what every restaurant manager seeks in a waiter or waitress.

Prove you’re their ideal candidate by pairing your resume with an exceptional waitress/waiter cover letter.

Follow these three tips to write a service industry cover letter that gets you the job:

1. Highlight waiter/waitress skills

As a waiter/waitress, you’re responsible for setting tables, explaining menu items, and taking orders. So the right balance of hard and soft skills is needed to facilitate a successful dining experience for patrons.

That said, employers will prioritize your soft skills because this is a service-oriented role. For example, people skills and customer service skills are key waitress/waiter skills you should emphasize in your cover letter.

If you don’t have much waiter/waitress experience, you may highlight experience from other client-facing roles to show you can deliver an exceptional customer service experience to patrons.

Here are key waiter/waitress skills to include in your cover letter:

• Communication skills
• Time management skills
• Interpersonal skills
• Active listening
• Memorization
• Patience
• Attention to detail
• Prioritization
• Sales skills
• Teamwork
• Problem-solving skills
• Conflict resolution
• Coordination
• Professional demeanor
• Physical stamina
• Menu knowledge
• Bartending skills
• Health and safety protocols for handling food
• Basic math
• Point of sale (POS) systems

2. Open with a strong introductory paragraph

Working in the service industry has few formal requirements, so it’s a common entry-level position for people seeking part or full-time work.

If you want to ensure your job application catches the attention of the hiring manager, lead with a strong cover letter introduction to explain why you’re the perfect waiter or waitress for the gig.

Here’s how to craft an impressive waiter/waitress cover letter introduction:

• Show your excitement for the job opportunity. Because this is a client-facing job, show employers that you not only have the skills, but also the passion to drive a great dining experience for patrons.
• Take a closer look at the posting to identify job-specific skills. Tailor your cover letter to the job by aligning your talents with what they’re specifically looking for in new hires.
• Lead with an outstanding achievement that touches upon your knack for great service

3. Emphasize your multitasking skills

As a waiter/waitress, you’ll spend most of your time running around to fulfill your customers’ requests. Restaurant managers seek employees who can perform various tasks efficiently while maintaining a friendly and professional demeanor.

In your cover letter, emphasize your multitasking skills to show them you can effectively prioritize your tasks and ensure everything runs smoothly at a busy dining establishment.

For example, talk about your experience ensuring customers had a pleasant dining experience in a 120+ seat restaurant and how you boosted performance by implementing new menu introduction strategies and making appropriate entrée pairings.

Still have a few burning questions? Check out our frequently asked questions for more help, or try building your waitress/waiter cover letter with our cover letter builder.