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Key Responsibilities and Required Skills for Busser

💰 $12 - $18 / hour

HospitalityFood ServiceEntry-Level

🎯 Role Definition

A Busser (also called Bus Person or Busboy/Busgirl) is a frontline hospitality team member responsible for maintaining clean, safe, and presentable dining areas by quickly clearing and resetting tables, replenishing supplies, assisting servers, and supporting overall floor operations. This role requires strong teamwork, attention to detail, physical stamina, and a customer-focused attitude to help deliver fast, smooth service and an excellent guest experience.

📈 Career Progression

Typical Career Path

Entry Point From:

  • Host / Hostess transitioning into floor support roles
  • Dishwasher or Kitchen Porter moving into front-of-house responsibilities
  • Restaurant Crew Member or Food Runner seeking front-of-house experience

Advancement To:

  • Server / Waitstaff
  • Lead Busser / Bus Captain
  • Shift Supervisor or Lead Server
  • Assistant Restaurant Manager or Floor Manager
  • Catering/Events Setup Coordinator or Banquet Captain

Lateral Moves:

  • Barback
  • Prep Cook
  • Food Runner
  • Banquet/Event Setup Team Member

Core Responsibilities

Primary Functions

  • Clear and buss tables efficiently and courteously after guests finish dining, removing plates, silverware, glassware, and trash while minimizing disruption to remaining guests and service flow.
  • Reset tables quickly and accurately between seatings, arranging clean linens, place settings, glassware, and condiments according to restaurant standards and floor plan assignments.
  • Monitor and replenish server stations with clean glassware, flatware, condiments, napkins, and other dining supplies to ensure servers can deliver uninterrupted service during peak periods.
  • Maintain clean dining room floors and under-seat areas by sweeping, spot-cleaning, and removing debris in a timely manner to uphold sanitation and safety standards.
  • Assist servers by refilling water, clearing empty dishes during courses, and delivering bread, side plates, or suggested items to improve guest satisfaction and table turnover.
  • Transport dirty dishes, trays, and soiled linens to the dishwashing or back-of-house area safely, following established carry and stacking procedures to avoid breakage and injury.
  • Support the host and service teams by setting up dining sections before service, placing signage, preparing high-top and banquette areas, and ensuring reservation-ready conditions.
  • Follow all local health department rules, restaurant-specific sanitation procedures, and proper handwashing protocols to minimize contamination risks and maintain food safety compliance.
  • Communicate promptly with servers and managers about table status, guest needs, unusual spills, or potential hazards to maintain smooth floor operations and a safe dining environment.
  • Handle guest-facing requests professionally—such as removing toys or debris, providing high chairs, or accommodating simple seating adjustments—while escalating food-related or service complaints to servers or managers.
  • Assist with bus station organization, including sorting plates, glassware, and silverware, ensuring that breakage is reported and replacements are restocked quickly.
  • Prep and stage service items for rush periods (e.g., stacking plates, arranging clean glassware, folding napkins) to increase throughput and reduce server wait times during high-volume shifts.
  • Conduct side work and closing duties as assigned—such as polishing silverware, sweeping and mopping sections, wiping down chairs, and restocking service stations—to meet end-of-shift cleanliness standards.
  • Respond to spills, broken glass, or toileting incidents immediately and safely, following chemical handling and hazard signage procedures to protect guests and coworkers.
  • Assist in executing large party or banquet setups by arranging tables, flatware, centerpieces, and buffet stations according to event specifications and timelines.
  • Support inventory control by reporting low supplies, damaged equipment, or missing items to managers so reordering and maintenance can be initiated without service interruption.
  • Participate in team briefings and pre-shift meetings to understand daily specials, service priorities, seating rotations, and safety reminders that affect floor operations.
  • Cooperate with kitchen staff to move plated food when necessary during extreme rushes and to coordinate pickup times for hot items to keep food quality and guest satisfaction high.
  • Apply basic cleaning chemicals and sanitizers appropriately to bus trays, highchairs, and service surfaces, following manufacturer instructions and safety data sheet guidelines for safe usage.
  • Maintain a professional appearance and adherence to uniform, grooming, and footwear policies required for safety and brand standards while interacting with guests and team members.
  • Practice strong time management and prioritization by balancing table turnover, floor cleanliness, and immediate guest needs during fluctuating service volumes.

Secondary Functions

  • Support server staff by delivering beverages, refills, and pre-bussed items during peak periods to improve service speed and table efficiency.
  • Assist in daily side work such as polishing glassware, organizing storage areas, and restocking napkins and condiments for the next service shift.
  • Help with light food prep tasks (e.g., assembling simple garnishes or plating bread baskets) under the direction of kitchen staff during low-volume periods.
  • Aid in set-up and tear-down of private events and banquets, moving chairs, setting linens, placing chargers, and arranging centerpieces per event checklists.
  • Participate in mandatory training and certification programs (e.g., food safety, allergen awareness, workplace safety) and apply learned practices at the station.
  • Rotate through different sections of the dining room as needed to support team balance, guest flow, and cross-training for development opportunities.

Required Skills & Competencies

Hard Skills (Technical)

  • Table clearing and bussing: efficient plate and flatware removal techniques to clear multiple place settings with minimal guest disruption.
  • Table resetting and service layout: properly arranging place settings, glassware, and condiments per restaurant standards and section assignments.
  • Sanitation & food safety practices: practical knowledge of handwashing, cleaning schedules, sanitizer usage, and basic HACCP principles.
  • Glassware and dish handling: safe stacking, carrying, and transporting procedures to minimize breakage and contamination.
  • Heavy lifting and ergonomic technique: safe lifting and carrying of trays, bins, and racks up to standard weight limits while following workplace safety practices.
  • Side work and closing procedures: experience with polishing silverware, restocking supplies, and completing end-of-shift checklists.
  • Spill containment and hazard response: immediate response and signage placement for spills, broken glass, or other dining-room hazards.
  • Banquet and event setup basics: following event layouts and timelines to set up tables, chairs, and service stations for private functions.
  • Basic POS awareness: understanding how bussing impacts ticket times and coordinating with servers and expeditors, including reading table numbers and course flow.
  • Inventory awareness: recognizing low-stock items and reporting to management to keep service supplies available.

Soft Skills

  • Teamwork and collaboration: consistently working with servers, hosts, and kitchen staff to deliver a unified guest experience.
  • Time management and prioritization: managing competing tasks during rush periods to maintain clean sections and support servers.
  • Effective communication: clear, respectful verbal updates to servers and managers about table status, spills, or guest needs.
  • Customer service orientation: polite, guest-first demeanor when interacting with patrons and accommodating reasonable requests.
  • Attention to detail: noticing soiled tableware, sticky surfaces, or misaligned place settings and correcting them promptly.
  • Physical stamina and reliability: capacity to stand for long periods, carry loads, and maintain energy through back-to-back shifts.
  • Adaptability and flexibility: shifting priorities quickly when sections change, events expand, or the floor requires unexpected attention.
  • Initiative and problem solving: proactively addressing messes, restocking needs, or equipment issues before they affect service.
  • Professionalism and grooming: maintaining uniform standards and a positive floor presence that reflects brand values.
  • Stress tolerance: staying calm and effective during high-volume service periods and complex floor layouts.

Education & Experience

Educational Background

Minimum Education:

  • High school diploma or equivalent preferred but not always required; willingness to learn and ability to follow instructions are primary.

Preferred Education:

  • Hospitality certificate, food safety (ServSafe) or equivalent short courses helpful but not mandatory.

Relevant Fields of Study:

  • Hospitality Management
  • Culinary Arts / Food Service
  • Customer Service / Retail Operations

Experience Requirements

Typical Experience Range:

  • Entry-level to 2 years of front-of-house or food service experience.

Preferred:

  • 1+ year of bussing, hosting, or serving experience in fast-casual or full-service restaurants; prior banquet/event setup experience is a plus.
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