Restaurant Server vs. Fine Dining Server: What’s the Difference Between Them? (2024)

The differences between restaurant servers and fine dining servers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a fine dining server has an average salary of $32,140, which is higher than the $24,558 average annual salary of a restaurant server.

The top three skills for a restaurant server include wine, exceptional dining and guest satisfaction. The most important skills for a fine dining server are wine, fine dining, and cleanliness.

Restaurant server vs fine dining server overview

Restaurant ServerFine Dining Server
Yearly Salary$24,558$32,140
Hourly rate$11.81$15.45
Growth Rate10%10%
Number Of Jobs141,25077,549
Job Satisfaction--
Most Common DegreeBachelor's Degree, 48%Bachelor's Degree, 53%
Average Age2828
Years Of Experience--

What does a Restaurant Server do?

Also called food servers, restaurant servers perform food preparation, cleaning duties, and customer service in casual dining eateries and restaurants. The food servers stock supplies, handle credit cards and the cash register, and clean restaurant counters and tables. They provide assistance to restaurant patrons to take orders, deliver food, and answer customer questions. The skills they need include trustworthiness, organization, customer relations, and communication skills.

What does a fine dining server do?

Fine dining servers the people who make your stay at a restaurant enjoyable. They deliver well-written orders for the kitchen to prepare and bring your food and beverage. Being a fine dining server is no easy task, as certain skill sets need to be met in order to become an effective dining server. An efficient server is detail-oriented, observant to the needs of the diners, and intuitive. An extensive knowledge of wines and other specific food categories may be required depending on the restaurant.

Restaurant server vs fine dining server salary

Restaurant servers and fine dining servers have different pay scales, as shown below.

Restaurant ServerFine Dining Server
Average Salary$24,558$32,140
Salary RangeBetween $15,000 And $37,000Between $21,000 And $47,000
Highest Paying CityWashington, DC-
Highest Paying StateCalifornia-
Best Paying CompanyUniversity of California, Berkeley-
Best Paying IndustryAgriculture-

Differences between restaurant server and fine dining server education

There are a few differences between a restaurant server and a fine dining server in terms of educational background:

Restaurant ServerFine Dining Server
Most Common DegreeBachelor's Degree, 48%Bachelor's Degree, 53%
Most Common MajorBusinessBusiness
Most Common College--

Restaurant server vs fine dining server demographics

Here are the differences between restaurant servers' and fine dining servers' demographics:

Restaurant ServerFine Dining Server
Average Age2828
Gender RatioMale, 40.8%Female, 59.2%Male, 39.6%Female, 60.4%
Race RatioBlack or African American, 10.9%Unknown, 5.7%Hispanic or Latino, 20.9%Asian, 9.4%White, 52.2%American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8%Black or African American, 11.4%Unknown, 5.8%Hispanic or Latino, 19.6%Asian, 8.2%White, 54.1%American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8%
LGBT Percentage6%6%

Differences between restaurant server and fine dining server duties and responsibilities

Restaurant Server Example Responsibilities.

  • Demonstrate adequate culinary and Italian wine knowledge through suggestive selling.
  • Input orders in micros and issue guest check for each order.
  • Prepare the groceries for the customer in their request baggage handing.3.
  • Maintain clean, sanitize FOH area and ensure health & safety and hygiene procedures and standards are meet.
  • Work with operations manager in ordering and setting up all FOH systems need in opening a new restaurant.
  • Provide thorough knowledge of the restaurant's menu to make recommendations or answer questions, and enter POS charges.
  • Show More

Fine Dining Server Example Responsibilities.

  • Schedule and prioritize workload while managing multiple tasks as a representative of this distinctive establishment frequent by wine enthusiasts.
  • Maintain Microsoft windows base computer system.
  • Work closely with management to implement new organizational systems to facilitate efficient wine service and inventory.
  • Craft featured co*cktails and signature drinks when bartending.
  • Inform chefs if guests have any allergies or other requests.
  • Maintain cleanliness of work areas, china, glass, etc., throughout the day.
  • Show More

Restaurant server vs fine dining server skills

Common Restaurant Server Skills

  • Wine, 28%
  • Exceptional Dining, 6%
  • Guest Satisfaction, 5%
  • Cleanliness, 5%
  • POS, 5%
  • Food Service, 5%

Common Fine Dining Server Skills

  • Wine, 27%
  • Fine Dining, 24%
  • Cleanliness, 7%
  • Customer Service, 5%
  • Beverage Orders, 4%
  • POS, 4%

Restaurant Server vs. Similar Jobs

  • Restaurant Server vs Restaurant Manager
  • Restaurant Server vs Caterer/Server
  • Restaurant Server vs Beverage Server
  • Restaurant Server vs Line Server
  • Restaurant Server vs Fine Dining Server
  • Restaurant Server vs Customer Service And Serving
  • Restaurant Server vs Assistant Manager/Server
  • Restaurant Server vs Waitstaff

Restaurant Server Related Careers

  • Assistant Manager/Server
  • Banquet Server
  • Bartender Server
  • Beverage Server
  • Caterer/Server
  • co*cktail Server
  • Cook/Server
  • Customer Service And Serving
  • Fine Dining Server
  • Food And Beverage Server
  • Food Runner
  • Food Server
  • Hostess
  • Lead Server
  • Line Server

Restaurant Server Related Jobs

  • Assistant Manager/Server Employment Near Me
  • Banquet Server Employment Near Me
  • Bartender Server Employment Near Me
  • Beverage Server Employment Near Me
  • Caterer/Server Employment Near Me
  • co*cktail Server Employment Near Me
  • Cook/Server Employment Near Me
  • Customer Service And Serving Employment Near Me
  • Fine Dining Server Employment Near Me
  • Food And Beverage Server Employment Near Me
  • Food Runner Employment Near Me
  • Food Server Employment Near Me
  • Hostess Employment Near Me
  • Lead Server Employment Near Me
  • Line Server Employment Near Me

What Similar Roles Do

  • Banquet Server Responsibilities
  • Bartender Server Responsibilities
  • Caterer/Server Responsibilities
  • co*cktail Server Responsibilities
  • Cook/Server Responsibilities
  • Food And Beverage Server Responsibilities
  • Food Runner Responsibilities
  • Food Server Responsibilities
  • Hostess Responsibilities
  • Lead Server Responsibilities
  • Server Responsibilities
  • Server And Hostess Responsibilities
  • Waitress Responsibilities
  • Waitstaff Responsibilities
  • Zippia Careers
  • Food Preparation and Restaurant Industry
  • Restaurant Server
  • Restaurant Server vs Fine Dining Server

Updated April 5, 2024

Browse food preparation and restaurant jobs

Restaurant Server vs. Fine Dining Server: What’s the Difference Between Them? (2024)
Top Articles
Latest Posts
Article information

Author: Corie Satterfield

Last Updated:

Views: 5631

Rating: 4.1 / 5 (42 voted)

Reviews: 89% of readers found this page helpful

Author information

Name: Corie Satterfield

Birthday: 1992-08-19

Address: 850 Benjamin Bridge, Dickinsonchester, CO 68572-0542

Phone: +26813599986666

Job: Sales Manager

Hobby: Table tennis, Soapmaking, Flower arranging, amateur radio, Rock climbing, scrapbook, Horseback riding

Introduction: My name is Corie Satterfield, I am a fancy, perfect, spotless, quaint, fantastic, funny, lucky person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.