What should I study before my first serving shift?
The short answer
The checklist
A checklist for the days before your first shift, and the day of:
| When | Study or do | Where it comes from |
|---|---|---|
| Days before | Menu sections, top sellers, what each dish comes with, modifiers | The current menu; ask which dishes sell most |
| Days before | Where the allergen chart is and how the house handles an allergy order | Your manager or trainer |
| Days before | By-the-glass drinks, if you’ll serve them | The drink menu |
| Day of | Today’s specials: name, what’s in it, what it comes with | The specials sheet or the pre-shift meeting |
| Day of | Table numbers and your section | The floor chart; ask your trainer |
| Day of | How orders go in: POS steps, modifiers, sending courses | Your trainer; every system is different |
Your restaurant’s training comes first where it differs from this list. Not tax or legal advice.
Plain English
Menu basics first
You don’t need every dish on day one. Know the sections, the dishes people order most, and what each one comes with: sides, sauce, and the choices a guest has to make, like a temperature or a side swap. Practice by covering the menu and saying the answer out loud. Learning research finds quizzing yourself works better than rereading (Dunlosky and colleagues, 2013; that research was done with students, not servers).
Short on time? The two-day plan has a one-day version.
Specials
Specials change, so learn them the day you work. Get the sheet or listen at pre-shift, then practice saying each one the way you’ll say it at the table: the name, two or three things in it, and what it comes with. If there’s a detail you don’t know, like a price or an ingredient, ask before the doors open, not at the table.
Remembering orders
Write orders down unless your restaurant tells you not to. Some houses have a set way to do it, like seat numbers starting from a fixed spot at each table, so follow that. A written order is also your backup if something comes out wrong. Repeat special requests and allergies back to the guest before you leave the table.
Things that are different at every restaurant
- Table numbers and sections.
- The POS: how to ring in modifiers, split checks, and send courses.
- Steps of service: when to greet, when to bring bread or water, when to drop the check.
- Side work and how you close out at the end of the night.
Nobody can study these from outside. Ask your trainer, and write down what they tell you.
Allergens: check, don’t guess
Your restaurant’s allergen chart and your manager or kitchen are the source of truth. Never answer an allergy question from memory. If you’re not sure, say you’ll check, and tell the manager about every allergy.
On your first shift, find out where the chart is before your first table. The official lists behind it are the FDA’s 9 major food allergens in the US and Health Canada’s 11 priority food allergens. See both lists.
After the shift
Write down the questions guests asked that you couldn’t answer. Those are your study cards for tomorrow.
Common mistakes
- Trying to memorize the whole menu, prices included, before day one.
- Relying on memory for orders when the house expects you to write them down.
- Guessing at the POS instead of asking your trainer.
- Not knowing where the allergen chart is when the first allergy question comes.
Official sources
Last verified:
Research citation checked by DOI; allergen sources checked on the FDA and Health Canada pages.
Still open: Table numbering, POS steps, and order-writing rules are set by each restaurant.