--- title: "What to Study Before Your First Serving Shift" description: "Before your first shift: the menu’s layout and top sellers, where the allergen chart is, today’s specials, and how the house wants orders taken." url: https://www.tipmaxapp.com/answers/what-to-study-before-your-first-serving-shift language: en publisher: TipMax (Entermaurs Incorporated) date_published: 2026-09-23 last_verified: 2026-09-23 --- # What should I study before my first serving shift? **Short answer:** Learn the menu’s layout and the dishes that sell most, what each comes with, and where the allergen chart is kept. Read the specials sheet the day you work, since specials change. Write orders down unless the house says otherwise. Table numbers, the POS, and steps of service are different at every restaurant, so ask your trainer instead of guessing. You don’t need to know everything on day one. ## 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](https://www.tipmaxapp.com/answers/how-to-memorize-a-menu-fast) 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](https://www.tipmaxapp.com/answers/food-allergens-for-servers). ### 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 - [Dunlosky et al. (2013), Improving Students’ Learning With Effective Learning Techniques, Psychological Science in the Public Interest (research)](https://doi.org/10.1177/1529100612453266) - [FDA: Food Allergies (the 9 major food allergens)](https://www.fda.gov/food/nutrition-food-labeling-and-critical-foods/food-allergies) - [Health Canada: Food allergies (priority food allergens)](https://www.canada.ca/en/health-canada/services/food-nutrition/food-safety/food-allergies-intolerances/food-allergies.html) ## Last verified September 23, 2026. 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. ## Related - [How do I memorize a menu for a server job? I have two days.](https://www.tipmaxapp.com/answers/how-to-memorize-a-menu-fast) - [What do I need to know about food allergens as a server?](https://www.tipmaxapp.com/answers/food-allergens-for-servers) - [What’s on a server menu test, and how do I study for it?](https://www.tipmaxapp.com/answers/how-to-study-for-a-server-menu-test) - [How do I keep track of my tips?](https://www.tipmaxapp.com/us/answers/how-to-keep-track-of-tips) - [My server paycheck, explained](https://www.tipmaxapp.com/us/answers/server-paycheck-explained) ## How TipMax helps with this You can quiz yourself on the menu on the ride to your first shift if it’s already on your phone as cards. TipMax is an iPhone app for servers and bartenders that tracks tips and tip-outs and turns a restaurant menu into study flashcards. - Scan or upload a menu and get flashcards automatically. - Study offline, anywhere. - Spaced repetition tracks what you know and what to review. Download TipMax free: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/tipmax-study-track-earn/id6744850146 --- TipMax Answers gives practical tips for hospitality workers. Follow your restaurant’s training, allergen procedures, and local alcohol-service rules. It is **not legal, medical, or tax advice**.