Front of House (FOH) Staff Job Description
A practical Front of House job description template for employers in cafes, restaurants, bars and event venues. Includes responsibilities, realistic essential criteria and a short advert paragraph you can copy and personalise.
What does a Front of House (FOH) Staff professional do?
Front of House staff greet and seat guests, take orders, serve food and drinks, handle payments and keep public areas clean and safe while acting as the main customer-facing team members.
Front of House (FOH) Staff job description template
Use this employer-ready example as a starting point, then replace the placeholders and adjust the content so it accurately reflects your vacancy.
Front of House Staff
About the role
Join [Employer name] as Front of House Staff in [Location]. You will welcome and seat guests, manage bookings, take and serve orders, operate the till and resolve routine customer queries. The role requires a friendly manner, good numeracy for cash/card transactions and flexibility to work evenings and weekends. [Hours] • [Pay rate/salary]
Key responsibilities
- Greet guests promptly, manage waiting lists and seat customers according to service plans
- Take food and drink orders accurately and relay them to the kitchen/bar
- Serve food and beverages, ensure orders are correct and presented to standard
- Operate EPOS/till, process card and cash payments and follow cash-handling procedures
- Clear and reset tables, maintain dining and entrance areas to cleanliness standards
- Support the kitchen and bar during peak periods and communicate any issues
- Handle customer enquiries and standard complaints calmly; escalate when necessary
- Check and restock service stations, cutlery and condiments between shifts
Essential skills and experience
- Legal right to work in the UK
- Clear, friendly verbal communication and good interpersonal skills
- Basic numeracy and ability to handle cash and card transactions accurately
- Availability to work flexible hours including evenings, weekends and public holidays
- Comfortable standing for long periods and working in a busy service environment
- A customer-focused attitude and ability to remain calm under pressure
Desirable
- Previous front of house, waiting or retail experience
- Experience using EPOS or booking systems
- Basic food hygiene certificate (Level 2) or willingness to complete training
- Barista, bar or cellar experience
- Experience of working in a team in a hospitality setting
- First aid or conflict-resolution training
What we offer
- [Pay rate or salary band]
- [Pension scheme details]
- [Holiday entitlement details]
- [Staff meals or discounts]
- [Training and career progression opportunities]
- [Flexible shift patterns where available]
How to apply
Apply with your CV and any additional information requested. Make the interview process, closing date and any assessment stages clear where known.
Use this as a starting point rather than a final advert. The strongest version will reflect the real role, salary, location, systems, responsibilities, benefits and working arrangements.
What is a Front of House (FOH) Staff role?
Front of House staff are the primary point of contact between a hospitality business and its customers. They manage arrivals and seating, take and serve orders, operate payment systems and ensure public areas are clean and welcoming. Good FOH staff combine strong customer service, teamwork and basic operational skills to keep service running smoothly during all service periods.
Customer-facing work
Interactions with guests form the core of the role; service, tone and speed directly affect customer experience.
Shift-based hours
Expect early evenings, late nights, weekends and bank holidays depending on the venue and service times.
Coordination with kitchen/bar
Close communication with back-of-house teams is essential to ensure orders are accurate and delivered promptly.
Typical Front of House (FOH) Staff responsibilities
Responsibilities should reflect the real scope of the vacancy rather than every task someone in this profession might ever complete.
Greet guests promptly
Greet guests promptly, manage waiting lists and seat customers according to service plans
Take food
Take food and drink orders accurately and relay them to the kitchen/bar
Serve food
Serve food and beverages, ensure orders are correct and presented to standard
Operate EPOS/till
Operate EPOS/till, process card and cash payments and follow cash-handling procedures
Clear
Clear and reset tables, maintain dining and entrance areas to cleanliness standards
Support the kitchen
Support the kitchen and bar during peak periods and communicate any issues
Handle customer enquiries
Handle customer enquiries and standard complaints calmly; escalate when necessary
Check
Check and restock service stations, cutlery and condiments between shifts
Front of House (FOH) Staff skills and experience to look for
Keep the essential list focused on what the person really needs to perform the role. Move useful-but-trainable experience into desirable criteria.
Usually worth prioritising
- Legal right to work in the UK
- Clear, friendly verbal communication and good interpersonal skills
- Basic numeracy and ability to handle cash and card transactions accurately
- Availability to work flexible hours including evenings, weekends and public holidays
- Comfortable standing for long periods and working in a busy service environment
- A customer-focused attitude and ability to remain calm under pressure
Useful where relevant
- Previous front of house, waiting or retail experience
- Experience using EPOS or booking systems
- Basic food hygiene certificate (Level 2) or willingness to complete training
- Barista, bar or cellar experience
- Experience of working in a team in a hospitality setting
- First aid or conflict-resolution training
See our guide to what to include in a job advert before publishing.
How to write a Front of House (FOH) Staff job advert
Small role-specific details can make the advert much easier for suitable candidates to assess.
Be specific about hours and shift patterns
State typical start/finish times, whether split shifts are used and the minimum availability required for weekends or late shifts.
List genuine must-haves vs nice-to-haves
Separate essential availability and right-to-work requirements from desirable certificates or previous venue types to avoid deterring suitable applicants.
Describe the service style
Tell candidates whether the role is casual café service, fine dining, bar service or events — this helps applicants self-select.
Highlight training and progression
If you offer on-the-job training, supervisory pathways or accredited food-safety courses, include those to attract candidates looking to develop.
Front of House (FOH) Staff salary considerations
Pay for Front of House roles varies across the UK and between venue types. Employers should consider local labour costs, the hospitality sector (café, restaurant, bar, events), the hours required and whether tips or service charges form part of overall income.
depending on experience
- Use a genuine range
- Separate variable pay
- Avoid “competitive” alone
- Match salary to seniority
What Front of House (FOH) Staff candidates will want to know
Practical details can influence whether a suitable candidate applies, even when the title and salary are attractive.
What shifts and hours are typical for this role?
Candidates want clarity on start/finish times, weekend expectations, and any regular split shifts so they can confirm availability.
How are tips or service charges handled?
State whether tips are pooled, distributed by shift, or paid directly to staff, and how often they are paid out.
Will on-the-job training or certifications be provided?
Tell applicants if you fund food safety, bar or customer service training and whether progression routes exist.
Is a uniform provided and what is the dress code?
Detail whether you supply uniform, require business-casual dress or have specific footwear or appearance rules.
Is a DBS or other check required?
Clarify whether background checks are necessary — most FOH roles do not require DBS unless working with vulnerable groups.
Where to post a Front of House (FOH) Staff job
Front of House vacancies reach different audiences depending on the venue and hours. Use broad UK job boards and hospitality-specific sites to attract experienced staff, while local community boards, college and university job pages and student apps are effective for part-time and seasonal roles. Social media, local walk-in adverts and relationships with hospitality recruitment agencies or temp providers help cover short-notice shifts and peak periods.
Related hospitality job descriptions
Recruiting for a slightly different role? These templates may be a closer fit.
Front of House (FOH) Staff job description FAQs
Do Front of House staff need a food hygiene certificate?
Not legally for all FOH tasks, but many employers either ask for a Level 2 food hygiene certificate or provide it during induction. It is commonly required where handling open food.
Is a personal licence required to serve alcohol?
A personal licence is not required for every member of staff. A premises must have a designated premises supervisor with a personal licence if selling alcohol, but servers typically do not need one.
How should employers test customer-service skills at interview?
Use short role-play scenarios, ask for examples of handling difficult customers and check references for previous hospitality experience to verify manner and reliability.
What notice and scheduling practices are fair for hospitality staff?
Be transparent about rota patterns, provide reasonable notice for shift changes, and set expectations for availability at the point of hire to reduce turnover and complaints.
When is it appropriate to use temporary staff or agency hires?
Use agency or temporary staff to cover peak seasons, unexpected absences or one-off events; retain a small core team for consistency and guest experience.
Ready to recruit your Front of House team?
Personalise the short advert paragraph above with your details, add venue-specific shift and pay information, and post across the channels that match your candidate profile. If you prefer, use a multi-board posting service to distribute the vacancy to hospitality and local channels at scale.
