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Cafeteria, Food Concession, or Coffee Shop Counter Attendant

What Does it Take to Be a Cafeteria, Food Concession, or Coffee Shop Counter Attendant?

Occupation Description Serve food to diners at counter or from a steam table.

What Do Cafeteria, Food Concession, and Coffee Shop Counter Attendants Do On a Daily Basis?

  • Balance receipts and payments in cash registers.
  • Order items needed to replenish supplies.
  • Wrap menu item such as sandwiches, hot entrees, and desserts for serving or for takeout.
  • Carve meat.
  • Take customers’ orders and write ordered items on tickets, giving ticket stubs to customers when needed to identify filled orders.
  • Brew coffee and tea, and fill containers with requested beverages.

What Skills Do You Need to Work as a Cafeteria, Food Concession, or Counter Attendant?

When polled, Cafeteria, Food Concession, and Coffee Shop Counter Attendants say the following skills are most frequently used in their jobs:

Active Listening: Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.

Service Orientation: Actively looking for ways to help people.

Time Management: Managing one’s own time and the time of others.

Speaking: Talking to others to convey information effectively.

Social Perceptiveness: Being aware of others’ reactions and understanding why they react as they do.

Judgment and Decision Making: Considering the relative costs and benefits of potential actions to choose the most appropriate one.

Types of Cafeteria, Food Concession, or Counter Attendant Jobs

  • Fountain Waitress/Waiter
  • Dish Up Person
  • Soda Jerker
  • Food Server
  • Cafe Server

Cafeteria, Food Concession, or Counter Attendant Job Outlook

In the United States, there were 505,200 jobs for Cafeteria, Food Concession, or Coffee Shop Counter Attendant in 2016. New jobs are being produced at a rate of 4.6% which is below the national average. The Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts 23,100 new jobs for Cafeteria, Food Concession, or Coffee Shop Counter Attendant by 2026. There will be an estimated 113,200 positions for Cafeteria, Food Concession, or Counter Attendant per year.

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The states with the most job growth for Cafeteria, Food Concession, or Counter Attendant are Utah, Colorado, and Arizona. Watch out if you plan on working in Maine, Minnesota, or Ohio. These states have the worst job growth for this type of profession.

Cafeteria, Food Concession, or Counter Attendant Average Salary

The typical yearly salary for Cafeteria, Food Concession, and Coffee Shop Counter Attendants is somewhere between $17,790 and $30,500.

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Cafeteria, Food Concession, and Coffee Shop Counter Attendants who work in District of Columbia, Washington, or California, make the highest salaries.

How much do Cafeteria, Food Concession, and Coffee Shop Counter Attendants make in different U.S. states?

State Annual Mean Salary
Alabama $20,180
Alaska $24,750
Arizona $25,530
Arkansas $22,030
California $28,120
Colorado $24,300
Connecticut $25,860
Delaware $21,690
District of Columbia $31,780
Florida $20,970
Georgia $19,830
Hawaii $25,060
Idaho $21,920
Illinois $23,830
Indiana $19,600
Iowa $21,090
Kansas $19,300
Kentucky $20,150
Louisiana $18,420
Maine $23,040
Maryland $24,010
Massachusetts $26,780
Michigan $22,870
Minnesota $23,290
Mississippi $18,720
Missouri $21,300
Montana $21,320
Nebraska $21,690
Nevada $25,440
New Hampshire $23,440
New Jersey $21,800
New Mexico $20,180
New York $25,680
North Carolina $20,980
North Dakota $23,850
Ohio $22,340
Oklahoma $19,520
Oregon $26,020
Pennsylvania $20,690
Rhode Island $24,610
South Carolina $20,010
South Dakota $21,860
Tennessee $19,270
Texas $21,140
Utah $21,900
Vermont $25,490
Virginia $21,640
Washington $27,720
West Virginia $21,850
Wisconsin $19,890
Wyoming $20,840

Tools & Technologies Used by Cafeteria, Food Concession, and Coffee Shop Counter Attendants

Although they’re not necessarily needed for all jobs, the following technologies are used by many Cafeteria, Food Concession, and Coffee Shop Counter Attendants:

  • Data entry software
  • Microsoft Windows
  • Point of sale POS software
  • Plexis Software Plexis POS
  • RestaurantPlus PRO
  • Aldelo Systems Aldelo for Restaurants Pro
  • Foodman Home-Delivery

Becoming a Cafeteria, Food Concession, or Counter Attendant

What education is needed to be a Cafeteria, Food Concession, or Coffee Shop Counter Attendant?

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What work experience do I need to become a Cafeteria, Food Concession, or Counter Attendant?

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Other Jobs You May be Interested In

Those thinking about becoming a Cafeteria, Food Concession, or Coffee Shop Counter Attendant might also be interested in the following careers:

Career changers with experience as a Cafeteria, Food Concession, or Coffee Shop Counter Attendant sometimes find work in one of the following fields:

References:

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