A food service worker interview is the most critical part of your job-finding process.
In order to outperform in an interview, you will need to be prepared well beforehand.
Here are 30 possible interview questions and answers for the food service worker position.
Food Service Worker Interview Questions and Answers
1. Describe a typical work day of a food service worker?
A typical work day starts with prepping the ingredients, cleaning the seating area, and making the branch ready to open which is followed by taking, assembling, and serving orders all day long while maintaining inventory and conducting cash transactions side by side.
2. Which aspect of this job excites you?
Assembling the various items and packing them and then seeing the satisfaction on the customer’s face.
3. What are the qualities that make you a good food service worker?
Strong communication skills, attention to detail, and the ability to work under high pressure qualify me as a food service worker.
4. What are the challenges in being a food service worker?
Most common challenges include serving accurate order, warm and in time.
5. How do you handle a customer who is not satisfied with his/her order?
I start by empathizing and apologizing that they are not happy and then find out solutions or ways to fix or replace it as per their preference.
6. Discuss a difficult situation you faced in this field of line?
We were hosting a promotional event last summer and there was a small fire in the kitchen. Though it went out quickly, it disturbed the kitchen, and service was delayed. The guests were very agitated. That was a particularly difficult situation but with collaboration and teamwork we worked well and the event ended smoothly.
7. What is your greatest professional achievement?
I devised a very effective food packaging technique at my last workplace that significantly reduced spilling and food wastage.
8. What is a food allergy? Can you mention a few?
If someone’s body reacts unusually to a certain food, it is called a food allergy. For example gluten allergy, fish allergy, nuts allergy, etc.
9. Can you define hospitality?
Hospitality means being friendly and welcoming the guests warmly.
10. Why hospitality is important in food service?
Hospitality is very basic in the food service industry because when a customer walks in they need to be welcomed warmly so they can order comfortably.
11. What are your 3 key core competencies?
My three core competencies in this profession are food assembly, bill processing, and compliance with food safety protocols.
12. How do you make sure that you have assembled the correct order?
First I take the order then I repeat it for confirmation. After that, I assemble the meal according to specifications and then recheck it before serving.
13. Other than food service what kind of experience do you have?
Other than food service, I have experience in cash till and POS operation.
14. What do you know about us?
I know that you are an international chain that serves coffee, and drinks and that your new branch is opening in this area. Your burgers and other fast food items are quite famous in the state.
15. What do you do to stay calm during rush hours?
I tackle one task at a time and always prioritize my duties for the day.
16. Share a difficult time you faced during your work experience?
Once it was Christmas eve and I was on duty while we were very short of staff. There were too many customers and me along with just one more colleague handled the customers.
17. Have you ever had a disagreement with a colleague? How did you handle it?
Yes, I disagreed with a colleague regarding the best food packing strategy once and we both calmly explained our point to each other and finally reached an agreement.
18. What qualities should a food service worker have?
Physical dexterity, ability to work with accuracy, and good communication skills are the three basic qualities that every food service worker should have.
19. Do you have any experience in cash handling?
Yes, I’m trained in punching bills, using cash tills, operating POS, and charging credit/ debit cards.
20. Have you worked in a supervisory role? Share your experience.
I have been working in a supervisory role. I not only trained 6 new hires but also managed their shift schedules at my previous workplace.
21. Sometimes customers ask to recommend an item from the menu, what do you do in such a situation?
I ask a few questions regarding their preferences or what kind of food they are looking for and then guide them accordingly to the best of my knowledge.
22. What are the qualities of a good host?
A good host warmly welcomes the guests, makes them seated comfortably, presents them with the menu, and takes the order when they are ready.
23. Do you have any experience in serving beverages?
Yes, I have been working as a bartender and I have diverse experience in preparing and serving various hot and cold beverages.
24. Why did you choose this profession?
The hospitality industry is my passion and one day I plan to open my own place so this profession is very suitable for me.
25. If hired, describe your work strategy for the first two weeks.
I will spend the first 2 weeks learning the SOPs and adapting to the new environment while building rapport with colleagues and customers.
26. What have you learned about food service in your past experience?
I have learned how to service and set tables, how to operate and balance cash tills and how to assemble meals with accuracy and speed while giving priority to customer references during my past experience.
27. Where do you see yourself in the next five years?
I see myself in a superior position with your organization in the next five years, training new hires and helping you expand your business.
28. What have to done to increase your knowledge about food service in the past 3 years?
I have attended various pieces of training and workshops regarding the FDA’s food handling safety guidelines, how to control food contamination, how to monitor cold storage and the operation of various latest commercial kitchen equipment.
29. Have you ever worked as a food server in a school setting?
Yes, I volunteered at a charity school kitchen last summer and worked many hours setting trays and serving hot meals.
30. Do you have any experience in prep service?
Yes, I have been prepping meals and assisting the chefs as and when required during my previous jobs.