Food counter attendants, kitchen helpers and related support occupations
Career Overview
Workers in this group include counter attendants, food preparers, kitchen helpers, food service helpers and dishwashers.
Counter attendants and food preparers:
- Take customer orders, accept payment and serve customers at food counters
- May also prepare, heat and finish cooking simple food items
Kitchen helpers, food service helpers and dishwashers:
- Usually clear tables, clean kitchen areas and wash dishes
- Help workers who prepare or serve food and beverages
Workers in this group:
- Are hired by small, medium and large businesses, such as restaurants, cafes, hotels, fast food outlets, cafeterias and hospitals
- Must be able multi-task and remember customer orders
- Must have excellent customer service skills
Job Titles
Duties
The responsibilities and duties of workers can overlap considerably depending on the business.
Food service counter attendants and food preparers:
- Use a cash register to take customer orders, accept payment and give change
- Answer customer questions about menu items and serve customers at counters or buffet tables
- May also prepare food such as sandwiches, hamburgers, salads, milkshakes, ice cream dishes and beverages, including coffee-type drinks
- Clean, peel, slice and trim food items using manual and electric appliances
- May also portion and wrap food or put it on plates for service to patrons and package take-out food
- Stock refrigerators, cupboards and salad bars
- Keep records of the quantities of food used
- Clean and sanitize kitchen areas including, work surfaces, cupboards and storage areas, as well as dispose of kitchen garbage
- May use manual and electric appliances to clean, including operating a dishwasher
- Often clear and clean tables, trays and chairs
- Reset tables with clean tablecloths, napkins, silverware, glasses and dishes
Kitchen helpers:
- Wash work tables, meat blocks, cupboards, walls and appliances
- Unpack and store supplies in refrigerators, cupboards and storage areas and bring supplies from storage areas to work areas
- Help to wash, peel and prepare basic food items
- May also separate and remove and clear kitchen garbage, sweep and mop floors, and perform other duties to assist cook and kitchen staff
- Clear and clean tables and trays in eating establishments
- Bring clean dishes, flatware and other items to serving areas and set tables
- Remove dishes before and after courses and perform other duties such as scraping and stacking dishes, carrying linen to and from laundry area and running errands
- Clean kitchen work areas, equipment, utensils and dishes
- Refill condiments and other supplies at tables and in serving areas
- May also weigh, measure and prepare ingredients for complex dishes, stir and strain soups, and/or grind meats, poultry and seafood
Food service helpers:
- Clear and clean tables and trays in eating establishments
- Bring clean dishes, flatware and other items to serving areas and set tables
- Remove dishes before and after courses and perform other duties such as scraping and stacking dishes, carrying linen to and from laundry area and running errands
- Clean kitchen work areas, equipment, utensils and dishes
- Refill condiments and other supplies at tables and in serving areas
- May also weigh, measure and prepare ingredients for complex dishes, stir and strain soups, and/or grind meats, poultry and seafood
Dishwashers:
- Wash dishes, glassware, flatware, pots and pans either with a dishwasher or by hand
- Place dishes in storage areas, sweep and scrub floors, sort and remove garbage and wash garbage cans
- May also prepare individual place settings, clean and prepare food, keep kitchen work areas clean and orderly
- Load and unload trucks picking up or delivering food and supplies
Earnings
Earnings is income that workers receive in exchange for their labour. Depending on the type of employment, earnings can be in the form of wages (hourly), salaries (fixed monthly or annual) or self-employed earnings.
Work Environment
# Workers Employed
48,465% Employed Full Time
19%Food service counter attendants and food preparers work days, evenings weekends and holidays. Hours tend to be irregular but flexible and split shifts are common.
Food service counter attendants and food preparers typically stand for long periods of time and often carry heavy trays. They work in kitchens that are hot, humid and fast-paced.
New technology has reduced the manual nature of the job with machines that can do some of the food and coffee preparation. This often means that tasks require fewer people and less hands-on involvement from workers.
Career Pathways
There is a great deal of movement between jobs in this group.
Movement into other occupations within food preparation and service, such as cook or waiter, is possible with further training and experience. Individuals may also move into shift supervisor and management positions.
Related Careers
Occupational Interests
It’s important to understand what kinds of occupations align with your interests.
For more about occupational interests visit Skills for the Future Workforce > Characteristics.
Here are the top occupational interest(s) for this career profile:
Education, Training and Skills
Food service counter attendants and food preparers may need some secondary school education. Other requirements may include:
- Experience working in a customer service environment
- A FOODSAFE certificate
- Fluency in both spoken and written English
- Some basic mathematics and arithmetic to calculate customer transactions
Education programs in B.C.
The following program areas are related to this occupation:
- Academic/Basic Upgrading
Skills
Every job calls for a certain set of skills. Knowing those skills is the first step in finding a good career fit.
Here, you will find the 10 most relevant workplace skills. Some are more important to achieving success in a certain career than others. These skills may come naturally to you or you may need to gain them through education, training and experience.
See the list of work-related skills below, ranked in order of importance for this career. Check out the list and see if this career matches your skills—take that first step!
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.
Actively looking for ways to help people.
Talking to others to share information effectively.
Adjusting actions in relation to others' actions.
Being aware of others’ reactions and understanding why they react as they do.
Keeping track of and assessing your performance, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.
Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.
Managing one’s own time and the time of others.
Considering the relative costs and benefits of potential actions to choose the most appropriate one.
Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work-related documents.
Labour Market Statistics
Discover data, facts and information that have been gathered and analyzed. Learn about the characteristics of the economy and labour market in B.C.
Employment
Find out about employment types and trends by region and industry.
Employment
48,465Employment by Region
| Region | Employment | % Employment of this Occupation |
|---|---|---|
| Cariboo | 1,445 | 3.0% |
| Kootenay | 1,350 | 2.8% |
| Mainland/Southwest | 29,650 | 61.2% |
| North Coast and Nechako | 760 | 1.6% |
| Northeast | 760 | 1.6% |
| Thompson-Okanagan | 5,770 | 11.9% |
| Vancouver Island/Coast | 8,740 | 18.0% |
Labour Market Outlook
The B.C. Labour Market Outlook is a 10-year forecast of the expected supply and demand for labour in the province. It’s usually updated every year. The purpose is to provide British Columbians with the knowledge to make informed decisions on careers, skills training, education and hiring.
Forecasted Job Openings (2024-2034)
16,360Forecasted Job Openings
Forecasted Employment Growth Rate
Composition of Job Openings
Job Openings by Region (2024-2034)
| Region | Job Openings | Avg. Annual Employment Growth |
|---|---|---|
| Cariboo | 220 | 0.8% |
| Kootenay | 350 | 1.0% |
| Mainland/Southwest | 11,260 | 1.6% |
| North Coast and Nechako | 110 | 0.9% |
| Northeast | 80 | 0.4% |
| Thompson-Okanagan | 1,710 | 1.2% |
| Vancouver Island/Coast | 2,630 | 1.2% |
Industry Highlights
Learn about the opportunities in B.C.'s major industries, including employment trends, earning potential, locations of work and more.
Forecasted Job Openings by Industry
| Industry | Job Openings (2024-2034) |
|---|---|
| Accommodation and Food Services | 12,550 |
| Health Care and Social Assistance | 1,640 |
| Retail Trade | 1,030 |
| Manufacturing | 350 |
| Information, Culture and Recreation | 240 |
Resources
Resource information is currently not available.
