Education · 1 of 4
The path
There is no school for this. There is a certificate, a first shift, and then practice.
- 1
Get your alcohol service certificate
1 day
Legally required before you serve liquor in every province and territory except Quebec, Newfoundland and Labrador and Yukon. Smart Serve in Ontario, Serving It Right in British Columbia, ProServe in Alberta. Online, a few hours.
- 2
Start as a host or busser
1 to 6 months
Most restaurants will not hand a section to someone with no floor experience. Hosting is the way in.
- 3
Take a small section
Months
Lunch shifts or a quiet patio first. You learn the menu, the point of sale system and how to carry three plates.
- 4
Move to the money shifts
1 to 2 years
Friday and Saturday dinner in a busy room is where the income is, and it goes to whoever is fastest and most reliable.
- 5
Specialise or move up
2 years and up
Fine dining, banquets, bartending, sommelier work, or assistant manager.