Food Runner

Ruth’s Chris Steakhouse at Walnut Creek; Walnut Creek (CA); On-site; USD 21,000 - 30,000; Full time

Job summary

Ruth’s Chris Steakhouse at Walnut Creek is seeking a food runner to support service staff by delivering meals and maintaining high quality in presentation and timing. You will coordinate with kitchen and broil/pantry stations to ensure hot and cold dishes reach guests promptly.

The role requires the ability to lift heavy items, stand for long periods, and communicate clearly with team members to optimize the guest dining experience.

Qualifications

• Must be able to lift 50–100 pounds repeatedly and up to 100 pounds occasionally.
• Must stand and move with pace for up to four hours.
• Ability to communicate effectively with supervisors, staff, vendors and guests.

Responsibilities

• Picks up food for service staff orders and delivers meals to guests.
• Sets up front line with needed equipment, plateware and smallwares.
• Monitors cooking times and checks doneness and presentation.
• Coördinates with broil and pantry to serve hot and cold items on time.
• Garnishes entrees and delivers food hot and sizzling to tables.
• Assists servers to ensure prompt guest service and dining experience.
• Performs closing duties and cleans the kitchen and service areas.

Job description

POSITION SUMMARY:

Picks up food product for orders placed by the service staff and delivers the meal to our guests, including bread, salads, appetizers, entrees, desserts and other items requested by our guests. Assists the kitchen and service staff as needed to maintain the highest level of food quality, presentation and timing to optimize our guests dining experience.

ESSENTIAL JOB FUNCTIONS: (Key Tasks and Responsibilities)

• Reports to work, is in the correct uniform and on the station as indicated on the weekly work schedule. Practices positive personal hygiene and cleanliness habits during all work shifts.
• Sets up the front line with the equipment, plateware and smallwares needed to effectively serve all food products. Items include, but are not limited to; serving spoons, forks, goose necks, underliners for vegetables, folded napkins for handling hot plates and garnishes. Keeps station restocked throughout the shift.
• Cleans large and small trays and tray stands to be ready for service.
• Reads order tickets as they arrive and place onto ticket minder. Tracks cooking times on all orders, checks finished product for proper degree of doneness, appearance and plate presentation.
• Coordinates and communicates with the broil and pantry stations to correctly time and serve "hot and cold" items to the guest.
• Garnishes finished entrees according to the specifications and procedures contained in the Ruth's Chris Steak House Recipe Book (examples: butter, parsley, lemon) and immediately trays and delivers food so that the food is served hot and sizzling.
• Delivers food to the correct table and pivot point position numbers. Assists the server as necessary to ensure that the guest is served immediately. ("Hot Food Hot, Cold Food Cold").
• Assists the server as needed to optimize the guest's dining experience.
• Accomplishes all job duties while adhering to all safety guidelines and practices throughout the shift. Reports any unsafe condition, unsafe act, accidents and/or injuries to the Chef or other Manager On Duty.
• Correctly completes closing duties at the end of each shift. Assists Chef and other kitchen personnel in accomplishing closing duties and kitchen cleanliness.
• Completes all side work in the front and/or back of the house as assigned and scheduled by the members of the management team.

PHYSICAL DEMANDS: (Minimum qualifications needed to perform the essential job functions)

• Must be able to lift, handle, carry food, supply, smallwares, equipment, supplies and paper goods at a minimum of 50 pounds constantly and up to 100 pounds occasionally.
• Must be able to constantly stand and exert well-paced mobility for a period up to four hours in length.
• Must be able to bend, kneel, stoop, reach, and squat on a frequent basis to receive and store stock, supplies and equipment as well as to work the line during service periods.
• Must be able to communicate effectively and listen attentively to supervisors, employees, vendors and guests.
• Must be able to work in an environment subject to extreme cold (30 degrees), heat (temperatures above 100 degrees), loud noises from restaurant equipment and machinery, and fumes, odors, dust and smoke.