Busboys perform the nitty gritty work that keeps a restaurant running. While their main job duty is to clear finished plates, busboys also help set up and clean up after parties, perform end-of-night cleaning and attend to customers' requests.

Duties

A busboy's main job is to clear finished plates from a table and bring them to the dish area. You will have to scrape leftover food into the trash or into containers for customers, and you will have to sort dishes and glasses in the dish station.

Types

All kinds of restaurants need busboy services. A busboy might work in fine dining or at a busy chain restaurant. No matter what type of restaurant offers you a busboy job, the basic skills and duties remain the same.

Uniforms

You might be provided with uniform components, such as a shirt with logo, by your job or you might have to provide your own clothes. Uniforms help customers quickly recognize restaurant staff and a typical busboy uniform is black pants and a white oxford button-down shirt.

Training

Typically, a new busboy will shadow employees until he has a feel for the job. He will be paired with a waiter or a section on each shift and will perform all cleanup work when a table is finished, including resetting the table for new customers.

Wages

Wages vary depending on location, with some states offering busboys minimum wage and some paying slightly less or more. Waiters are required to offer their busboy a percentage of their tips earned each night, typically up to 10 percent.

Source:

The Big Apple: Busboy