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At a restaurantLesson 1 of 2

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14 min

Who works at a restaurant

Walk into a busy restaurant on a Friday night as the new hire. Who are all these people, what is each one there for, and who do you go to when something goes wrong?

Ticket 01 · The guess

Who's the biggest group?

Out of every hundred people working in US full-service restaurants (the kind with table service), how many are servers?

10 people
0 people100

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Tell us what looks off. No name or email needed.

What kind of problem?

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Sources and every number (7)

Sources

  • Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025: Full-Service Restaurants (NAICS 722511), employment by occupation · U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2025
  • Texas Roadhouse annual report (Form 10-K), fiscal 2025 · Texas Roadhouse, Inc., filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, 2025
  • The Cheesecake Factory annual report (Form 10-K), fiscal 2025 · The Cheesecake Factory Incorporated, filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, 2025
  • Occupational Outlook Handbook: Food and Beverage Serving and Related Workers (jobs in 2025, pay in May 2025, projections 2025-35) · U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2025
  • Occupational Outlook Handbook: Food Service Managers (jobs in 2025, pay in May 2025, projections 2025-35) · U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2025
  • Occupational Outlook Handbook: Chefs and Head Cooks (jobs in 2025, pay in May 2025, projections 2025-35) · U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2025
  • Technical Notes for May 2025 OEWS Estimates (wages include tips) · U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2025

Every number

  • 5.4 million jobsbls.gov ·2025 · All jobs: jobs in US full-service (table-service) restaurants, May 2025. BLS counts jobs, not people, rounded to the nearest ten.
  • 1.7 million jobsbls.gov ·2025 · Waiters and waitresses (servers): jobs in US full-service (table-service) restaurants, May 2025. BLS counts jobs, not people, rounded to the nearest ten.
  • 1.1 million jobsbls.gov ·2025 · Restaurant cooks: jobs in US full-service (table-service) restaurants, May 2025. BLS counts jobs, not people, rounded to the nearest ten.
  • 363,100 jobsbls.gov ·2025 · Hosts and hostesses: jobs in US full-service (table-service) restaurants, May 2025. BLS counts jobs, not people, rounded to the nearest ten.
  • 326,970 jobsbls.gov ·2025 · Dining room attendants and bartender helpers (bussers): jobs in US full-service (table-service) restaurants, May 2025. BLS counts jobs, not people, rounded to the nearest ten.
  • 310,850 jobsbls.gov ·2025 · Bartenders: jobs in US full-service (table-service) restaurants, May 2025. BLS counts jobs, not people, rounded to the nearest ten.
  • 307,930 jobsbls.gov ·2025 · Dishwashers: jobs in US full-service (table-service) restaurants, May 2025. BLS counts jobs, not people, rounded to the nearest ten.
  • 296,880 jobsbls.gov ·2025 · First-line supervisors of food preparation and serving workers (shift leads): jobs in US full-service (table-service) restaurants, May 2025. BLS counts jobs, not people, rounded to the nearest ten.
  • 212,590 jobsbls.gov ·2025 · Food preparation workers (prep cooks): jobs in US full-service (table-service) restaurants, May 2025. BLS counts jobs, not people, rounded to the nearest ten.
  • 101,850 jobsbls.gov ·2025 · Chefs and head cooks: jobs in US full-service (table-service) restaurants, May 2025. BLS counts jobs, not people, rounded to the nearest ten.
  • 84,940 jobsbls.gov ·2025 · Food service managers: jobs in US full-service (table-service) restaurants, May 2025. BLS counts jobs, not people, rounded to the nearest ten.
  • 32.1%bls.gov ·2025 · Worked out: 1.7 million jobs out of 5.4 million jobs. US full-service (table-service) restaurants, May 2025. BLS counts jobs, not people, rounded to the nearest ten.
  • 19.7%bls.gov ·2025 · Worked out: 1.1 million jobs out of 5.4 million jobs. US full-service (table-service) restaurants, May 2025. BLS counts jobs, not people, rounded to the nearest ten.
  • 6.8%bls.gov ·2025 · Worked out: 363,100 jobs out of 5.4 million jobs. US full-service (table-service) restaurants, May 2025. BLS counts jobs, not people, rounded to the nearest ten.
  • 6.1%bls.gov ·2025 · Worked out: 326,970 jobs out of 5.4 million jobs. US full-service (table-service) restaurants, May 2025. BLS counts jobs, not people, rounded to the nearest ten.
  • 5.8%bls.gov ·2025 · Worked out: 310,850 jobs out of 5.4 million jobs. US full-service (table-service) restaurants, May 2025. BLS counts jobs, not people, rounded to the nearest ten.
  • 5.7%bls.gov ·2025 · Worked out: 307,930 jobs out of 5.4 million jobs. US full-service (table-service) restaurants, May 2025. BLS counts jobs, not people, rounded to the nearest ten.
  • 5.5%bls.gov ·2025 · Worked out: 296,880 jobs out of 5.4 million jobs. US full-service (table-service) restaurants, May 2025. BLS counts jobs, not people, rounded to the nearest ten.
  • 4%bls.gov ·2025 · Worked out: 212,590 jobs out of 5.4 million jobs. US full-service (table-service) restaurants, May 2025. BLS counts jobs, not people, rounded to the nearest ten.
  • 1.9%bls.gov ·2025 · Worked out: 101,850 jobs out of 5.4 million jobs. US full-service (table-service) restaurants, May 2025. BLS counts jobs, not people, rounded to the nearest ten.
  • 1.6%bls.gov ·2025 · Worked out: 84,940 jobs out of 5.4 million jobs. US full-service (table-service) restaurants, May 2025. BLS counts jobs, not people, rounded to the nearest ten.
  • 32 peoplebls.gov ·2025 · Worked out: servers' 1.7 million jobs out of 5.4 million jobs, for every hundred. US full-service (table-service) restaurants, May 2025. BLS counts jobs, not people, rounded to the nearest ten.
  • 20 peoplebls.gov ·2025 · Worked out: restaurant cooks' 1.1 million jobs out of 5.4 million jobs, for every hundred. US full-service (table-service) restaurants, May 2025. BLS counts jobs, not people, rounded to the nearest ten.
  • 7 peoplebls.gov ·2025 · Worked out: hosts' 363,100 jobs out of 5.4 million jobs, for every hundred. US full-service (table-service) restaurants, May 2025. BLS counts jobs, not people, rounded to the nearest ten.
  • 10 cooksbls.gov ·2025 · Worked out: 1.1 million jobs for restaurant cooks ÷ 101,850 jobs for chefs and head cooks. US full-service (table-service) restaurants, May 2025. BLS counts jobs, not people, rounded to the nearest ten.
  • 63 workersbls.gov ·2025 · Worked out: 5.4 million jobs in all ÷ 84,940 jobs for food service managers. US full-service (table-service) restaurants, May 2025. BLS counts jobs, not people, rounded to the nearest ten.
  • 5 peopleexample (example number: Our example: a small counter restaurant's whole crew, not a measured average.) · Our example: a small counter restaurant's whole crew, not a measured average.
  • 50 peopleexample (example number: Our example: a busy full-service restaurant's whole crew, not a measured average.) · Our example: a busy full-service restaurant's whole crew, not a measured average.
  • 101,000 peoplesec.gov ·2025 · Texas Roadhouse's employees, about this many, at the end of fiscal 2025 (its 10-K).
  • 935 peoplesec.gov ·2025 · Texas Roadhouse's executive and administrative personnel, at the end of fiscal 2025 (its 10-K).
  • 4,059 peoplesec.gov ·2025 · Texas Roadhouse's restaurant management personnel, at the end of fiscal 2025 (its 10-K).
  • 714 restaurantssec.gov ·2025 · Restaurants Texas Roadhouse owned and operated itself at the end of fiscal 2025; it franchised more (its 10-K).
  • 140 peopleexample (example number: Our example: worked out: (101,000 people − 935 people) ÷ 714 restaurants, about this many per company-run restaurant, managers included. Rough: the 10-K doesn't split out hourly staff.) · Our example: worked out: (101,000 people − 935 people) ÷ 714 restaurants, about this many per company-run restaurant, managers included. Rough: the 10-K doesn't split out hourly staff.
  • 48,400 peoplesec.gov ·2025 · The Cheesecake Factory Incorporated's employees, about this many, at the end of fiscal 2025 (its 10-K).
  • 47,075 peoplesec.gov ·2025 · Of those, about this many worked in its restaurants (its 10-K).
  • 47%sec.gov ·2025 · Fiscal 2025 internal management promotion rate at The Cheesecake Factory and North Italia restaurants combined (its 10-K).
  • $15.00/hourbls.gov ·2025 · Median hourly pay for hosts and hostesses (restaurant, lounge and coffee shop), May 2025, all employers; tips included.
  • 444,200 jobsbls.gov ·2025 · Hosts and hostesses (restaurant, lounge and coffee shop), jobs in 2025.
  • 3%bls.gov ·2025 · BLS's projected growth in host and hostess jobs, 2025 to 2035.
  • 6 tablesexample (example number: Our example: the restaurant's tables for four, all full at 7:30 pm.) · Our example: the restaurant's tables for four, all full at 7:30 pm.
  • 72 minutesexample (example number: Our example: how long a party of four stays at a table on a Friday, start to finish.) · Our example: how long a party of four stays at a table on a Friday, start to finish.
  • 2 partiesexample (example number: Our example: parties of four already waiting.) · Our example: parties of four already waiting.
  • 12 minutesexample (example number: Our example: worked out: 72 minutes ÷ 6 tables, how often one of those tables opens, on average.) · Our example: worked out: 72 minutes ÷ 6 tables, how often one of those tables opens, on average.
  • 36 minutesexample (example number: Our example: worked out: the third table to open × 12 minutes.) · Our example: worked out: the third table to open × 12 minutes.
  1. Lessons›
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  3. At a restaurant
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