9 F&B Outlets and the Types of People You’ll Find Working There

    

Written by Jovan Lee

If you love eating out and exploring the vast jungle of food in Singapore, chances are you would have come across a wide variety of F&B workers in your journey. There is no one-size-fits-all model for an F&B employee, which is what makes working in F&B so interesting.

Every F&B outlet, restaurant, or service generally involves different kinds of workers to accommodate slightly varying job scopes. Trends will form and you’ll start to see similar employees at specific types of F&B outlets across the country.

Don’t worry, you can still work at an F&B outlet even if you don’t fall into the descriptions that we’ve provided (this list is just for fun so don’t take the stereotypes too seriously), so strap in as we embark on a tour through the F&B world in Singapore. Let’s see if you’ve met any of these people before. Here are 9 different F&B outlets and the people you’ll typically find working there:

1. The Hipster Barista

Their $50,000 art degree translates well to their latte art skills and they won’t work at a cafe unless their coffee beans are delivered to them by a Mexican bean farmer riding a donkey. 

Who even knows what a Flat White actually is? Well, the hipster baristas do. Armed with the knowledge of pretty much every single coffee there is, they’ll even make you a Cappuccino “Siew Dai” if you ask for it. 

Jokes aside, these are the baristas that will never settle for an average cup of coffee, always pushing to perfect their skills in brewing and preparing the best standard of coffee available. It takes years of training and practice to master the art of coffee making and is a hobby that can also earn you cash. 

If you have any interest in coffee making art, start looking for coffee-related jobs on FastJobs today and make your passion your job!

2. The PMD Enthusiast

If you’ve ordered food to be delivered to your home or workplace in the last year, chances are your delivery driver was rocking a Personal Mobility Device, or PMD for short. These utility vehicles are more cost-efficient and convenient than motorcycles, allowing riders to travel swiftly from point to point.

Undeterred by traffic jams and road accidents, PMD riders are able to bring hot, cooked meals to your doorstep in a matter of minutes - a feat not to be taken for granted. When I’m absolutely famished at 9pm and too lazy to leave the comfort of my couch, the food delivery rider with my fried chicken in his hands looks just like an angel playing a harpsichord. 

But let’s not forget our non-motorized counterparts - the pedaling food delivery cyclist. Big shoutout to all the riders sweating up a storm while they haul in the greens, you guys are what keep us alive. Literally. 

Apart from saving lives by feeding the hungry, this GrabFood PMD rider is saving lives the old-fashioned way - by pulling trapped drivers out of toppled lorries. It doesn’t stop there. After breaking the lorry window to rescue the trapped elderly driver, the aforementioned GrabFood rider rushed off to complete his deliveries as he did not want to be late. What an absolute lad.

Looking for food delivery jobs? Download FastJobs now and search for ‘food delivery’!

3. The Cute Girl/Guy Server that You THINK Has a Crush on You

Take it from me, someone who has experienced this several times - don’t fall in love with the cute cashier just because she flashes you a beaming smile and asks for your name with her sweet, cheerful voice. They have to write it on the cup. That’s just good service.

Just like in every American sitcom ever produced, there’s always an attractive F&B employee that sweeps everyone off their feet. Rest assured that you won’t be the only one falling head over heels with the girl at your nearby bubble tea shop or the guy at your local bar. Combining their natural charm and outgoing demeanor, these enthusiastic F&B employees are made for the job (and our hearts).  

Hey, if you’ve got the charm and charisma, perhaps you should consider a career in F&B where you’ll get to put your people skills on display. But don’t go breaking any hearts alright? Check out some available F&B jobs on FastJobs today!

4. The Waiter Who Remembers Everything

Many food establishments today feature electronic methods of ordering food, but once in a while, you’ll come across a restaurant that employs the old school ways of the notepad and pen. And then there are some waiters who say no to all that; no pen, no paper, just the power of the mind.

It’s truly unbelievable when they go full Jimmy Neutron and brain-blast their way to remembering everyone’s order no matter how complicated they are. As someone who routinely forgets everyone’s drink order in the 20 seconds I take to walk to the drinks stall, I’m always amazed by their immense memorization. 

Some waiters can even remember exactly who ordered what and can serve it to each customer with confidence. Now that’s some Albert Einstein level of waitering. 

Want to master this art? Look for plenty of waiter jobs at FastJobs, just download the app and search for ‘waiter’ to start your journey today!

5. The Beast Mode Hawker Uncle/Auntie

To quote a great Poison song; Every rose has its thorn, just like every hawker center has that one stall with the queue that everyone envies and that one auntie or uncle chef going absolutely ham on the cooking woks. The demand for their freshly cooked delicacies together with the insane pace in which they cook at results in a Masterchef-Esque spectacle.

Hot oil spurts out onto their forearms, but they feel no pain. The flames engulf their kitchenware as they cook, but they are impervious to the heat. With a white towel draped around their neck, acting as the perfect anti-perspiration (and super-hero) accessory, these chefs combine flair and daily practice to serve us the delicious dishes we all crave. It’s a full-body workout that should honestly be an Olympic sport. They are truly the unsung heroes of our society.

Keep the hawker traditions alive! If you love to cook our famous local dishes or dabble in fusion cooking and want to give the hawker trade a try, click here to find out how you can start your journey towards the hawker hall of fame.

6. The Friend who Gives You Discounts

Everyone has a friend who works at a food establishment, be it a cafe, restaurant, or food stall. And you love the place he or she works at. You keep going back, even though you’re not entirely sold on the food there. Why? Because your Service Crew friend turns into the Restaurant Manager whenever you show up, dishing out discounts like it’s Black Friday. 

Who doesn’t love a couple of 10% discounts every now and then? Since many F&B outlets usually include staff discounts as part of employee benefits, it would not be a rare sight to see F&B employees giving “friend” discounts off the bill. 

If you would like your friends to see you as the F&B Santa Claus, give the F&B industry a go and you could be sliding down the chimney with a bag full of 10%-offs. Ho-Ho-Ho Seh Liao!

7. The Waiter Who Never Sees Your Hand

You decided to get the spiciest option on the menu, but as it turns out, your taste buds can’t take the heat and you’re searching for the closest body of water to soothe your burning mouth. Bad news, your cup is empty and you’re in need of a refill. You raise your hand to signal for the waiter to refill your glass. He’s at the other end of the restaurant, holding onto a jug of ice water you would gladly take a bath in right now. You can’t catch his attention. You give up, surrendering to the numbness of your tongue as a tear drops down your reddened cheeks. Today, a tear was shed because of the waiter who never sees your hand.

But hey, waiters don’t usually ignore you on purpose. It’s tough, especially on busy days when hands are shooting up like a whack-a-mole game. Compose yourself, stay patient, and wait for the server to notice your signal.

Or try your hand at F&B work and you’ll find out for yourself. Challenge yourself by applying to F&B jobs on FastJobs today! It's worth trying!

8. The Server Who Knows Your Usual Order

Nothing feels better than when the waiter or server at your nearby bakery or “cai fan” stall says to you, “the usual?”. The other customers in line look at you with envy as you flex your “regular customer” status like a king while the peasants have to verbally inform the server of their order like a group of savages. You’re way past that point now. Your loyalty to the stall and if-it-ain’t-broke-don’t-fix-it approach to selecting your food is rewarded by a knowing glance by the long-time server who prepares your food as soon as you walk in.

This “bro” relationship that you’ve developed with the server can come in handy, especially when the perks that come with it may include extra servings or the occasional loyalty discount. 

It’s always better to feel like you’re giving your money to a friend, so this unlikely friendship you’ve formed with the server is often a natural one. Good service goes a long way, and if you work in F&B, it wouldn’t hurt to treat your regular customers in a more friendly way - it helps keep them coming back!

9. The New Server Who Doesn’t Know Your Usual Order

So, you’ve formed a lasting relationship with the server who’s been scooping meat and veggies onto your plate for the last year, but one day you show up to the stall and that server is gone. In his stead is a man you’ve never seen before, and the worst thing is, he doesn’t know your usual order!

Although it may feel like a betrayal of trust, or an uncomfortable practice proclaiming your order out loud like the common folk, fret not. Maybe it’s the universe’s way of telling you to try something new

If all this talk about F&B employees has got you intrigued, hop onto FastJobs and apply for a job in F&B now! You might end up being the trusted server that your customers love, the charismatic cashier that steals hearts, or the discount Santa Claus that all your friends adore. 

What are you waiting for? Download our FastJobs App (Available on AppStore/ PlayStore) and search “F&B” to look for full-time, part-time and contract jobs in the F&B industry now!