Food service and barista jobs

Restaurants, cafés, and fast-food places are some of the most common first jobs. Training happens on the job, shifts can fit around school, and you learn skills that are useful everywhere: teamwork, speed, and staying calm when it gets busy.

Common roles

Crew member. At quick-service restaurants, crew members often do a bit of everything. You might take orders, work the cash register, prepare food, and clean, sometimes all in one shift.

Cashier or front counter. You greet customers, take orders, handle payment, and keep the counter area clean.

Barista. You make coffee and tea drinks, heat food, and serve customers. Expect to learn a long menu quickly. Many cafés open early, so morning shifts are common.

Host or busser. In sit-down restaurants, hosts greet and seat guests, and bussers clear and reset tables. These roles can lead to serving jobs later.

Dishwasher. You wash dishes, pots, and kitchen tools, take out garbage, and help keep the kitchen clean. It is hard work, and kitchens need it done every day.

Prep cook or kitchen helper. You wash, cut, and portion food before service, following recipes and food safety rules. Many cooks start here.

What a shift is like

Food service moves fast. The lunch and dinner rush can be intense. You will stand for most of your shift, work near hot equipment, and follow strict hygiene rules, like washing your hands often and keeping raw and cooked foods apart.

Shifts are often in the evenings and on weekends. In both provinces, you can't be made to work more than five hours in a row without a 30-minute meal break. Our rights guides for BC and Ontario explain breaks, overtime, and pay.

Certificates by province

You can get many first jobs without a certificate. But having one can help you get hired, and some roles require one.

Food safety. In BC, the Food Premises Regulation requires the operator of a food service business to hold FOODSAFE or an equivalent, and to make sure at least one certified employee is there when the operator is away (FOODSAFE). In Ontario, food businesses must have at least one certified food handler on site during every hour they are open (ontario.ca). In both provinces, the law does not require every worker to be certified. Still, employers often ask for it, because they need certified people on every shift.

Alcohol. If you will serve alcohol, you need responsible service training:

• In BC, Serving It Right is required for servers in restaurants, and for servers and bartenders in bars and pubs.
• In Ontario, anyone who sells, serves, or delivers alcohol needs approved training, such as Smart Serve. You must be at least 18 to serve alcohol in Ontario (Smart Serve).

For costs, how to take them online, and how long they last, read:

• FOODSAFE and Serving It Right in BC
• Smart Serve and food handler certification in Ontario

Age rules for food service

BC. At 14 or 15, you can do "light work" with written permission from a parent or guardian. BC's light work list includes preparing food, busing tables, dishwashing, and hosting. It also includes serving food or drinks, but not alcohol (BC Gov News). Light work does not include going into a walk-in freezer or cooler except to get an item, or using machinery that could harm you. From age 16, the regular rules apply.

Ontario. The minimum age is 14 to work in a restaurant's serving area, and 15 to work in a restaurant kitchen.

Pay and tips

Neither province has a lower minimum wage for servers. You must be paid at least the general minimum wage:

• BC: $18.25 an hour, since June 1, 2026
• Ontario: $17.95 an hour, since October 1, 2026. Students under 18 who work 28 hours a week or less during the school year, or who work during school breaks, can be paid the student rate of $16.90 an hour.

Tips are extra money, and the rules protect them:

• In BC, employers can't keep your tips or force you to give them up. They can pool tips and share them among the staff who helped earn them. An employer can take a share of the pool only if they do similar work to the staff.
• In Ontario, employers can't withhold tips or make deductions from them, except in a few cases the law allows, such as tip pools. Tips must be paid by cash, cheque, or direct deposit. Tips don't count toward minimum wage.

Barista tips

• Learn the menu. Many cafés post their drinks online, so you can study before your first day.
• Expect early starts if the café opens for the morning rush.
• Speed comes with practice. Focus on getting each drink right first.
• Keep your station clean as you go. It makes busy times much easier.

How to get hired

• Apply online on the company's careers page, and drop off a resume in person, too.
• Visit at quiet times, like mid-afternoon. Avoid the lunch or dinner rush.
• Ask for the manager, and introduce yourself briefly.
• Mention your availability, especially weekends, early mornings, and holidays.
• If you are asked to do a trial shift, remember that it is work and must be paid in both provinces. Our interview guide explains this.

Next steps

• Food service and barista jobs in Metro Vancouver and the GTA
• Kitchen and dishwasher jobs in Metro Vancouver and the GTA
• Build your resume: Writing your first resume with no work experience