Who cleans tables at restaurants?

Author: Agustina Schimmel  |  Last update: Thursday, June 19, 2025

In North America, a busser, sometimes known as a busboy or busgirl, is a person in the restaurant and catering industry clearing tables, taking dirty dishes to the dishwasher, setting tables, refilling and otherwise assisting the waiting staff.

What do you call a person who cleans tables at a restaurant?

A busser (also known as a "busser" or "busgirl") is an entry-level position in the restaurant industry. Bussers work with kitchen and waitstaff to keep the tables clean and ready for the next customers. Other busser responsibilities include: Clearing plates, glasses, napkins and used silverware from tables.

What is a table cleaner called at a restaurant?

Busser/busboy: Front of the house staff whose exact duties vary from restaurant to restaurant. Generally responsible for setting and re-setting tables, clearing dirty dishes, and serving bread and water to guests throughout their visit.

Who cleans up tables after customers leave?

Bussers are some of the unsung heroes of a restaurant. They're important additions to wait staff, as they adhere to cleaning guidelines, provide drink refills, reset tables after guests have finished dining, and are trained to pay attention to guests' behavior—ensuring a consistent, seamless dining experience.

Do bussers clean tables?

Busser responsibilities include clearing, cleaning, and resetting tables and other cleaning duties. The bussing team will often work together to complete these jobs faster. For instance, one busser might clear 3 or 4 tables while another comes behind to wipe and set them up.

Clearing tables

Do hostess clean tables?

Prepare tables for the wait staff

The host is responsible for grabbing high chairs, moving tables together, or dropping reservation signs. Hosts should also be trained as bussers so that on a busy night, they have the skills to clean a table for the next party.

What is a busser responsible for?

Busser Job Description: Top Duties and Qualifications. A Busser, or Food Runner, is in charge of setting and clearing tables at a dining establishment to provide a clean and tidy environment for restaurant patrons. Their duties include removing used dishes, re-setting silverware and filling beverages for diners.

Who is responsible for clearing and cleaning tables after guests have left?

A busser is a restaurant employee who is responsible for clearing and resetting tables. They work closely with servers and other front-of-house staff to ensure tables are cleaned promptly, dishes are cleared away, and the dining area is presentable for the next round of guests.

Which person in a restaurant cleans up the table after the customers leave?

The primary responsibility of a busser is to clear tables once guests leave. However, the duties go beyond just cleaning up after customers. A busser plays a multi-faceted role in maintaining a restaurant's cleanliness and efficiency.

Which member of staff is responsible for cleaning tables and bar tops setting tables and assisting servers?

Those employed as bussers are responsible for cleaning and resetting tables and, in some cases, providing beverages and bread to newly seated customers before the server arrives to take their order.

What does 87 mean in a restaurant?

In restaurant slang, "87" is less common than "86," but it typically refers to something that is about to run out or is in limited supply. For example, if a kitchen has only one or two servings left of a particular dish, the staff might say "87 the chicken," indicating that it's nearly sold out.

How much do restaurants pay for cleaning?

While cleaning rates can vary based on many factors such as location and size of your restaurant, generally, you can expect the hourly cleaning rates to range from $50-$150.

What is the etiquette for Bussers?

One guide to manners advised that bussers should not speak to or interrupt those being served, and to simply refill glasses at the table rather than asking if customers would like more water. Likewise, it advises customers against engaging bussers and waiting staff in distracting conversations, as they are often busy.

What do restaurants use to clean tables?

What do restaurants use to sanitize tables? The general sanitizing solution used in restaurant food prep tables is diluted bleach water or chlorinated detergents. Alternative to a solution of chlorine bleach, restaurants also use quaternary ammonium salts or scalding hot water for sanitation as well.

Who washes the dishes at a restaurant?

Dishwashers work in kitchens at restaurants, hotels and cafes to clean and sanitize dishes so that Cooks and Servers have the supplies they need to prepare food and serve it to customers. Dishwashers follow thorough dishwashing procedures to fully sanitize each dish according to health and safety standards.

Who is a cleaner in a restaurant?

As a Restaurant Cleaner you are responsible for maintaining restaurant facilities, especially dinning areas and also back of the house. Keep cleanliness levels to a high standard throughout these dedicated areas and assist in relevant operational duties and processes.

Who is responsible for cleaning the kitchen in a restaurant?

Keeping a clean workstation is paramount in a professional kitchen. Team members are often responsible for cleaning their stations, ensuring that all surfaces are sanitized, and that equipment is properly maintained. This might include deep cleaning tasks at the end of a shift or during slower periods.

Who cleans up tables for customers leave?

And if servers are busy taking care of other customers, bussers often take over to do a final wipe down and sweep on and around a table.

What is it called when someone leaves a restaurant without paying?

"Dine and dash" is a phrase used to describe a person that has not paid for their meal at a restaurant. The act usually involves the client placing an order, consuming it, and then exiting the establishment before or after being presented with the bill. The action is often considered to be a form of theft.

What is the proper etiquette for clearing tables?

Clear From the Right - Always clear from the guest's right side and follow a clockwise order around the table. Don't Stack Dishes - Stacking dishes while clearing may seem like an innocent time-saver, but it's frowned upon in fine dining.

Who is responsible for guest room cleanliness?

What is hotel housekeeping? Hotel housekeeping is a hotel department charged with cleaning, tidying and organising the hotel. It is responsible for maintaining the aesthetics of the property and creating a safer, more welcoming environment for guests.

Who is primarily responsible for seating customers in a table service operation?

FOH STATIONS

The host or maître d' station is typically a tall counter or podium at which customers are greeted and seating choices are made. The dining areas include table service, booths, and counter service.

Who is responsible for setup clearing and resetting of tables?

Bussers. Staff responsible for clearing and resetting tables, replenishing supplies, and assisting servers to ensure a clean and organized dining area.

Do you get tipped as a busser?

Bussers Earn Hourly Wages and Tip Share

Some restaurants will allow servers to decide how much to tip out to bussers and other support staff based on how much they helped the server during the shift. Many restaurants, though, require servers to pay a portion of their tips to bussers.

Why is cleaning a table called bussing?

The term "busser" is derived from the word "busboy," which originated in the 1910s. The term likely comes from the word "bus," a short form of "busboy," which refers to someone who "buses" or clears tables in a restaurant, much like a bus that picks up and drops off passengers.

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