Retail Sales Associate 1

Department

Culinary / Kitchen

Reports To

Culinary Manager

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

Customer Service and Order Assistance

• Greet customers in a friendly, professional, and helpful manner.
• Assist customers with questions about prepared foods, menu items, ordering procedures, pickup areas, and dining area expectations.
• Provide basic information about ingredients, allergens, spice levels, preparation style, and product availability when known.
• Direct detailed food, allergen, or special request questions to the appropriate culinary team member or supervisor.
• Assist customers with placing, picking up, and verifying kitchen or prepared food orders.
• Help resolve basic customer concerns in a calm, respectful, and professional manner.
• Notify a supervisor when a customer issue requires management support.
• Help create a welcoming and organized dining and ordering experience for customers.

Cashiering and Point-of-Sale Operations

• Operate the cash register and point-of-sale system accurately for culinary department purchases.
• Process customer payments, including cash, credit cards, debit cards, gift cards, and other approved payment methods.
• Scan or enter food items, menu items, prepared food purchases, and applicable discounts accurately.
• Issue receipts and provide customers with order numbers or pickup instructions when applicable.
• Follow company procedures for voids, refunds, returns, discounts, and cash handling.
• Maintain accuracy when handling payments and balancing register activity.
• Keep the register and ordering area clean, organized, and stocked with needed supplies.
• Communicate with kitchen staff regarding customer orders, delays, questions, or special instructions as appropriate.

Light Food Preparation and Department Support

• Perform light food preparation tasks as assigned.
• Package, label, portion, or organize prepared foods according to company standards.
• Assist with stocking grab-and-go items, condiments, utensils, napkins, sauces, beverages, and other customer-facing supplies.
• Help maintain attractive and organized prepared food displays.
• Assist with basic preparation tasks that may include portioning, assembling, wrapping, garnishing, or placing prepared items in containers.
• Follow all food safety, sanitation, handwashing, glove use, temperature control, and cross-contamination prevention procedures.
• Notify a supervisor of any food quality, freshness, labeling, temperature, or safety concerns.
• Support culinary staff during busy periods by helping with customer-facing tasks, packaging, order organization, or basic prep as assigned.

Dining Area Cleanliness and Customer Area Maintenance

• Maintain a clean, organized, and safe customer dining area.
• Wipe and sanitize tables, counters, chairs, trays, condiment stations, and other customer-use surfaces.
• Empty trash and recycling containers as needed.
• Sweep, mop, or spot-clean floors when necessary.
• Restock napkins, utensils, chopsticks, straws, sauces, condiments, cups, lids, bags, and other customer supplies.
• Monitor the dining area for spills, trash, misplaced items, or unsafe conditions.
• Promptly clean spills and place proper warning signs when needed.
• Keep ordering, pickup, seating, and condiment areas neat and customer-ready.
• Report maintenance, pest, equipment, or safety concerns to a supervisor.

Food Safety and Sanitation

• Follow company food safety and sanitation procedures at all times.
• Wash hands properly and frequently, especially before handling food or food-contact items.
• Use gloves, utensils, and food handling tools correctly.
• Follow procedures for preventing cross-contamination.
• Maintain clean work surfaces, equipment, and customer-facing food areas.
• Handle food packaging, labeling, and storage in accordance with company standards.
• Follow applicable health department requirements and company policies.
• Complete food handler training or certification if required by company policy or applicable law.

Teamwork and Communication

• Work cooperatively with culinary staff, grocery staff, cashiers, supervisors, and management.
• Communicate customer needs, order issues, food shortages, supply needs, and cleanliness concerns promptly.
• Follow supervisor instructions and complete assigned tasks in a timely manner.
• Help coworkers during busy periods by assisting with cashiering, cleaning, packaging, stocking, or customer service.
• Maintain a positive and respectful attitude with customers, coworkers, vendors, and management.
• Support a smooth flow of communication between the front counter, dining area, and kitchen team.

Additional Duties and Responsibilities

• Assist with opening and closing duties for the culinary customer service area.
• Help organize and restock front-of-house supplies.
• Assist with basic inventory checks of customer-facing supplies and packaged prepared foods.
• Help prepare the dining area for peak business periods.
• Assist with seasonal, promotional, or special menu displays.
• Remove expired, damaged, mislabeled, or poor-quality items from customer-facing areas and notify a supervisor.
• Follow company policies regarding attendance, dress code, customer service, food safety, and workplace conduct.
• Perform other duties as assigned by management.

Physical Requirements

The physical demands described below are representative of those required to perform the essential functions of this position.

• Ability to stand and walk for most of the scheduled shift.
• Ability to bend, reach, squat, kneel, push, pull, and twist while cleaning, stocking, or assisting customers.
• Ability to lift, carry, push, or pull food items, supplies, boxes, trash bags, trays, and equipment, typically up to 30–40 pounds.
• Ability to use hands and fingers to operate a register, package food, handle utensils, restock supplies, clean surfaces, and complete light prep tasks.
• Ability to perform repetitive tasks such as scanning, bagging, wiping tables, packaging food, and restocking supplies.
• Ability to work near hot food, cold storage areas, wet floors, cleaning supplies, and busy customer areas.
• Ability to safely use basic food service and cleaning tools after proper training.