Occupation · SOC 35-2015
Cooks, Short Order
Prepare and cook to order a variety of foods that require only a short preparation time. May take orders from customers and serve patrons at counters or tables.
Median wage
$35,620
$23,770–$46,010
Projected growth
—
—
Annual openings
—
per year
Employed (US)
150,420
Job Zone 2
Typical preparation
Some preparation
Stackable credential programs
0 mapped
Core skills
Time ManagementReading ComprehensionActive ListeningSpeakingCoordinationService Orientation
Knowledge areas
Food ProductionCustomer and Personal ServiceEnglish Language
Technology & tools
Point of sale POS softwareInventory management software
Representative tasks
Clean food preparation equipment, work areas, and counters or tables.Restock kitchen supplies, rotate food, and stamp the time and date on food in coolers.Complete orders from steam tables, placing food on plates and serving customers at tables or counters.Plan work on orders so that items served together are finished at the same time.Grill, cook, and fry foods such as french fries, eggs, and pancakes.Perform food preparation tasks, such as making sandwiches, carving meats, making soups or salads, baking breads or desserts, and brewing coffee or tea.Perform general cleaning activities in kitchen and dining areas.Take orders from customers and cook foods requiring short preparation times, according to customer requirements.Grill and garnish hamburgers or other meats, such as steaks and chops.Order supplies and stock them on shelves.Accept payments, and make change or write charge slips as necessary.
Competency framework
Skill expectations by proficiency level.
emerging
Food preparation equipment and work surfaces — clean and sanitize under direct supervision following posted kitchen protocols.Kitchen supplies and coolers — restock shelves and rotate perishable items with guidance from a lead cook.Time and date stamps — apply to stored food containers in coolers as directed by kitchen policy.Steam table orders — plate and serve food to customers at counters or tables following ticket instructions.Grill and fryer equipment — operate to cook basic items such as french fries and eggs under close supervisor oversight.Sandwiches and simple cold preparations — assemble to standard recipes during a supervised shift on a short-order line.Customer orders — receive verbally and relay to kitchen staff with attention to stated preferences and dietary requests.Coffee and tea brewing equipment — operate to produce beverages at the start and throughout a shift following posted procedures.Dining area and kitchen floors — sweep, mop, and wipe down surfaces as part of assigned general cleaning duties.POS software — enter basic customer orders and process payments with trainer assistance at a counter-service station.
developing
Grill, flat-top, and fryer stations — cook eggs, pancakes, and fried foods to order with minimal oversight during a moderate-volume shift.Multiple simultaneous orders — coordinate cooking times so that all items on a ticket are plated and ready together at the pick-up counter.Kitchen inventory — monitor par levels, rotate stock, and flag low supplies to the supervisor before service gaps occur.Soups, salads, and carved-meat preparations — prepare consistently to recipe standards during daily prep periods.Customer requests and modifications — listen actively and adapt short-order preparations to individual preferences within available ingredients.Food safety date labels — verify accuracy on all cooler items at the start of each shift and remove expired product per health code.Cleaning schedule — complete assigned kitchen and dining area tasks independently within the required time windows between rushes.Verbal and written order tickets — read and execute simultaneously, maintaining accuracy while managing two or more active cooking tasks.POS and inventory management software — use routinely to track sales and log received stock at the end of a shift.Time management across stations — self-organize workload during a busy breakfast or lunch rush to minimize customer wait times.
proficient
Full short-order line — operate all stations autonomously across an entire service period, handling non-routine substitutions and rush surges without supervision.Order coordination and sequencing — plan and execute multi-item tickets so hot, cold, and assembled components are delivered to the customer simultaneously.Prep scheduling — independently plan daily bread, soup, dessert, and salad production to align with anticipated cover counts.Food quality troubleshooting — identify and correct off-spec textures, temperatures, or flavor profiles before dishes reach customers.Inventory discrepancies — investigate and resolve stock variances using inventory management software, adjusting order quantities to reduce waste.Customer service recovery — address complaints or order errors calmly and accurately, re-cooking or substituting items to maintain satisfaction.Health and food safety standards — enforce proper labeling, rotation, and temperature logs across the cooler and prep areas without prompting.High-volume service periods — maintain selective attention across simultaneous orders, equipment, and customer interactions during peak-hour rushes.New menu items — test, standardize, and document preparation procedures for incorporation into the daily short-order menu.Cross-training peers — demonstrate correct grill, fryer, and prep techniques to newer cooks during live service conditions.
advanced
Kitchen operations — set scheduling, station assignments, and workflow standards for the entire short-order kitchen across all dayparts.Staff development — coach and evaluate line cooks and prep staff, providing structured feedback that accelerates their skill progression.Menu and recipe standards — design and revise the short-order menu to balance customer demand, ingredient cost, and production feasibility.Food safety culture — establish and enforce sanitation protocols, training all kitchen personnel to meet or exceed local health code requirements.Inventory and cost controls — analyze purchasing data with inventory management software to reduce food waste and meet budget targets.POS reporting — interpret sales and order-mix data to guide staffing levels, prep quantities, and menu pricing decisions.Service quality benchmarks — define measurable plate-up and ticket-time standards and hold the team accountable through daily performance review.Operational problem-solving — diagnose systemic breakdowns in station coordination or supply flow and implement lasting corrective procedures.Customer experience strategy — lead service-orientation initiatives that align front-counter communication and order accuracy with guest satisfaction goals.Organizational resilience — manage staffing shortfalls, equipment failures, and demand spikes by re-deploying team members and adjusting production plans in real time.
Also known as
40 alternate job titles map to this occupation.
Culinary Specialist (Coast Guard CS)Food Service Specialist (Marine Corps 3381)Leading Culinary Specialist (Navy 001007)Grill CookBroiler CookSubmarine Culinary Specialist (Navy 002769)Short Order Fry CookHasherGrill AssociateCook, Short OrderGrill Line CookBreakfast CookCulinary Specialist (Navy 002609)Grill Prep Cook (Grill Preparation Cook)Grill PersonCulinary Specialist (Submarine) (Navy CSS)Hash SlingerBed and Breakfast Cook (B&B Cook)Barbecue CookGriddle AttendantCookSubmarine Leading Culinary Specialist (Navy 002768)Food and Beverage AttendantSnack Bar CookFood ClerkDeli Cook (Delicatessen Cook)Line CookCS-Culinary Specialist (Navy CS)Pizza CookChuck Wagon CookLeading Culinary Specialist (Navy R01A)Food Service Specialist (Army 92G)Breakfast Line CookSandwich ArtistPizza MakerGriddle CookShort Order CookPrepared Foods ClerkPrep Cook (Preparation Cook)Grill Attendant