How Old Do You Have to Be to Work at Red Lobster?

Let’s get straight to it and answer the question at hand, i.e., How Old Do You Have to Be to Work at Red Lobster?

Well, to be eligible to work at Red Lobster as a host/hostess or a server assistant, you must be at least 16 years old. If you are looking for a more advanced position such as a server or a utilitarian job, then you must be at least 18 years of age.

Red Lobster Overview

Red Lobster was ranked as one of America’s best large employers in 2023 by Forbes. The company focuses on providing excellent customer service to all of its patrons on a daily basis.

They hire driven, motivated, and dedicated individuals with a friendly attitude in order to provide their customers with the best experience possible, whether it’s their excellent service or their delicious food.

Job Positions

Red Lobster offers plenty of entry-level job positions for young applicants; in fact, the majority of their job openings across all of their locations are entry-level positions suited to younger applicants. These jobs include:

Host

Being a host for Red Lobster requires you to provide an excellent dining experience for all of your customers. Your job as a host involves greeting the customers when they walk in, seating them appropriately using a seating chart, and remembering the popular menu items.

You will also be required to maintain the waiting rooms, bathrooms, and the menus. You must also ensure an excellent atmosphere for all customers that are dining in the restaurant, provide a quality service and make them feel welcome. This job will require you to be on your feet for your entire shift, so you should definitely take that into consideration if you are not used to being on your legs for that amount of time.

Server Assistant

Being a server assistant at Red Lobster requires you to clear and reset tables, provide refills, and stock up stations. Customer service is the highest priority at Red Lobster, so the energy and the friendliness that you project is absolutely crucial to ensure customers enjoy their meal.

In order to be successful as a server assistant, you have to be very friendly, communicate effectively, and be able to multitask. Please note that you will be on your feet for the duration of your shift, so if you have any medical issues that prevent this, then this job might not be for you.

Dishwasher/Utility

This is a crucial job in any restaurant. Being a dishwasher means that you are responsible for the cleanliness of the dishes, tables, workstations, restrooms, as well as clearing the trash.

This is an extremely important job because it is vital for restaurants to have high standards of cleanliness and hygiene, and you will be responsible for ensuring that the required standards are maintained. This job position might require you to use power tools, and you need to be able to lift up to 50 pounds of weight. This position is available for applicants who are at least 18 years of age.

Server

As with other restaurants, servers are responsible for taking food orders, bringing food and drinks to diners, managing payments, and also clearing up the tables once the customer has left.

In order to be a successful server at Red Lobster, you have to provide a personalized service to all customers to ensure they have an excellent dining experience. You will also need to know about food pairings in order to give customers suggestions and recommendations.

You will also need good communication and multi-tasking skills in order to perform this job up to Red Lobster’s high standards and be able to lift up to about 30 pounds of weight. Because this position involves serving alcohol, the minimum age will depend on the state laws of the location of the restaurant.

Pay and Salary

Red Lobster has an hourly pay structure for entry level jobs. Server assistants can expect to be paid between $4 and $10 per hour plus tips depending on your level of experience. Servers get $5 per hour plus tips.

If you work as a dishwasher/utility, you can expect to earn anywhere from $8 to $12 per hour with an average hourly pay of $9.82 per hour. Hosts and hostesses may earn anywhere between $8 and $12 per hour with an average hourly pay of $9.15.

Benefits of Working for Red Lobster

In addition to your pay, Red Lobster also offers a host of benefits for all of its employees. These include:

How to Apply for a Job at Red Lobster?

The easiest way to apply for a job at Red Lobster is to visit the company’s website and apply directly. This provides the most up-to-date job vacancies. You will be required to fill out a form, and your job application will be sent to the Red Lobster location that you applied for. Another way to apply is to visit the restaurant and simply ask the staff if there are any job vacancies specific to that location.

Possible Questions and Tips for a Red Lobster Interview

If you are interested in applying to work at Red Lobster, then you will need to prepare for the interview in order to maximize your chance of landing the job. So, here are some of the most common questions that you will be asked during an interview:

Why do you want to work for Red Lobster?

This is one of the most common Red Lobster interview questions that job applicants are asked. This is because they want to know what value you can provide and to find out if you have done some research about the company. Red Lobster values loyalty and teamwork, so you will need to talk about why those qualities are important to you as well as your willingness to learn about different aspects of the business.

How would you handle a difficult customer?

This question is designed to reveal how you handle tricky situations and to see if your response will be in line with the company policy. Your answer should start by asking them if there’s anything you can do for them in order to fix the problem. And if it’s something you cannot help them with, then you should politely excuse yourself and ask the manager to talk to the customer.

Sell an item on the menu to the Interviewer

You might also be required to either pick an item on the menu or be given one and then sell it to the interviewee. This will demonstrate your sales abilities and personality.

Restaurant team members are required to up-sell items, so it is important that you demonstrate your ability to do this discreetly and effectively while keeping the customers happy. While doing so, it is extremely important to maintain your professionalism and communicate in a positive and effective manner.

Thinking of Applying to Red Lobster?

Then check out our in-depth guide to the Red Lobster Application for more info and useful tips to land a job.

You might also be interested in our BJs Restaurant and Brewhouse Application, our Perkins Restaurant and Bakery Application, our Cicis Pizza Application, our Longhorn Steakhouse Application, and our Golden Corral Application for 2023.

Or you may be wondering How Do You Have To Be To Work at Taco Bell, How Do You Have To Be To Work at Chick Fil A, How Do You Have To Be To Work at Baskin Robbins, How Do You Have To Be To Work at Applebees, How Do You Have To Be To Work at Little Ceasers, and How Do You Have To Be To Work at Panera.

And if you fancy the great taste of Red Lobster at home, check out Red Lobster Cheddar Bay Biscuit Mix (11.36 oz) pack of 2, Red Lobster Rosemary Garlic Parmesan Biscuit Mix (22.72 oz. Total) (2 Pack), as well as the delicious Red Lobster Signature Seafood Seasoning 2.3oz.

Final Thoughts

Now that you know that you can start working at Red Lobster as young as 16 years of age, what’s stopping you?

They are an excellent company with good career growth potential, and the wages are very reasonable compared with a number of their competitors. So apply today and start an exciting career in the food and beverage industry.

The very best of luck with your Red Lobster application.