What does a Prep Person do?
Prep person responsibilities
Here are examples of responsibilities from real prep person resumes:
- Manage the POS system (adding/deleting specials, editing prices, viewing server appetizer/dessert sales and their server report information).
- Receive and put away all food orders utilizing FIFO.
- Prepare and produce food using large-volume cooking equipment such as grills and deep-fat fryers.
- Help with waste control and FIFO.
- Promote from dishwasher to prep person with the lead over dishwashers
- Cook foods by baking, roasting, frying, sauteing and grilling.
- Wash dishes, glassware, flatware, pots and pans using dishwashers and by hand.
- Style hair, open/close shop, greet clients, maintain shop cleanliness, disinfect clippers and blades.
- Ensure food are stored and cook at correct temp regulate temp of ovens broilers grills and roasters.
- Augment culinary skills and gain hands-on business experience to advance professional career in culinary arts and hospitality.
- Work BOH in a fast pace environment with food make to order as customers want it.
Prep person skills and personality traits
We calculated that 59% of Prep People are proficient in Cleanliness, Food Products, and Dishwashers. They’re also known for soft skills such as Dexterity, Physical stamina, and Sense of taste and smell.
We break down the percentage of Prep People that have these skills listed on their resume here:
- Cleanliness, 59%
Assembled salads, parfaits, sandwich prep, cooked products, operated register and maintainedarea cleanliness.
- Food Products, 30%
Cook pizzas and other food products.
- Dishwashers, 5%
Washed dishes, glassware, flatware, pots and pans using dishwashers and by hand.
- Food Handling, 4%
Maintain sanitation requirements related to personal hygiene, food handling, and equipment safety and sanitation.
- Customer Service, 1%
Provided excellent customer service and maintained strong relationships with co- workers.
- Kitchen Equipment, 0%
Cook steaks, chicken and other menu items utilizing a grill, oven and other kitchen equipment.
"cleanliness," "food products," and "dishwashers" are among the most common skills that prep people use at work. You can find even more prep person responsibilities below, including:
Dexterity. To carry out their duties, the most important skill for a prep person to have is dexterity. Their role and responsibilities require that "cooks should have excellent hand–eye coordination." Prep people often use dexterity in their day-to-day job, as shown by this real resume: "service equipment heavy equipment operations customer service setting up and breaking down equipment forklift certified stagging equipment for rental"
Physical stamina. Another essential skill to perform prep person duties is physical stamina. Prep people responsibilities require that "cooks spend a lot of time standing in one place, cooking food over hot stoves, and cleaning work areas." Prep people also use physical stamina in their role according to a real resume snippet: "maintained stamina, capitalized on ability to multi-task and demonstrated a professional attitude * provided excellent customer service. "
Sense of taste and smell. prep people are also known for sense of taste and smell, which are critical to their duties. You can see how this skill relates to prep person responsibilities, because "cooks must have a keen sense of taste and smell to prepare meals that customers enjoy." A prep person resume example shows how sense of taste and smell is used in the workplace: "cross trained in operating the hot food station and dish room while performing normal job duties. "
The three companies that hire the most prep persons are:
- TTGI Fridays264 prep people jobs
- MMcDonald's141 prep people jobs
- PPapa Murphy's51 prep people jobs
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Compare different prep people
Prep person vs. Cook
Cooks are responsible for preparing meals for guests or employers. They must be knowledgeable about the different recipes and ingredients needed. They are also responsible for managing the inventory and ensuring that the pantry is well-stocked. They prepare meals from scratch, cutting ingredients, measuring them, and following recipes. Cooks should be creative, especially when ingredients are lacking, and they must find alternatives that will not compromise the food taste. They should be precise, imaginative, and patient. Cooks should also have good time management skills and decision-making skills.
These skill sets are where the common ground ends though. The responsibilities of a prep person are more likely to require skills like "restaurant menu," "food orders," "cold food," and "bondo." On the other hand, a job as a cook requires skills like "food service," "basic math," "culinary," and "quality food." As you can see, what employees do in each career varies considerably.
Cooks really shine in the government industry with an average salary of $34,114. Comparatively, prep people tend to make the most money in the professional industry with an average salary of $30,874.cooks tend to reach similar levels of education than prep people. In fact, cooks are 0.5% more likely to graduate with a Master's Degree and 0.2% more likely to have a Doctoral Degree.Prep person vs. Assistant cook
A line cook/dishwasher is primarily in charge of prepping food and maintaining their work station's cleanliness while adhering to health standards and protocols. Among their duties include washing and chopping vegetables, cutting meat according to requirements, preparing sauces, and cooking according to an executive chef's directives. They also participate in cleaning and sterilizing kitchen tools and equipment, monitoring the inventory of ingredients, unloading stock deliveries, and taking care of leftovers. Additionally, as a line cook/dishwasher, it is essential to maintain an open communication line with fellow kitchen staff for an efficient workflow.
In addition to the difference in salary, there are some other key differences worth noting. For example, prep person responsibilities are more likely to require skills like "restaurant menu," "cold food," "portion control," and "bondo." Meanwhile, an assistant cook has duties that require skills in areas such as "dishes," "food service," "patients," and "harvest." These differences highlight just how different the day-to-day in each role looks.
On average, assistant cooks earn a higher salary than prep people. Some industries support higher salaries in each profession. Interestingly enough, assistant cooks earn the most pay in the hospitality industry with an average salary of $35,456. Whereas prep people have higher pay in the professional industry, with an average salary of $30,874.In general, assistant cooks achieve similar levels of education than prep people. They're 0.5% more likely to obtain a Master's Degree while being 0.2% more likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.Prep person vs. Line cook/dishwasher
There are many key differences between these two careers, including some of the skills required to perform responsibilities within each role. For example, a prep person is likely to be skilled in "restaurant menu," "cold food," "portion control," and "mix ingredients," while a typical line cook/dishwasher is skilled in "culinary," "line cooks," "food preparation," and "slicers."
Line cook/dishwashers typically earn similar educational levels compared to prep people. Specifically, they're 0.3% less likely to graduate with a Master's Degree, and 0.2% less likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.Prep person vs. Cook manager
Even though a few skill sets overlap between prep people and cook managers, there are some differences that are important to note. For one, a prep person might have more use for skills like "cleanliness," "food handling," "restaurant menu," and "food orders." Meanwhile, some responsibilities of cook managers require skills like "food service," "payroll," "food preparation," and "customer complaints. "
Cook managers reach similar levels of education compared to prep people, in general. The difference is that they're 1.0% more likely to earn a Master's Degree, and 0.2% more likely to graduate with a Doctoral Degree.Types of prep person
Updated January 8, 2025
