How can an employee turn a part-time, seasonal job into a full-time, permanent food service career?

I’ve hired dozens of seasonal workers who became my core team. The ones who made it permanent all did one thing differently–they treated every shift like an audition for ownership.

Here’s my specific advice: volunteer for the hardest shifts and worst weather days that permanent staff avoid. Our Christmas Eve and New Year’s Day shifts are brutal, but the seasonal workers who showed up anyway became my first calls for full-time positions. I remember one kid who worked every holiday shift his first season — he’s now my assistant manager making $45K plus benefits.

Most seasonal workers disappear when it gets tough, but restaurant owners remember the ones who stick around during our busiest disasters. We had a catering emergency last winter where three people called out sick, and the seasonal worker who stayed until 2 AM helping us deliver became permanent the next week.

Show up when everyone else bails out, and you’ll never be seasonal again. I’ve built my permanent staff entirely from people who proved they’d fight through the chaos with us.

I’ve seen countless seasonal workers come and go. The ones who landed permanent roles all did one thing: they became problem solvers, not just task completers.

My specific tip is to identify one operational pain point your cafe faces and quietly become the solution. We had chaos during our monthly specials launches because nobody tracked ingredient usage properly. One of our casual workers started keeping simple tallies during busy shifts and suggested prep adjustments.

That worker went from 15 hours a week to full-time within two months because they proved they cared about the business succeeding, not just getting through their shift. Fletcher started as a dishie doing exactly this: spotting inefficiencies and fixing them without being asked.

Management promotes people who reduce their headaches, not just follow instructions. Find what’s breaking in your workplace’s daily rhythm and become the person who fixes it consistently.

From my experience, the best way to move from seasonal work to a full-time role is by showing initiative beyond your job title. I remember a server during a busy holiday season who asked to cross-train in both the kitchen and floor management — he eventually became a year-round supervisor. Between you and me, cross-training is the quiet hero behind many career breakthroughs in food service. If you want to stand out, volunteer for shifts outside your usual role and let management see you as someone who can step in wherever the team needs help.

A great way to transform a temporary food service job into a full-time opportunity is to view every shift as an audition to obtain your next job. As I was building my company, I’ve seen examples of team members stand out not due to their title, but because they demonstrated initiative whether by suggesting a better packing process or stepping in to help with a customer problem without being asked to do so.

I think a specific tip I’d give is: become indispensable by learning beyond your role. If you are a server, ask if you can shadow the kitchen; if you are prep, ask to see how orders are made. Managers notice when an employee has curiosity and willingness to step beyond their job description. Those qualities demonstrate long-term value, and often create opportunities for a full-time job or growth.

In food service, being reliable and being excited about the job is currency. Acknowledge and demonstrate your investment in the opportunity and you will find that the business invests in you as well.

We have observed how part-time and seasonal positions can become a long-term, full-time career when an employee is curious, consistent, and takes initiative. One of our staff members began working as a seasonal barista when the place was very busy and made an impression upon discovering that it was not only the menu that was to be memorized, but also the history of our beans and the secrets of dealing with customers. They posed insightful questions, volunteered for additional shifts, and were interested in roasting and operations. After some time, we invested in their further training, and they shifted to working full time in charge of quality control and assisting with wholesale accounts. The trick is to take each shift as a learning and giving experience and not just as a job. Passion and reliability are immediately felt in food service, and at a restaurant, that can lead to long-term growth and advancement.

Part-time and seasonal roles in the food service industry are often seen as temporary opportunities — a way to earn extra income or gain experience before moving on. Yet for many, these roles can serve as the foundation for a rewarding, long-term career. With the food service sector offering diverse pathways in operations, management, hospitality, and even entrepreneurship, the question is not whether seasonal work can lead to permanence, but how employees can position themselves to make that leap.

The single most effective tip for turning a part-time or seasonal food service job into a permanent career is to demonstrate reliability and initiative beyond the job description. Managers in food service value team members who consistently show up on time, handle pressure with professionalism, and step in where needed — whether that’s helping in another station, learning new skills, or training new staff. Reliability builds trust, and initiative signals leadership potential. Together, they show employers that the employee is not just filling a seasonal role, but is invested in the long-term success of the team and the establishment.

Consider Maria, a college student who began working part-time at a cafe during the holidays. Rather than limiting herself to her cashier role, she volunteered to learn basic barista skills and occasionally assisted in inventory management. Her manager quickly noticed her flexibility and commitment. When a full-time supervisor role opened months later, Maria was offered the position, despite her short tenure. Her reliability and willingness to learn had positioned her as a natural fit for advancement.

According to the National Restaurant Association, nearly 9 out of 10 restaurant managers in the U.S. started in entry-level positions. A survey by TDn2K (now Black Box Intelligence) further revealed that employees who displayed high reliability and cross-training skills were 70% more likely to be promoted into full-time and managerial roles.

Turning a part-time, seasonal food service role into a permanent career is not about waiting for opportunity — it’s about creating it through reliability and initiative. By consistently showing up, stepping up, and demonstrating a willingness to grow, employees signal to managers that they are ready for long-term responsibility. In an industry where many leaders began at entry level, the path to a sustainable career is wide open for those who treat each shift as an audition for the future.

To turn a seasonal food-service position into a full-time position, the answer is straightforward: I would be the person that management would be unable to imagine doing without during their shift. Be on time, leave early only when necessary, and learn to adapt to the flow of the service — not just your personal activities. Seniority is usually not crucial in fast-paced environments, where reliability and the ability to operate under pressure are more important.

Take the initiative others overlook. Request cross-training, when it comes to rushing, and identify where systems are failing, so you can assist in their enhancement. When a seasonal worker has proven to significantly improve efficiency and help the team achieve success, they are typically considered highly for a long-term job, sometimes at the expense of more seasoned employees.