OPT Restaurant Jobs
Restaurant jobs on OPT span front-of-house management, culinary arts, hospitality operations, and food service management, roles that qualify when tied to a degree in hospitality management, culinary arts, or business administration. Your OPT authorization must match your field of study, so the job title and duties need to align with your degree.
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At Urban Farmer Philadelphia, everything we do celebrates the spirit of the city we call home. From the warm, modern-rustic design to the locally sourced ingredients on every plate, our restaurant reflects the energy and flavor of Philadelphia. As the city’s modern steakhouse, our menu highlights sustainable ingredients, simple preparations, and strong partnerships with local farms, ranches, and fisheries. Behind the bar, you’ll find Pennsylvania craft beers, cocktails made with local spirits, and a vibrant wine program featuring regional vineyards.
Nine floors above the city, Assembly Rooftop Lounge offers one of Philadelphia’s most exciting views. Overlooking Logan Square and the Benjamin Franklin Parkway to the Philadelphia Museum of Art, this stylish rooftop pairs panoramic scenery with sparkling cocktails, champagne, and a lively, city-chic atmosphere.
Our associates bring these experiences to life by anticipating guest needs, creating memorable moments, and supporting one another to deliver exceptional hospitality. If you have a passion for great service, a “make it happen” mindset, and enjoy creating experiences people remember, Urban Farmer Restaurant & Assembly Rooftop Lounge may be the perfect place for you.
Job Overview
Plan and manage the restaurant, room service and other food and beverage outlets as appropriate in order to achieve customer satisfaction, quality service, compliance with corporate/franchise policies and procedures and federal, state and local regulations while meeting/exceeding financial goals. Position is responsible for the short term planning and daily operations of the restaurant and room service and may manage a lounge or quiet bar. Recommends promotional ideas and controls the budgets for the various areas.
Responsibilities:
- Manage the associates in the various outlets in order to attract, retain and motivate the employees; hire, schedule, train, develop, empower, coach and counsel, conduct performance and salary reviews, resolve problems, provide open communications and recommend discipline and termination, as appropriate.
- Implement company programs (IHC/franchise) and manage the operations of the restaurant, room service and any other food and beverage outlet as required to ensure compliance with SOPs, safety regulations and federal, state and local regulations to ensure an optimal level of service, quality and hospitality are provided to the guest(s).
- Forecast, implement, monitor, control and report on the various outlet budgets and their components (labor costs, food costs, beverage costs, supplies, equipment, etc.) to maximize revenue and minimize expenses while ensuring adequate supplies and staff are on hand to provide top quality customer service.
- Respond to customer trends, needs, issues, comments and problems to ensure a quality experience and enhance future sales prospects.
- Create, recommend and implement promotions, displays, buffet presentations and ideas to capture more in-house guests and a larger share of the local market.
- Monitor and control the maintenance/sanitation of the various outlet areas and equipment to protect the assets, comply with regulations and ensure quality service.
Qualifications
Education/Formal Training
More than two years of post high school education.
Experience
Two to three full years of full employment in a related position with this company or other organization(s).
Knowledge/Skills
- Requires thorough knowledge of the restaurant/hotel practices and procedures in order to perform non-repetitive analytical work. May require knowledge of policies and procedures and the ability to determine course of action based on these guidelines.
- Supervision/management communication skills are required.
- Requires ability to investigate and analyze current activities or information and make logical conclusions and recommendations.
- Ability to make occasional decisions which are generally guided by established policy and procedures.
- Excellent comprehension for assisting with guest and associate matters. Interpreting instructions from superiors.
- Excellent vision required for seating guests, expediting food, cleaning equipment, reading floor plans, charts, schedules.
- Must have excellent oral communication for communicating with guests and associates, issuing instructions and communicating policies.
- Excellent comprehension required to read and implement policies and procedures; writing schedules and reading forecast and SOPs.
- Must have knowledge of chemicals/agents for training purposes.
Physical Demands
The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an associate to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.
- Ability to lift, push, pull and carry tables, chairs, trays, plates, and chaffing dishes on a daily basis, 20 -40 lbs.
- Bending - Bend to pick up dropped items as needed. Bend to assist in serving food or getting supplies. No kneeling required.
- Mobility - 95% of shift covering all areas of outlets supervising.
- Continuous standing to assist at hostess station - minimal stationary standing.
- Climbing stairs - varies by location.
- No driving required.
Environment
Inside 95% of work day. Temperatures can exceed 100 degrees if working at location with outside dining facilities and when assisting in kitchen.
Why us?
At Urban Farmer Philadelphia, everything we do celebrates the spirit of the city we call home. From the warm, modern-rustic design to the locally sourced ingredients on every plate, our restaurant reflects the energy and flavor of Philadelphia. As the city’s modern steakhouse, our menu highlights sustainable ingredients, simple preparations, and strong partnerships with local farms, ranches, and fisheries. Behind the bar, you’ll find Pennsylvania craft beers, cocktails made with local spirits, and a vibrant wine program featuring regional vineyards.
Nine floors above the city, Assembly Rooftop Lounge offers one of Philadelphia’s most exciting views. Overlooking Logan Square and the Benjamin Franklin Parkway to the Philadelphia Museum of Art, this stylish rooftop pairs panoramic scenery with sparkling cocktails, champagne, and a lively, city-chic atmosphere.
Our associates bring these experiences to life by anticipating guest needs, creating memorable moments, and supporting one another to deliver exceptional hospitality. If you have a passion for great service, a “make it happen” mindset, and enjoy creating experiences people remember, Urban Farmer Restaurant & Assembly Rooftop Lounge may be the perfect place for you.
Job Overview
Plan and manage the restaurant, room service and other food and beverage outlets as appropriate in order to achieve customer satisfaction, quality service, compliance with corporate/franchise policies and procedures and federal, state and local regulations while meeting/exceeding financial goals. Position is responsible for the short term planning and daily operations of the restaurant and room service and may manage a lounge or quiet bar. Recommends promotional ideas and controls the budgets for the various areas.
Responsibilities:
- Manage the associates in the various outlets in order to attract, retain and motivate the employees; hire, schedule, train, develop, empower, coach and counsel, conduct performance and salary reviews, resolve problems, provide open communications and recommend discipline and termination, as appropriate.
- Implement company programs (IHC/franchise) and manage the operations of the restaurant, room service and any other food and beverage outlet as required to ensure compliance with SOPs, safety regulations and federal, state and local regulations to ensure an optimal level of service, quality and hospitality are provided to the guest(s).
- Forecast, implement, monitor, control and report on the various outlet budgets and their components (labor costs, food costs, beverage costs, supplies, equipment, etc.) to maximize revenue and minimize expenses while ensuring adequate supplies and staff are on hand to provide top quality customer service.
- Respond to customer trends, needs, issues, comments and problems to ensure a quality experience and enhance future sales prospects.
- Create, recommend and implement promotions, displays, buffet presentations and ideas to capture more in-house guests and a larger share of the local market.
- Monitor and control the maintenance/sanitation of the various outlet areas and equipment to protect the assets, comply with regulations and ensure quality service.
Qualifications
Education/Formal Training
More than two years of post high school education.
Experience
Two to three full years of full employment in a related position with this company or other organization(s).
Knowledge/Skills
- Requires thorough knowledge of the restaurant/hotel practices and procedures in order to perform non-repetitive analytical work. May require knowledge of policies and procedures and the ability to determine course of action based on these guidelines.
- Supervision/management communication skills are required.
- Requires ability to investigate and analyze current activities or information and make logical conclusions and recommendations.
- Ability to make occasional decisions which are generally guided by established policy and procedures.
- Excellent comprehension for assisting with guest and associate matters. Interpreting instructions from superiors.
- Excellent vision required for seating guests, expediting food, cleaning equipment, reading floor plans, charts, schedules.
- Must have excellent oral communication for communicating with guests and associates, issuing instructions and communicating policies.
- Excellent comprehension required to read and implement policies and procedures; writing schedules and reading forecast and SOPs.
- Must have knowledge of chemicals/agents for training purposes.
Physical Demands
The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an associate to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.
- Ability to lift, push, pull and carry tables, chairs, trays, plates, and chaffing dishes on a daily basis, 20 -40 lbs.
- Bending - Bend to pick up dropped items as needed. Bend to assist in serving food or getting supplies. No kneeling required.
- Mobility - 95% of shift covering all areas of outlets supervising.
- Continuous standing to assist at hostess station - minimal stationary standing.
- Climbing stairs - varies by location.
- No driving required.
Environment
Inside 95% of work day. Temperatures can exceed 100 degrees if working at location with outside dining facilities and when assisting in kitchen.
See all 66+ OPT Restaurant Jobs
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Get Access To All JobsTips for Finding OPT Sponsorship in Restaurant
Frame your role as a professional position
OPT requires employment in a role related to your degree. If your degree is in hospitality management, target manager, coordinator, or operations roles rather than purely hourly service positions. The job title and duties must connect clearly to your academic field.
Document the degree-to-job connection in writing
When applying, prepare a brief written explanation of how the restaurant role relates to your degree. Hiring managers unfamiliar with OPT will ask. A clear, one-paragraph statement speeds up the authorization conversation and reduces the chance of a misunderstanding.
Target employers with HR infrastructure
Independent restaurants rarely have experience with OPT employment verification. Multi-location restaurant groups, hotel food and beverage departments, and corporate dining operators are more familiar with Form I-9 requirements and work authorization compliance for international employees.
Report employer changes immediately through your DSO
Switching restaurant employers requires updating your OPT record through your Designated School Official before your start date with the new employer. Working for an unreported employer, even briefly, creates a gap that can jeopardize your status and any future STEM extension.
Track your 90-day unemployment limit carefully
OPT allows no more than 90 days of unemployment. If you leave one restaurant job before securing another, those days count. Build a timeline, keep written records of your job search, and aim to have your next offer confirmed before giving notice.
Understand what counts as authorized employment
Paid employment is straightforward, but unpaid restaurant internships and part-time arrangements also require DSO reporting. Work fewer than 20 hours per week counts toward your unemployment limit. Confirm any non-standard arrangement with your DSO before accepting to avoid compliance issues.
Restaurant OPT: Frequently Asked Questions
Can F-1 OPT students work in restaurant jobs?
Yes, but the position must be directly related to your field of study. A hospitality management or culinary arts graduate can work in restaurant operations, food and beverage management, or culinary coordination. A business administration graduate may qualify for restaurant general manager or operations roles. Purely hourly service positions without a clear academic connection are unlikely to meet OPT requirements.
Do restaurant employers need to file any paperwork to hire an OPT student?
No separate petition or government filing is required from the employer. The restaurant must verify your work authorization through Form I-9 using your Employment Authorization Document. However, your DSO must record the employer in your SEVIS record before or shortly after you start. The employer's obligation is limited to proper I-9 completion and retaining that record.
Where can I find restaurant jobs that accept OPT students?
Migrate Mate is built specifically for F-1 OPT students and lists restaurant and hospitality roles from employers open to work authorization. Filtering by job category on Migrate Mate surfaces positions where hiring managers already understand OPT, which reduces friction during the offer process and speeds up onboarding.
Does working part-time at a restaurant count toward my OPT period?
Yes. Part-time employment of at least 20 hours per week counts as authorized OPT employment and does not accumulate toward the 90-day unemployment limit. Working fewer than 20 hours per week does count as unemployment time. If you're in a part-time restaurant role, confirm with your DSO that the hours and job duties are properly documented.
Can I work at multiple restaurants simultaneously on OPT?
Yes, you can hold multiple concurrent restaurant jobs on OPT as long as each position is related to your degree and each employer is reported to your DSO. Each employer must complete a separate Form I-9. If either position ends, notify your DSO promptly and track total days without qualifying employment across both roles to stay within the 90-day limit.