Your First Restaurant Job Checklist: What to Bring, Wear, and Do Before Day One

Quick answer: Before day one, confirm your start time and dress code, get your food handler card if your state or county requires one, and break in a pair of slip-resistant shoes. On day one, bring ID for your I-9 form, your bank details for direct deposit, your card or certificate, and a pen. Then follow the first-shift rules: wash your hands when you arrive, wear no jewelry but a plain band, and tell your manager if you are sick.

Most of what a kitchen runs on, from aprons and hair restraints to gloves, sanitizer, and the line's thermometers, is supplied by the employer. What you bring to a first shift is mostly paperwork, the right shoes, and a few habits. Work through this list the week before.

The Week Before: Checklist

• Confirm the basics. Start time, where to go (front door or back), who to ask for, and how long the first shift runs.
• Ask for the dress code. Many restaurants require black, closed-toe, slip-resistant shoes, and some specify pants, a shirt color, or a uniform they provide.
• Ask what the kitchen supplies. Aprons, hats, gloves, towels, thermometers, and knives vary by kitchen. Asking first keeps you from buying a knife roll for a job where the kitchen owns every blade.
• Check whether you need a food handler card. Some states and counties require one within a set number of days of hire; others leave training to the employer. Look up your area in our Food Handler Card Requirements by State: The 2026 Guide, and check whether your job counts in our job-by-job guide. Hired by a chain like McDonald's or Starbucks? See our employer guide.
• Serving alcohol? Texas employers usually want TABC certification, California requires RBS certification within 60 days, Illinois requires BASSET certification within 120 days, Washington requires a MAST permit within 60 days, and Oregon requires an OLCC service permit before you serve.
• Under 18? Many states require a work permit or age certificate for minors. Ask your employer or your school counselor what yours needs.
• Break in your shoes. Wear them around the house for a few days, so your first shift isn't also theirs.

Paperwork to Bring on Day One

Every new hire in the US fills out Form I-9. You complete your part by your first day, and you show your documents within three business days of starting. Bring originals, not photocopies:

• One document from List A, such as a US passport or a permanent resident card, or
• One from List B and one from List C, such as a driver's license or state ID plus a Social Security card or birth certificate.

Also bring your bank's routing and account numbers for direct deposit, and your food handler card or course certificate if you already have one. Many employers keep a copy on file for the health inspector.

What to Wear and Pack

Slip-resistant shoes come first. Kitchen floors are wet and greasy, and in a NIOSH trial with about 17,000 food service workers, highly rated slip-resistant shoes cut slip-injury claims by 67%. Regular sneakers don't count: look for an outsole tested for grip on wet and oily floors.

On the dish pit, the hot line, or long server doubles? Our Best Non-Slip Shoes for Restaurant and Kitchen Work compares work clogs, Shoes For Crews, and athletic-style picks.

Then pack the small stuff:

• Two pens and a permanent marker. Servers live on pens, and cooks label and date every container that goes into the walk-in.
• A pocket notebook. Write down the opening checklist, the station setup, and the par levels the first time someone shows you.
• Hair ties. Long hair must be restrained in food prep areas.
• A spare pair of socks. Dry socks halfway through a double are worth more than they cost.
• A water bottle with a lid. The Food Code lets food employees drink at work from a closed container, handled and stored so it can't contaminate food. Keep it away from prep areas.

Cooks often add a pocket thermometer, and prep cooks a cut-resistant glove. Wait until you see what your kitchen supplies; our What Gear Does a New Food Handler Actually Need? explains what the Food Code requires, what your employer usually provides, and which tools are worth owning.

If you do buy

Pick	Product	Best for	Buy
Shoes, men's	Skechers Work Men's Nampa	Slip-resistant, cushioned, and accepted by most dress codes; the one thing to buy before day one.	Check price on Amazon(paid link)
Shoes, women's	Skechers for Work Women's Nampa-Wyola	The women's version of the same entry-price slip-resistant work shoe.	Check price on Amazon(paid link)
Cooks	TempPro (formerly ThermoPro) TP19H digital instant-read	A pocket thermometer of your own, so you are never hunting for one on the line.	Check price on Amazon(paid link)
Prep cooks	NoCry premium cut-resistant gloves, food grade	A cut glove for your non-knife hand when you slice or use a mandoline.	Check price on Amazon(paid link)

Your First Shift: The Food Safety Rules That Start Now

These come straight from the Food Code, and an inspector can check any of them on your first day:

• Wash your hands when you start. Wash before you begin work, after the restroom, after touching your face, hair, or phone, after handling raw meat, and before putting on gloves. Scrub with soap for at least 10 to 15 seconds; the whole wash takes about 20.
• No jewelry on your hands or arms, except a plain ring such as a wedding band. Watches and bracelets come off.
• Tell your manager if you are sick. Report vomiting, diarrhea, jaundice, a sore throat with fever, or an infected cut on your hand or arm, and any diagnosis of norovirus, hepatitis A, Shigella, E. coli, or Salmonella. You may be sent home or moved away from food, and that is the rule working as intended.
• Eat and drink only in the break area, apart from a covered drink stored away from food.
• Ask about allergens. Learn where your kitchen lists the allergens in each dish, and never guess when a guest asks.

Want a refresher on the way in? Take the free Free Food Handler Practice Test, or listen to "Food Handler Card Audio Cram," our own roughly 57-minute audio session from Kanti Press, which covers the same temperatures, hygiene rules, and sanitizing steps.

What to Expect on Day One

Most first shifts start with paperwork and a tour, then shadowing: you follow a trainer through their station and do the work alongside them. Expect to learn where the handwashing sinks, sanitizer buckets, and allergen information are kept, and how to label and date food. Use your notebook, ask before you guess, and ask who to go to when the trainer is busy.

Frequently Asked Questions

What should I bring to my first day at a restaurant job?

Bring ID for your I-9 form (a passport, or a driver's license plus a Social Security card or birth certificate), your bank details for direct deposit, your food handler card if you have one, and a pen. Wear slip-resistant shoes and the dress code's clothing, and bring hair ties and a water bottle with a lid.

Do I need a food handler card before my first shift?

It depends on your state and county. Some require one within a set number of days of hire, and some require nothing from line staff. Check the rule for your area in our requirements-by-state guide.

What documents do I need for a new job?

For Form I-9, either one List A document, such as a US passport, or one List B document, such as a driver's license, plus one List C document, such as a Social Security card. You show them within three business days of your first day.

Does my employer pay for non-slip shoes?

Usually not. Under federal OSHA rules an employer can require slip-resistant shoes without paying for ordinary ones you can also wear outside work. Some restaurants pay anyway or offer a discount program, so ask.

Can I wear my ring or watch in the kitchen?

A plain ring such as a wedding band is allowed. The Food Code bars other jewelry on the hands and arms, including watches and bracelets, while you prepare food.

Bottom Line

Confirm the dress code and whether you need a card, break in slip-resistant shoes, and bring your I-9 documents and a pen. On the line, wash your hands, lose the jewelry, and speak up if you are sick. Everything else your kitchen will teach you.

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