Restaurant Industry Award [MA000119]

Who the Restaurant Award covers

The Restaurant Award covers employers in the restaurant industry and their employees who fit within the classifications of the award.

The restaurant industry means:

  • businesses that mainly sell food and beverages to be eaten on the premises
  • restaurants
  • catering by a restaurant
  • cafes (where the business mainly sells food and beverages to be eaten on the premises and/or offers table service)
  • reception centres
  • tea rooms
  • night clubs
  • roadhouses mainly providing a sit down service (if they are run as a separate business to a petrol station).

Examples of employees covered by the Restaurant Award include:

  • waiters and waitresses
  • baristas (in mainly eat-in cafés)
  • kitchen hands, cooks and chefs including apprentice chefs
  • clerical and office employees
  • security and storeroom employees
  • handypersons.

The Restaurant Award also covers labour hire businesses and their employees who are placed with an organisation in the restaurant industry.

Check the award for full information on who is covered and the classification descriptions.

Source reference: Restaurant Industry Award [MA000119] clause 2 and schedule A external-icon.png

Who the Restaurant Award doesn't cover

The following employers and employees are not covered by the Restaurant Award:

  • hotels, motels, hostels and boarding establishments
  • registered and licensed clubs
  • restaurants or nightclubs operated in or by:
    • hotels, motels, hostels or boarding establishments
    • registered or licensed clubs
  • retail shops
  • contract catering
  • in-flight catering for airlines
  • catering services by aged care employers
  • boarding schools, residential colleges or hospitals
  • school canteens.

The Restaurant Award doesn't cover employers and employees when they are covered by one of the following awards:

  • Hospitality Award
  • Registered Clubs Award
  • Fast Food Award.

Check the award for full information on cover and classifications.

Source reference: Restaurant Industry Award [MA000119] clause 2 and schedule A external-icon.png

Not the right award?

If your industry or work isn’t covered above, you can also check:

Find your pay and entitlements

Pay and entitlements less than the award?

Employees must be paid at least award pay rates and entitlements.

If your pay rates are less than the award, go to Help resolving workplace issues to follow our step by step guide on how you can fix it.

Restaurant Industry Award resources

We’ve made it easier for you to find information about your pay and entitlements under the Restaurant Industry Award. For more tailored information about your Award, visit our interactive tool.

We've got new and improved templates to help people in the Restaurant Industry. Try our interactive template tools. 

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