Are you dreaming of a house staff job in Australia in 2026? If you are looking for front-of-house jobs in Australia in 2026, the Front of House position at Hunky Dory Fish & Chips in South Melbourne, Victoria, could be a good opportunity for you.
The job is casual, simple, and pays from $33 per hour. It also offers flexible working hours, free staff meals, and an employee discount. Most importantly, visa sponsorship may be available for eligible applicants. It’s a good option for you.
In this guide, we explain everything you need to know about the job. You will learn about the main duties, who can apply, how to apply, how to make your application stronger, salary, and how visa sponsorship actually works.
Whether you are an experienced waiter, have great experience in hospitality, a hospitality graduate, or new to the hospitality industry, this guide can help you understand the opportunity and decide if it is right for you or not. Let’s dive in.
About Hunky Dory Fish & Chips
Hunky Dory Fish & Chips is an Australian hospitality brand with roots tracing back nearly 90 years to fishing traditions on the Greek Islands. Founded in 2004 as a family business, the brand set out to modernize the classic fish and chips shop with healthier seafood alternatives to traditional fried fare.
Today, Hunky Dory operates 16 stores across Melbourne and continues to expand. That matters for job seekers: the South Melbourne vacancy isn’t a one-off role at a standalone shop; it’s a position within a growing multi-site hospitality business, which can mean more internal mobility, more shifts on offer, and more long-term career potential for restaurant staff and FOH staff alike.
What the Front of House Role Involves
Front of house employees are usually the first people a guest interacts with, so communication, friendliness, and reliability sit at the center of the job. Core duties include:
- Greeting and assisting customers in a warm, attentive, and professional manner
- Taking orders accurately and processing payments through the POS system
- Supporting food and drink service, especially during busy lunch and dinner rushes
- Keeping tables and service areas clean and presentable throughout the shift
- Coordinating with kitchen staff to keep service running smoothly
It’s a hands-on, people-facing role closer to a hybrid of waiter, cashier, and food and beverage attendant than a single narrow job description.
Why Customer Service Sits at the Heart of This Job
Hospitality work involves plenty of physical, hands-on tasks, but customer service remains the core skill employers screen for. The ideal candidate listens fully to a customer’s request before responding, especially during peak periods when the restaurant is at its busiest.
Prior experience in restaurants, cafés, takeaway shops, hotels, or other food-service settings translates directly here. If you don’t have formal hospitality experience, any background where you handled customers professionally retail, reception, call centers can still demonstrate the right instincts.
Working in a Busy Restaurant Environment
This role requires comfort with a fast-paced, high-pressure environment. During weekend rushes and meal-time peaks, staff are simultaneously taking orders, answering questions, processing payments, assisting with service, and liaising with the kitchen, often all at once.
That means employers are looking for candidates who can:
- Prioritize tasks under pressure
- Stay calm and organized during rushes
- Bring a consistently positive attitude
- Work reliably as part of a team
Experience Requirements
The listing notes a preference for around one year of hospitality or customer service experience, though it’s framed as preferred rather than mandatory. Relevant backgrounds include:
- Waiter or waitress roles
- Café or restaurant attendant positions
- Cashier or POS-based roles
- Any food-service position involving direct customer contact
When preparing your CV, focus on responsibilities that mirror this role: customer service, point-of-sale handling, food service, cleaning duties, and kitchen coordination, rather than listing every job you’ve ever held. The employer’s language suggests they weigh practical skills and attitude as heavily as formal experience.
Communication Skills That Matter
Clear communication is non-negotiable in this role. FOH staff must accurately interpret customer requests and relay correct details to the kitchen and to fellow team members. When a question falls outside what staff can answer directly, knowing when to loop in a colleague is just as important as answering confidently.
If your CV includes prior customer service roles, highlight the communication component specifically not just that you held the job, but how you handled requests, complaints, or complex orders.
Teamwork With the Kitchen
Front of house and kitchen operations aren’t separate silos; they function as one service. During a busy shift, the kitchen may need real-time updates from the floor, and FOH staff need to know what’s ready or delayed. Employers consistently highlight teamwork as a top trait, so be ready to describe a specific example of collaborating effectively under pressure during your interview.
Shift Work, Weekends, and Availability
This is a casual role requiring weekend and shift-based availability, with flexibility offered around each employee’s schedule. It suits people who want ad hoc hours, but be realistic: restaurants run their busiest periods in the evenings and on weekends, so availability during those windows is effectively a core requirement, not a bonus.
RSA Certificate
The listing references an RSA (Responsible Service of Alcohol) requirement. RSA certification is standard across Victorian hospitality venues that serve alcohol, and applicants should confirm exactly what’s required for this specific store. If you already hold an RSA certificate, list it clearly in your qualifications section; it’s a fast way to stand out.
Visa Sponsorship: What It Actually Means
This is one of the most searched aspects of the role, and it deserves a clear-eyed explanation. The employer states that visa sponsorship is available for eligible candidates. This is a genuinely valuable feature for anyone researching front-of-house jobs in Australia with visa sponsorship.
But a few things are important to understand:
- Sponsorship availability does not guarantee approval for any individual applicant.
- Eligibility depends on the candidate’s circumstances, the specific role, current immigration law, and the employer’s own sponsorship process.
- Applicants should provide accurate, honest information about their current visa and work authorization status throughout recruitment.
- If sponsorship is a deciding factor for you, ask the employer directly what sponsorship pathway applies, what the eligibility criteria are, and how your situation fits.
This is true of hospitality jobs in Australia; visa sponsorship listings generally indicate that sponsorship interest from an employer is a starting point for a conversation, not an automatic outcome.
Employee Benefits at a Glance
| Benefit | Details |
| Pay rate | From $33/hour (casual) |
| Employment type | Casual, shift-based |
| Schedule | Weekend and evening availability required; flexible where possible |
| Staff meals | Provided |
| Employee discount | Yes |
| Visa sponsorship | Available for eligible candidates |
| Work environment | Team-oriented, growth opportunities within a 16-store network |
Also Read: USA Work Visa Requirements 2026: The Complete Guide for Foreign Skilled Workers
How to Prepare a Strong CV for This Role
- Lead with hospitality/customer service experience: Employer, role, dates, and key duties.
- Name your POS or payment system experience explicitly if you have it.
- Show evidence of working under pressure: A busy café, event catering, or peak-hour retail all count.
- Highlight teamwork: Mention specific instances of coordinating with kitchen staff, supervisors, or colleagues.
- List certifications clearly, including RSA if held.
- State your work authorization status accurately. Never claim Australian work rights you don’t have.
FAQs
1. Is prior hospitality experience mandatory?
It’s preferred (around one year), but not strictly required. Transferable customer-service experience can also be competitive.
2. What certification is needed?
An RSA (Responsible Service of Alcohol) certificate is referenced in the listing. Confirm the exact requirement directly with the employer.
3. Is this a full-time role?
No, it’s advertised as casual, with weekend and shift-based hours and flexibility around availability.
4. Where is the role based?
South Melbourne, Victoria, one of 16 Hunky Dory locations across Melbourne.
5. Should I pay anyone to guarantee this job or a visa?
No. Legitimate recruitment never requires payment for a guaranteed job offer or visa outcome. Be cautious of anyone claiming otherwise.
Final Thoughts
The Front of House job at Hunky Dory Fish & Chips can be a good option for you to start or grow your career in hospitality jobs in Australia in 2026. The job offers good casual pay, staff meals or expensive employee discounts, flexible working hours, and possible visa sponsorship for eligible workers. This job may be a good fit for people who enjoy working with customers, can work well in a busy environment, and want to gain practical experience in the hospitality industry in Australia in 2026.
If you want to apply for this job, make sure your CV clearly shows your relevant work experience and skills. Be honest about your current visa status and speak directly with the employer to confirm whether visa sponsorship is available for your situation before making plans to move to Australia. Casual hospitality jobs can sometimes be filled quickly, so it is a good idea to prepare your CV and apply as soon as possible.
If you found this guide helpful, share it with someone who is looking for hospitality jobs in Australia in 2026. You can also leave a comment if you have questions about finding a front-of-house job in Australia.
Disclaimer: This guide is for educational and informational purposes only. Policies change from time to time; always confirm from official sources before taking any step.
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