CafeTemps connects restaurant owners and managers with bartenders, servers, cooks, bussers and other part-time workers in the food service industry.

Expected pay: You set it

Husl$core: $$$$

Commissions and fees: 5% paid by workers; 12% charged to restaurants 

Where: Select U.S. Cities

Requirements: 16 or older; able to enter into a legal contract

CafeTemps review:

CafeTemps aims to connect restaurant staff with food service jobs. However, unlike many other companies operating in this space, CafeTemps wants workers to direct the terms. Workers set up profiles on the site, stating their experience, work geography and how much they expect to be paid. Companies that hire from the site must pay the worker’s rate, plus a 12% site fee for the connection.

Generally, workers also must pay CafeTemps a 5% commission from their wages. However, the site promises to waive that 5% fee for those who sign up early. That currently applies to anyone signing up outside of New York City, where CafeTemps is best-established.

No experience required

Notably, outside of being over the age of 16 and being able to sign a legal contract, CafeTemps has no worker requirements. You don’t need experience or to pass a background check. You determine how far you’re willing to travel for work. And what you emphasize in your portfolio is completely up to you. 

We also found no red flags in CafeTemps rules.

The catch?

However, we also see little indication that many servers, cooks, waiters and bartenders are finding work through the site. Clicking through more than a dozen worker profiles, we found none with employer reviews. That said, CafeTemps launched in August of 2021 — about three months before this review was written. So, it could be that the site just needs some time to get established.

Recommendations:

There’s no downside to registering here. But, if you’re looking for work, you would be wise to register with better established platforms as well. Other sites where you can find work in food service include Qwick, Jitjatjo, Wonolo, and BlueCrew.