POSITION OVERVIEW: Responsible for initial guest interaction at the door and welcoming all visitors to the restaurant and setting the tone for their experience. The Host is expected to embody the hospitality, charm, and professionalism of our organization. Duties include greeting & seating guests, answering phones, directing guests to bar, lounge, or restrooms, and maintaining the flow of service throughout the dining room. Must be pleasant, conscientious, and professional with excellent hospitality instincts & drive to provide customer service. Must be able to operate effectively as part of a team, communicate clearly, ensure smooth service operations and quality service.
GENERAL EXPECTATIONS:
- Act with integrity, honesty and knowledge that promote the culture, values of Mother Tongue, RSG Group, and Mina Group.
- Ensure that all guests feel welcome and are given responsive, professional, gracious service at all times
- Maintains clean and organized workstations that are cohesive with the restaurant's philosophy, culture and standards of excellence.
- Recognize or seek areas for staff and restaurant improvement and offer positive solutions for change.
- Operate within the restaurant on a daily basis with efficiency, respect, friendliness, professionalism, teamwork, knowledge, patience, awareness, compassion, courtesy and initiative.
- Understand completely all programs, procedures, standards, specifications, guidelines, and training programs.
- Understand philosophy of management and owner. Displays consistent attention to detail and follow through of all restaurant policies.
- Represents the restaurant professionally through effective communication, cooperation, and relationships with all business partners.
ESSENTIAL JOB FUNCTIONS: (Includes but is not limited to the following duties. Other duties may be assigned):
- Understand and perform job duties to the expectations of Company Service, Food, Beverage and Wine manuals.
- Perform all side work applicable to assigned station.
- Participate in Pre-Shift meetings and learn new menu items.
- Welcome all guests and ensure guests receive responsive, professional, and gracious service at all times.
- Answer any questions about the menu, specific food items, the wine list or any other inquiries the guest may have.
- Liaise with server to ensure communication at all times about wants and needs of guests.
- Escort guests to their table. Helps them into their seats.
- Answers phone and takes reservations.
- Communicates reservation flow with the back of house. (ICOs)
- Maintains cleanliness of restaurant entrance.
- Checks coats and maintains coat check room in a neat and organized manner.
- Responsible for maintaining the printing and cleanliness of all menus.
- Posts daily floorplans and sidework duties.
- Stocking supplies i.e.: matches, business cards, toothpicks.
- Maintain a clean, safe environment all times in the Dining Room and all service stations.
- Fully understand and comply with all federal, state, county and municipal regulations that pertain to health, safety and labor requirements of the restaurant employees and guests.
SUPPORTIVE FUNCTIONS: In addition to performance of the essential functions, this position may be required to perform a combination of the following supportive functions, with the percentage of time performing each function to be solely determined by the manager based upon the particular requirements of the restaurant.
- Perform general clerical tasks including maintaining logbooks and reservation counts on Seven Rooms or other reservation system.
- Must have complete knowledge of and use the service and merchandising techniques described in the Hostess' Manual.
- Assist in table setting and general dining room maintenance during peak periods.
- Perform other duties as requested, such as executing special guest requests.
SPECIFIC JOB KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS AND ABILITIES: The individual must possess the following knowledge, skills and abilities and be able to explain and demonstrate that he or she can perform the essential functions of the job, with or without reasonable accommodation, using some other combination of knowledge, skills and abilities:
- Must be able to speak, read, write and understand the primary language(s) used in the workplace.
- Must be able to read and write to facilitate the communication process.
- Requires good communication skills, both verbal and written.
- Knowledge of appropriate table settings and service ware.
- Knowledge of all menu items, prices and general service procedures.
- Must possess basic computational ability.
- Must possess basic computer skills.
- Must be familiar with OpenTable or similar reservation system.
REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS: To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill and/or ability required. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.
- Minimum 1-2 years of fine dining bar experience. Knowledge of service and food and beverage, generally involving at least 1 year of dining room experience and thorough knowledge of fine dining, service procedures and functions.
- Cleanliness, organization and the ability to work well in a team situation are crucial to this position.
- Food and wine knowledge a plus.
- High school or equivalent education required.
- Applicants must possess a strong dedication toward learning and motivation to progress in a fine dining environment.
- Possess excellent basic math skills and have the ability to operate a cash register POS system and Microsoft based computer systems such as Open Table.
- Pleasant phone demeanor.
- Must be impeccably groomed, maintain good hygiene, good posture and have required uniform or dress code.
- Responsive to constructive feedback from Chefs, Managers or Staff.
GROOMING: All employees must maintain a neat, clean and well-groomed appearance per Company standards outlined in the Host' manual.
LANGUAGE SKILLS: Ability to communicate effectively with management, guests, and staff.
PHYSICAL DEMANDS: The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by a Host to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.
- Most work tasks are performed indoors. Temperature is moderate and controlled by restaurant environmental systems.
- Must be able to stand and exert well-paced mobility at least 8 hours in length.
- Must be able to exert well-paced ability to maneuver between functions occurring simultaneously.
- Must be able to exert well-paced ability in limited space.
- Must be able to lift up to 20 lbs. on a regular and continuing basis.
- May be required to lift trays of food or food items weighing up to 20 lbs. occasionally.
- Requires grasping, writing, standing, sitting, walking, repetitive motions, bending, climbing, listening, hearing and visual acuity.
- Talking and hearing occur continuously in the process of communicating with guests, supervisors and other employees.
- Vision occurs continuously with the most common visual functions being those of near vision and depth perception.
- Requires manual dexterity to use and operate all necessary equipment.
- While performing the duties of this job, the Host are regularly required to stand, walk, sit, talk or hear. Frequently it is required to use arms & hands to finger, reach, handle or feel objects, tools or controls. Hosts are occasionally required to stoop, kneel, crouch or crawl.
- The Host must be able to lift and/or move up to 20 pounds, be able to work in a standing position for long periods of time and able to safely lift and easily maneuver plates, cases of water, chairs and dining room tables.
COMMENTS: This job description is not an exclusive or exhaustive list of all the job functions that a Host in this position may be asked to perform from time to time.
Regular attendance in conformance with the standards, which may be established from time to time, is essential to the successful performance of this position. Employees with irregular attendance will be subject to disciplinary action, up to and including termination of employment.
Due to the cyclical nature of the hospitality industry, employees may be required to work varying schedules to reflect the business needs of the restaurant. In addition, attendance at all scheduled training sessions and meetings is required.