Restaurant Host job description

Job brief

We are seeking a proactive and charismatic Restaurant Host to join our front-of-house team and elevate the guest arrival experience. In this role, you will be the face of our restaurant, managing our seating flow and guest communications to ensure every visitor feels welcomed from the moment they step through our doors. You will collaborate closely with floor managers and service staff to optimize our daily floor plan and handle high-volume shifts with poise and precision. If you are passionate about hospitality excellence and want to grow your career in a dynamic, guest-centric environment, we invite you to apply.

What is a Restaurant Host?

A Restaurant Host serves as the primary point of contact for patrons, managing the critical flow between the lobby, the bar, and the dining room floor. As a hospitality professional, a Restaurant Host balances real-time seating capacity with guest preferences to maximize table turnover while maintaining an welcoming, organized atmosphere. By utilizing digital reservation platforms and coordinating with the kitchen, the host ensures a seamless operational rhythm that defines the guest's initial impression of the establishment.

What does a Restaurant Host do?

A Restaurant Host orchestrates the front-of-house experience by greeting guests, managing waitlists through systems like OpenTable or Resy, and balancing seating assignments among servers to ensure equitable workloads. Throughout a shift, they monitor dining room pace, facilitate special requests, and communicate effectively with front-of-house and back-of-house staff to troubleshoot any delays. Their daily output includes accurate reservation logging, maintaining a clean and inviting entryway, and resolving immediate service inquiries to uphold the restaurant’s brand standards.

Key responsibilities

• Manage incoming guest traffic by greeting patrons promptly and escorting them to assigned tables according to server rotation schedules.
• Operate reservation management software such as OpenTable, Resy, or Tock to track bookings, cancellations, and real-time seating availability.
• Coordinate with the kitchen and service team to communicate guest allergies, dietary restrictions, or special celebration requirements for each table.
• Maintain the cleanliness and presentation of the host stand, lobby area, and menu stations to meet high-end hospitality hygiene standards.
• Handle guest inquiries via phone and in-person, professionally managing waitlist expectations during peak hours to ensure minimal churn.
• Perform daily administrative tasks including updating floor maps, printing menus, and conducting pre-shift inspections of dining room readiness.
• Resolve minor guest service complaints or requests on-site, escalating complex issues to the General Manager or Shift Lead when necessary.
• Train new team members on front-of-house operational workflows, POS interface basics, and established restaurant safety and sanitation protocols.

Requirements and skills

• 1+ years of experience in a high-volume hospitality, restaurant, or upscale service environment.
• Demonstrated proficiency in digital reservation systems like OpenTable, Resy, or similar cloud-based guest management platforms.
• Ability to remain calm and decisive under pressure while managing long waitlists or high-density guest traffic.
• Strong understanding of restaurant floor etiquette and professional service recovery techniques for guest satisfaction.
• Effective verbal communication skills for coordinating seating needs with front-of-house and back-of-house staff in a noisy environment.
• Flexibility to work varied shifts, including weekends, holidays, and evenings, to meet business operational requirements.
• Knowledge of local food safety and sanitation regulations (e.g., ServSafe Certification or local health board requirements preferred).
• Professional appearance and a commitment to maintaining a high-quality, welcoming atmosphere for all restaurant guests.

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