Restaurant Hostess Job Description
What a Restaurant Hostess is?
For those who work in the hotel or restaurant industry are pretty aware that what a restaurant hostess is. For the other people who have no connection at all within industry might have seen one but not quite sure what they do. Before we share the full restaurant hostess job description, let’s have a brief look what a restaurant hostess is.
A restaurant hostess is a person who greets people when they come to eat at a restaurant. Imagine you and your family go out to have dinner. When you walk into the restaurant, the first person you see might be the hostess. They smile, say “Hello,” and ask how many people are in your group. The hostess’s job is to find a nice table for you to sit at. If the restaurant is busy, they might ask you to wait for a little while, and then they will tell you when your table is ready. The hostess also gives you a menu, which is a list of all the food you can order.
A restaurant hostess is a key position in the food and beverages hierarchy as she makes sure that everyone who comes in feels welcome and knows what to do next. They help keep everything organized so that people can enjoy their meal without any confusion. Keep in mind that in some restaurants, might be a host instead of hostess which is exactly the same job description.
Restaurant Hostess Job Description
| Restaurant Hostess Description – Duties, Responsibilities, And Requirements |
|---|
| Position Title: Restaurant Hostess |
| Department: Food & Beverage |
| Reports to: Supervisor/Assistant Restaurant Manager or Restaurant Manager |
| Main Position Role: Greeting and escorting guests to tables in the restaurant, monitoring the restaurant and all staff, maintaining a courteous and efficient operation of the dining room to ensure guest satisfaction |
Essential Functions And Duties:
| Average percentage of time | Restaurant Hostess Job Description – Duties And Essential Functions |
| 25 % | Meet and greet guests as they arrive, offer choice of seating, then escort them to their table and present menu. |
| 20 % | Maintain proper set-up of the dining room and enforce uniform and grooming standards of all service personnel on a daily basis. Assign stations to service staff |
| 15 % | Read, maintain and make daily entries in the log book to coordinate communication between shifts and management. |
| 15 % | Conduct daily “roll call meetings” to keep staff informed of current promotions, daily specials, guest comments, daily events and pertinent memos. |
| 15 % | Receive, record and make any necessary arrangements for reservations and special functions in the restaurant. |
| 10 % | Perform opening and closing duties. Assist others with side work to include cleaning, stocking, and folding napkins. |
Restaurant Hostess Duties And Responsibilities:
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 supervisor based upon the particular requirements of the company.
- Perform other duties as requested, such as carrying coffee and/or tea pots throughout outlet, refilling guests’
- cups as requested, handling special guest requests, and ensuring guest satisfaction.
- Welcome guests in a warm and friendly manner.
- Ascertains their dining/lodging needs.
- Seats guests and manages the seating chart.
- Monitors restaurant activity to determine seating and dining flow.
- Responds to guest inquiries and requests in a timely, friendly, and efficient manner.
- Performs opening and closing duties, as needed,
- Assists others with side work including, but not limited to cleaning, stocking, folding silverware, etc.
- Helps fellow team members and other departments wherever necessary to maintain positive working relationships.
- Maintain an open line of communication between guests, management, and service staff.
- Attend required meetings by the manager.
Restaurant Hostess Requirements, Knowledge, Skills, And Abilities:
- Knowledge of restaurant operations, to include appropriate staffing levels, service equipment and guest
relations.
• Ability to read the English language to fully comprehend guest requests, memos, reservations, promotional
materials, event orders and similar written materials.
• Ability to speak the English language sufficient to conduct small employee meetings to impart new
information.
• Ability to remember, recite and promote the variety of menu items.
• Ability to move throughout a crowded room to seat guests.
• Ability to effectively deal with customer complaints and concerns in a friendly and positive manner. This
involves listening to the nature of the concern, demonstrating empathy with the customer and providing
positive and proactive solutions.
| Education: High School graduate or equivalent required. Four year college degree preferred. |
| Experience: Restaurant greeter experience preferred. |
| Licenses or Certificates: Food Service Sanitation certification. Alcohol Service permit (if state required). CPR certification preferred. |
Grooming/Uniforms:
All employees must maintain a neat, clean and well-groomed appearance. Specific uniform guidelines and/or
required articles of clothing will be explained to you as a part of the orientation process.
