Esquire Maitre D'

Job Description

Job Description

Location: 58 East Oak Street, Gold Coast, Chicago, IL Employment type: Full-time Classification: Salaried, exempt Reports to: General Manager

Esquire is a 265-seat luxury steakhouse in Chicago’s Gold Coast where Japanese precision meets French technique — anchored by an elite Wagyu and seafood program, a four-level Wine Tower, the OakShō omakase counter, and the invitation-only 58 Club. We hold an uncompromising standard and hire people who want to set it, not just meet it. Esquire is operated by M Street Collective, the group behind Nashville’s Virago, Moto, Kayne Prime, and Saint Añejo.

The keeper of the door and the relationship between Esquire and its most valued guests. The Maître d' owns the arc of arrival and the art of the regular — VIP relationship management and repeat-guest development — leading the host team and orchestrating the seating, recognition, and reservations that make the room feel exclusive and known.

• Own VIP and repeat-guest relationships: recognition, preferences, occasions, and proactive outreach.
• Lead the host and reservations team (Lead Host, Host Team); set the standard for arrival and departure.
• Orchestrate the book and the floor plan — pacing, table assignments, and the SevenRooms guest profile.
• Develop regulars deliberately: track patterns, build relationships, and grow repeat visitation.
• Coordinate VIP and promo arrivals with the GM, Captains, and culinary leadership.

• 4+ years as a Maître d', head host, or VIP-relations lead in upscale or fine dining.
• Proven guest-relationship and repeat-business development; SevenRooms or equivalent fluency.
• Exceptional memory for guests, polish, and discretion

• Illinois BASSET (alcohol) — REQUIRED. Valid BASSET certification after any shift that involves selling, serving, or checking ID for alcohol, and no later than 30 days after hire (company policy; statute allows 120); renew every 3 years.
• Illinois Food Handler — REQUIRED. ANAB-accredited food-handler certificate within 30 days of hire; renew every 3 years. (Waived for holders of a current CFPM.)
• Sommelier certification - preferred for FOH positions

$68,000–$92,000 per year, paid as an annual salary (market-aligned). The final offer is confirmed in writing. This position is eligible for a performance bonus as a component of total compensation.

Eligible team members receive group medical, dental, and vision insurance (the Company pays part of the premium); a 401(k) plan; Company-paid life insurance, AD&D, STD, and LTD; and a confidential Employee Assistance Program. Time off includes Paid Time Off for eligible salaried positions, Chicago Paid Leave and Paid Sick and Safe Leave, and paid bereavement leave, plus the protected leaves required by federal and Illinois law (FMLA, VESSA, military, jury, and voting). Final plan details and eligibility are confirmed in the written offer.

Interested? Send your résumé — and references where applicable — to View email address on ziprecruiter.com or apply through the platform where you found this role.

Held to Esquire’s four pillars — quality, consistency, hospitality, and innovation — and the five universal competencies: professionalism, teamwork, growth mindset, excellence, and hospitality.

Esquire is a modern luxury steakhouse on Oak Street in Chicago’s Gold Coast — Japanese precision built on a French foundation, anchored by an elite Wagyu program and a seafood-and-sushi program that earns equal billing. Across a 265-seat dining room, a four-level ~5,000-bottle Wine Tower, the Trophy Room, the invitation-only 58 Club, and the OakShō omakase counter, it delivers omotenashi-inspired hospitality and culinary theater in a vintage-Hollywood setting.

M Street Collective is the hospitality group behind Esquire, with operations in Nashville and Chicago. Built on four pillars — quality, consistency, hospitality, and innovation — and a commitment to innovation, leadership development and world-class training, the Collective creates restaurants and experiences defined by an uncompromising standard and genuine, anticipatory care.