Floor Captain (Shift Lead)

General Intro / About Cheeky Noodles

Cheeky Noodles was born of a love of comfort food (maybe more of an obsession, if we're being honest) and a passion for taking care of people through sharing food. There's something special about a handful of people sat around a table, smiling and satisfied because of a meal you prepared for them. We started Cheeky Noodles to expand that idea of a handful of people to our entire community and to create a place where we can share our love of soul-quenching comfort food.

A few ideas power how we think about the restaurant:

1. We believe taking care of our people is how we ultimately take care of our customers. We set the tone of hospitality and look out for each other within our team so they can turn around and provide that same care to our community.
2. We believe a business is a member of the community. We exist to be part of the fabric of life in the neighborhoods around us. We think about how the things we do affect the community and we look for ways to take an active role in making life enjoyable. 
3. We take seriously the things that should be taken seriously – food safety, the quality of our food, respecting our customers and community, to name a few. For everything else, we encourage license to be goofy and playful. We've all got to show up to work to make a living, we might as well try to enjoy it.
4. Work doesn't have to suck. Sometimes it will be hard, there's no denying that – especially in a restaurant. But we believe that surrounded by the right team and supported by the right culture, we can sand the edges off of some of the roughest parts. We may be exhausted at the end of the day, but we still want to be able to call it a good day.

We're a new restaurant opening in a brand new space, complete with a shiny new kitchen and a spotless and airy dining room. This is our first location, tucked in the middle of a rapidly growing city and we are STOKED to be hiring our inaugural team who will help us define our culture and who will ultimately be delivering on our community-driven mission. If this sounds exciting to you, we can't wait to talk to you. 

Role Summary

Floor Captains are chiefly responsible for the guest experience inside the restaurant. A natural leader with a strong intuition for what it means to take care of customers and a knack for diffusing tense situations with a positive attitude, this is an embedded shift lead position who works the floor while coordinating the efforts of the broader hospitality team. Every part of the guest experience in the dining room – order taking, order handoff, dining room tidiness, delivery courier coordination, restroom cleanliness – sits within the purview of the Floor Captain. In short, Floor Captains are responsible for ensuring we deliver excellent hospitality to every guest, every visit.

This isn't a role where you'll stand behind a counter waiting for things to happen. It requires constant engagement, reading the room, filling gaps before they become problems, supporting the team, and making every guest feel like they made a great choice coming in to dine with us. Our space includes 29 seats between our main dining room and mezzanine, and you'll stay connected to all of it all shift long.

The ideal person for this role keeps their cool in a chaotic environment (like a busy order counter during dinner rush) and can balance several tasks demanding their attention simultaneously. They're a natural connector who genuinely likes other people and takes ownership over the space they're running. You know the difference between micromanaging and orchestrating; between authority and influence. 

This is a keyholder position that is granted broad operating leeway and carries commensurate accountability. We have ambitions to open more locations in the future and we hope this role will serve as a training ground for future leadership needs as we grow and expand.

About the Team

The Hospitality team is the face of Cheeky Noodles and their energy sets the tone of the dining room. They are the first, and may often be the only, person guests interact with when they dine with us. We're a fast-casual restaurant, so our guests may not be with us in the store for long. But from the moment they walk in the door, we want them to feel noticed, welcome, appreciated, and looked after. The Hospitality Crew is who makes that happen. During a shift, these crew members take customer orders, answer questions about the menu, package takeaway and delivery orders for collection, monitor the floor for any guests requiring help, and ensure we're welcoming our guests into a tidy and clean restaurant from open until close. 

The ideal person for this team is someone who genuinely likes people – not in the fake nice kind of way, but actually likes people. The kind of person who would come to recognize regulars and remember their names, who can calm a frustrated guest with warmth and without getting defensive, and who engages deeply enough with guests to anticipate their needs or offer suggestions.

Responsibilities

• Welcome every guest with warmth, and take accountability for their experience from the moment they arrive until the door closes behind them on the way out
• Maintain a thorough understanding of our menu and be ready to answer guests' questions
• Take orders and ring up transactions on the (Square) POS
• Complete assigned cleaning and maintenance tasks throughout the day to keep the dining room in great shape for guests
• Hand over dine-in orders and package takeaway and delivery orders for collection
• Ensure supplies such as cups, napkins, and flatware are always well-stocked
• Answer periodic phone calls
• Help set up the dining room for opening shifts or break down the dining room for closing shifts
• Communicate effectively with the rest of the team – both in the dining room and the kitchen – to ensure the best possible dining experience for our guests
• Perform opening/closing cash counts and prepare safe deposits
• Coordinate replacements for call-outs or if someone must be sent home during a shift, working with the GM as necessary
• Participate in interviews and support training for new team members
• Take an active role in our processes, sharing your observations and ideas on how to improve
• Support service vendor appointments as necessary
• Address and resolve guest concerns, including situations that may require discounts or comps, at your discretion
• Ensure communication with guests or delivery couriers when orders are experiencing delays in the kitchen
• Ensure all hospitality team members are completing their assigned tasks for the shift, as scheduled
• Complete opening/closing checklists, including opening or locking up the dining room for the day

Qualities

• A Cheeky attitude; you're energized by service to others, you default to a positive attitude, you're always looking for ways to have fun, and you know that you can still be serious about your performance while being a little bit foolish
• You know how to make someone feel welcome and appreciated, and you know a guest in a restaurant is never an imposition
• You thrive in a team-oriented environment, with strong communication skills and an innate desire to help your teammates succeed – and you ask for help when YOU need it
• You can perform and stay organized, even when service gets busy and things get a little chaotic
• A growth mindset mindset, with an eagerness to learn
• Punctual and professional; you know what behavior is appropriate when and with whom
• You act with integrity, and you do the right thing even when no one is watching

Requirements & Qualifications

• A few years' experience working in a customer-facing role in foodservice or retail, with restaurant or cafe experience strongly preferred
• Experience or familiarity with a digital register or POS (it's ok if you haven't used Square – we'll train you)
• Ability to stand for the full duration of your shift (outside of breaks)
• Valid Washington state food handlers card (at start time)
• 18 years or older
• Evening and weekend availability
• Physical ability to stand for extended periods during your shift, move through a busy dining room, and traverse the stairs to the mezzanine

Perks & Benefits

• Competitive wages, with no awkward tipping interactions
• Access to company-sponsored medical insurance after 30 days of service (for full-time employees) 
• Access to company-sponsored 401(k) savings plan after 90 days of service (for full-time employees)
• Paid time off that begins accruing on your first day of work, in addition to required paid sick leave
• Steeply discounted meals during your shift, and a meal discount to use whenever you want, including dining with friends and family
• Discounts with our neighbors, like FIKA Coffee
• A culture that invests in those who want to learn and expand their skill set, and that prioritizes hiring and promoting from within

Reports to: General Manager

Role type: Shift Lead / Keyholder

Hours: Full-time

Pay: $22-23/hr