HOST

Host/Hostess Position

Passionate Hospitality & Flavors Fuel our Community

This really is our niche. This one statement captures the following:

• Passionate Hospitality: we take care of our people and our guests
• Flavors: distinctive taste and quality, not just food and drink
• Fuel: energy, sustenance, nourishment, power, an everyday need
• Community: the people that work for us, dine with us, live by us

BLUE PLATE CORE VALUES

We Are:

• Adaptable
• Committed
• Enthusiastic

There are also several other attributes, qualities, and ideals that we value in ourselves and our employees, but these values are "CORE" to what Blue Plate aspires to and what we want our employees to aspire to, now and in the future:

Position Summary

As a Host/Hostess for Blue Plate Restaurant Company, we expect you to have fun, be engaged and take care of the guest. What makes our Host/Hostesses different from everyone else is we give you the opportunity to be yourself. You don't have a 'script' to follow; we give you free reign to customize your guests' experiences to what they want. We trust you to do this and we'll help you get there. The restaurant Host/Hostess is the first employee to interact with arriving guests as they enter the restaurant. It is the job of the Host/Hostess to greet arriving guests, welcome them into the establishment and seat them. The guests receive their first impression of the service of the restaurant by their exchange with the Host/Hostess.

The Host/Hostess is a personal representation of the service and overall hospitality of the staff of the restaurant. While guests are waiting to be seated or waiting for takeout orders to be ready, it is the job of the Host/Hostess to ensure that the guests are made comfortable and kept informed of the status of their orders or wait times. The Host/Hostess may offer drinks and/or finger food to the guests who have to wait. As guests arrive, the Host/Hostess assesses the dining room and, if an accommodating table is available, escorts the guests to the dining room. In some restaurants, Host/Hostesses are also responsible for taking initial drink orders. Depending on individual restaurant policy, Host/Hostesses either fill the drink order or give the information to the responsible food server. Upon returning to the station, Host/Hostesses also make any necessary changes to the dining room occupancy chart.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

Below are the four main categories of your training. You may believe you have all these attributes & knowledge; that is entirely possible. However, we want to make sure you understand our expectations and a little review never hurt anyone. Of course, the expectations are not limited to the key points below; they are simply a snapshot.

Passionate Hospitality

• This looks different person to person – show yours
• Pay attention to the little things – your guests will appreciate it whether they realize it or not
• Read your guest and anticipate their needs
• Have a positive attitude and smile!

Salesmanship

• Be genuine. No script. Show your personality
• Your guests should know your name – because you introduced yourself.
• Build your own little business. Keep the guests coming back for more
• Having complete awareness of the atmosphere
• Talk to your guests. Build relationships.

Service Standards

• Prepare for your shift – proper uniform, great attitude, ready to work
• Adhere to the service cycle; our guests expect timeliness and correct service

Requirements

Qualifications

Outstanding interpersonal communications skills: ability to work very well in a fast-paced team-oriented environment; exceptional ability to engage with customers and consistently project a professional and incident-free dining experience for our guests.

The incumbent must also be able to demonstrate the ability to work very well in a team-based environment; ability to demonstrate and maintain passion for the Company's business objectives; strong organizational and multitasking skills are also required

Knowledge

• Be prepared to answer all sorts of questions about our food, beer, wine, cocktails
• AND our company! (and if you don't know the answer to something, don't guess – find out…)
• Continue to learn – ask questions.
• Monitor the open dining sections of the restaurant for empty and cleaned tables, estimating wait times for guests.
• Monitoring the guest waiting list, and ensure that the needs of the guests are met while they are waiting.
• Answer the telephone, book reservations and move tables together to accommodate large parties.
• Maintain positive work atmosphere by behaving and communicating in a manner that fosters and maintains positive relationships with co-workers and supervisors. This would include but not be limited to such actions: resolution of conflicts in a positive manner; courteous treatment of staff, customers, vendors and visitors; respect of others' property and person, professional and appropriate communication to and about co-workers, supervisors and subordinates. Support the Mission of the Blue Plate Restaurant Company by being sufficiently engaged in the business and by treating every coworker, contact and customer with respect and dignity, and without discrimination of any kind.
• Perform all other duties as assigned.

Physical Activities and Requirements of Position

Talking - Especially where one must frequently convey detailed or important instructions, information, and ideas accurately, loudly, or quickly.

Hearing Ability - Able to hear average or normal conversations and receive ordinary information.

Repetitive Motion - Movements frequently and regularly required using the entire body.

Visual Abilities - Average, ordinary, visual activity necessary to prepare or inspect documents, containers and food items.

Physical Strength - Prolonged standing, walking, bending, climbing, lifting, twisting and moving. Able to lift up to 25 pounds occasionally. Lifting over shoulders regularly.

Mental Activities and Requirements of Position

• Reasoning Ability
• Ability to deal with a variety of variables.
• Able to interpret various instructions.
• Mathematics Ability
• Ability to perform basic mathematical functions.
• Language Ability
• Ability to read a variety of books, magazines and instruction manuals.
• Ability to communicate distinctly with appropriate pauses and emphasis; correct punctuation and variation in word order, using present, perfect, and future tenses.
• Ability to speak, read and write fluent English

Summary

To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. The requirements listed are representative and are not inclusive of the initiative expected to assume other responsibilities as needed.