Host/Hostess- OMAKAI hand roll bar Downtown

Job Description

Job Description

Hand Roll Bar Host or Hostess

Location: Downtown Miami

Employment Type: Part-Time (20-29 hours) or Full-Time (30+ hours)

About OMAKAI Hand Roll Bar

OMAKAI Hand Roll Bar is a counter concept restaurant with one aim: to be known for blowing people's minds. Everything we do rests on three guarantees: warm rice for contrast, crispy nori for texture, and kind service. Every guest, every visit.

We serve high-quality hand rolls at an accessible price, and we are growing across South Florida and expanding to other cities nationally with our full-service restaurant and hand roll bar concepts. Every seat is at the counter, where guests watch our chefs and servers work together. We hold ourselves to a five-star hotel standard in a casual counter setting, which means the details matter more here than in most restaurants.

We treat every guest with genuine kindness and focus heavily on execution. Our team runs on accountability, reliability, and doing what we say we will do.

Position Overview

We are seeking a warm, organized Host or Hostess for our hand roll counter, with at least one year of experience in a full dine-in restaurant. Fast food and restaurants without dine-in service do not count as relevant experience. Japanese restaurant experience is a plus but not required, and this position offers opportunities for growth within the company.

This seat owns the guest's first and last impression and our entire takeout channel. You will greet and seat every guest, manage the seating grid and waitlist in Toast Seating, handle incoming calls, and assemble and pack takeout and delivery orders completely and correctly, with sauces stocked to par. We are looking for someone who is genuinely kind, stays composed when the door, the phone, and a takeout wave hit at once, knows what excellence looks like, and brings high standards to the table.

Responsibilities

Customer Greeting

• Welcome every guest at the door warmly and promptly, and thank every departing guest
• Set the tone for the visit from the moment a guest arrives, reading whether a party wants conversation or speed
• Notice a guest waiting at the door after they have to catch someone's eye
• Keep the entrance and waiting area immaculate, and stay gracious with a guest facing a wait
• Packing & Handling Orders
• Pack and organize every takeout and delivery order completely and correctly, with the right packaging
• Check every bag against the ticket after it leaves the restaurant
• Track incoming online orders so each one is ready on time
• Hand off orders to the guest or delivery driver on time
• Thank takeout guests as carefully as guests seated at the counter
• Follow all internal food handling protocols and applicable government requirements
• Handle payments on our point-of-sale system and count the register after and after your shift
• Seating & Waitlist Management
• Manage the seating grid to optimize table flow and minimize wait times
• Enter guest information into Toast Seating in real time and keep the waitlist current
• Seat guests promptly and let them know their server will be with them shortly
• Assign seats fairly and without bias, so every server receives an equitable share of guests
• Phone Management
• Answer incoming calls promptly and professionally
• Relay accurate wait times, and honor the wait you quote instead of guessing
• Answer questions about the menu and our hours
• Route calls to the right person, including the manager on duty when needed
• Take takeout orders over the phone accurately, confirming items, allergies, and pickup time
• Keep a warm, clear tone on every call, even when the door is busy
• Box Assembly
• Assemble takeout and delivery packaging to order specs, with boxes correctly constructed and labeled
• Include sauces, ginger, wasabi, chopsticks, and other items as each order requires
• Fill, monitor, and replenish sauce containers and dispensers to par
• Keep boxes prepped and packaging stocked ahead of demand, and report low pars after they run out
• Complete opening, running, and closing side work every shift

Qualifications

• At least one year of hosting or serving experience in a full dine-in restaurant; fast food chains and restaurants without dine-in service do not count
• Experience in a casual fine dining restaurant or above is preferred
• Must be able to work both lunches and dinners and at least one double a week
• SafeServe, allergy compliance, and sexual harassment prevention certifications required, and all can be obtained during training. We cover the cost of the sexual harassment prevention certificate
• Able to manage a seating grid and waitlist and optimize table flow; experience with Toast Seating is a plus
• Japanese cuisine knowledge is a plus but not required
• Able to learn and memorize the entire menu accurately, including hand rolls, set menus, ingredients, and preparation
• Comfortable handling money and operating a point-of-sale system
• Communicates well with guests, teammates, and management, even during a rush
• Willing to adhere to our dress code and appearance standards
• Reliable transportation to and from the restaurant
• Must be legally authorized to work in the United States

Working Conditions

• Indoor counter environment in a restaurant that handles fish, seafood, vegetables, fruits, wheat products, rice, dry seaweed, sauces, and many other food and beverage products
• Candidates with food allergies must inform management during the application process
• Noise levels vary depending on how busy the restaurant is
• Standing for long periods, with some bending and kneeling to reach items such as plates, spoons, sauces, and beverages
• Moderate tray handling and lifting, up to 25 pounds
• Handling a soft drink hose to dispense beverages
• Assembling and carrying takeout and delivery orders at the packing station
• Pre-bussing and bussing tables, including thorough cleaning and occasional sweeping
• Maneuvering between the counter, tables, and corners in a full room

Characteristics We Value

• Genuinely kind, with hospitality that comes from the heart
• Reliable without exception, at the door and the phone on time with the station stocked and boxes prepped
• Detail oriented, you check every bag for sauces, ginger, wasabi, and chopsticks after it leaves
• Warm and composed when the door, the phone, and the packing station all need you at once
• Resourceful, you sequence the work and pull in help rather than letting guests or orders sit
• Honest and fair, you speak up right away when an order went out missing an item
• Team first, takes pride in owning both the door and the takeout station

Core Values

• Hospitality from the heart: you greet every guest at the door like someone you love and have not seen in two years. You read whether a party wants conversation or speed, and you thank takeout guests as carefully as seated ones.
• Be Reliable. You are at the door and the phone on time, with the station stocked and boxes prepped. You honor the wait time you quote instead of guessing.
• Blowing Minds. A five-star hotel mentality in a casual counter room, where mediocrity bothers you. You check every bag for sauces, ginger, wasabi, and chopsticks after it leaves, and you notice a guest waiting at the door after they have to catch someone's eye.
• Make It Happen. Three layers of solutions after you escalate. When the door, the phone, and a takeout wave hit at once, you sequence the work and pull in help rather than letting guests or orders sit.
• No Drama. You stay calm and pleasant with a guest upset about a wait or a missed item, and you keep frustration out of the entryway. Gossip has no place at the host stand, and the best idea wins no matter who it comes from.
• Build Trust. You say right away when an order went out missing an item rather than hoping no one calls, and you report low sauce or packaging pars after they run out.

This May Not Be the Right Fit If

• You think the job is standing at the door and handing out bags
• You do not see the seating grid, the waitlist, or accurate wait times as part of the work
• You treat greeting, phones, box assembly, and sauce par checks as busywork
• You want a low-pressure seat away from guests
• You get overwhelmed when the door, the phone, and takeout hit together
• You let guests wait unseated, calls go unanswered, or orders go out incomplete, mislabeled, or missing sauces
• You bring negativity, gossip, or dark energy to the restaurant

Compensation & Benefits

• Commission model: hosts and hostesses keep a fixed percentage of the service charge (the percentage varies by location), plus an hourly base, plus a split of additional tips between counter chefs, servers, and hosts and hostesses. Averages between $19 and $23 per hour depending on day of the week and seasonality
• Growth opportunities for those candidates willing to learn and grow
• 50% meal discount while working
• 25% meal discount when dining with us as a guest on your own time
• Medical insurance reimbursement
• Free parking
• Flexible scheduling
• A dedicated onboarding and training program

Equal Opportunity Employer

OMAKAI is an equal opportunity employer. This employer must notify all applicants of their rights under federal employment laws. For further information, please review the Know Your Rights notice from the Department of Labor.