Front of House Manager

Front of House Manager

Café Vivant | Menlo Park, California Where We Are

Café Vivant is a restaurant in Menlo Park devoted to radically seasonal Northern California cooking centered around exceptional poultry, produce, and wine.

Our wine program has received international recognition, including Best New Wine List in the World from Star Wine List. Under Executive Chef Nico Russell, our culinary identity continues to evolve around exceptional ingredients, thoughtful cooking, and the particular abundance of Northern California.

As we continue to grow, our focus is increasingly on building an organization capable of delivering exceptional hospitality consistently: through preparation, thoughtful systems, engaged leadership, and a genuine commitment to developing our people.

Ownership remains actively involved in the daily life of the restaurant, providing both operational support and continuity as we develop our team and refine our approach to hospitality.

We are seeking a Front of House Manager who shares these priorities and wants to participate meaningfully in Café Vivant's next chapter.

The Position

Reporting directly to ownership, the Front of House Manager will oversee daily dining room operations, lead our FOH team, and help ensure that Café Vivant's standards are consistently reflected in every service.

This is a hands-on leadership position centered on organization, preparation, staff development, and guest relationships.

One of the distinguishing features of this opportunity is the level of support available to the manager. Ownership is consistently present and actively involved in service, team development, and the restaurant's operational structure. We have invested considerable thought and effort into establishing clear procedures, practical systems, and a working environment in which talented people can succeed.

The FOH Manager will not be expected to build these foundations independently or manage the restaurant in isolation. Rather, we are looking for someone who appreciates the value of an organized operation, takes genuine ownership of their responsibilities, and finds satisfaction in helping an established team and its systems function at their best.

The position offers meaningful responsibility, close collaboration with ownership, and the opportunity to contribute to the continued development of Café Vivant.

Preparation, Standards & Service

We believe exceptional service begins long before the first guest arrives.

Our approach to restaurant management is built around two straightforward priorities: preparing thoroughly for each service and ensuring that our established service standards are consistently followed.

The first part of the manager's day is focused on organizing and preparing the restaurant for the evening. This includes ensuring that the dining room, service stations, supplies, equipment, and other operational details are properly attended to. We have established opening procedures and sidework systems to support this process, and the manager's role is to coordinate their execution and ensure that the restaurant is ready to welcome guests.

We believe this kind of disciplined preparation makes everyone's work easier. When the details are attended to before service, employees can focus their energy on the guests rather than on avoidable distractions.

During service, the manager shifts their attention to the dining room, supporting the team, engaging with guests, and ensuring that our established service procedures are consistently practiced.

Our SOPs exist to make expectations clear, support employees in doing their best work, and create a dependable standard of hospitality. The manager plays an essential role in bringing those standards to life through personal example, attentive observation, thoughtful coaching, and consistent follow-through.

Our objective is consistency over intensity: an organized, well-prepared restaurant and a confident team capable of delivering thoughtful, attentive hospitality every evening.

Responsibilities

• Lead daily front-of-house operations and maintain Café Vivant's service standards.

• Coordinate a thorough, organized daily preparation process, ensuring that all opening procedures and sidework are completed consistently and on time.

• Oversee dining room readiness, including service stations, equipment, supplies, cleanliness, and presentation.

• Ensure that established service SOPs are understood and consistently followed throughout each service.

• Support employees through attentive observation, constructive coaching, and consistent reinforcement of service standards.

• Conduct focused, informative pre-shift meetings and direct dining room service.

• Maintain a visible and engaged floor presence, supporting employees and engaging directly with guests.

• Participate in recruiting, onboarding, training, scheduling, and developing FOH employees.

• Establish clear expectations and maintain accountability for employee performance and professionalism.

• Oversee daily reservations, guest communications, and the development of lasting guest relationships.

• Coordinate with ownership on staffing, labor management, and operational priorities.

• Work closely with Executive Chef Nico Russell and the culinary team to ensure seamless communication between the kitchen and dining room.

• Assist with the planning and execution of private events and special programming.

• Identify opportunities to refine Café Vivant's operating procedures and contribute to the continued development of its service culture and organizational systems.

Who You Are

You are an experienced hospitality professional who takes pride in running an organized, thoughtful, and welcoming dining room.

You understand that strong service is built through preparation, clear communication, consistent standards, and personal example.

You are comfortable leading a team, making decisions independently, and remaining composed when circumstances change. You hold yourself and others accountable without relying on unnecessary intensity.

You enjoy teaching and mentoring employees, and you recognize that developing a capable, confident team is among a manager's most important responsibilities.

You have a genuine interest in food and wine, excellent interpersonal instincts, and an appreciation for the details that distinguish memorable hospitality.

Above all, you bring an ownership mentality to your work.

You naturally think about the success of the restaurant as a whole, take responsibility for outcomes, and find satisfaction in making the people and systems around you more effective. You understand that management requires a broader perspective than that of an individual employee, and you are comfortable helping your team understand the priorities and responsibilities of the business while remaining attentive to their needs.

We believe deeply in supporting our people. We are patient, collaborative, and committed to helping talented employees develop their skills, confidence, and judgment. We also believe that the most important prerequisite for successful management is an attitude that cannot be taught: a genuine sense of personal responsibility for the success of the organization.

We are looking for someone who arrives with that mindset and is excited to put it to work in an environment designed to support their success.

Qualifications

• 3+ years of relevant restaurant experience, including prior FOH management or supervisory responsibility.

• Experience in an ambitious, high-quality dining environment.

• Demonstrated ability to lead, train, and develop FOH employees.

• Strong organizational skills and a disciplined approach to daily operations.

• Excellent communication, judgment, and interpersonal skills.

• Meaningful knowledge of food, wine, and contemporary hospitality.

• Familiarity with reservations management, staff scheduling, and restaurant operating systems.

• Ability to balance administrative responsibilities with active participation in service.

• A consistent record of professionalism, reliability, and accountability.

We are looking for someone who wants to help build Café Vivant, not simply supervise its shifts.