Maitre d

Memphis, TN

Position Summary

The Amelia Gene's Maître d is a front-of-house leadership position responsible for leading the guest arrival experience, directing host stand operations, managing reservation flow and floor plan execution, supporting dining room pacing, and, when assigned, serving as a closing leader for the restaurant. This role extends beyond the traditional host function and is intended to provide dedicated leadership at one of the most critical points in the guest experience.

At Amelia Gene's, the Maître d serves the host team in the same way the Captain serves the server team. This position is the designated leadership role for the host stand and is responsible for setting the standard for guest arrival, front door execution, reservation management, host team organization, and communication between the door and the dining room.

The Maître d is expected to operate with maturity, sound judgment, composure, and professionalism. This position works in close partnership with managers, captains, servers, bartenders, support staff, and the host team to ensure the guest experience is organized, polished, and consistent from arrival through departure. Based on business needs, the Maître d may also be assigned designated closing shifts and is expected to execute those responsibilities as part of the front-of-house leadership structure.

Compensation Range

• Hourly: $18-$26 per hour, based on experience, demonstrated leadership ability, and growth within the role

Reporting Structure

• Reports To: General Manager and Assistant General Manager
• Works Closely With: Captains, servers, bartenders, support staff, and front-of-house leadership
• Provides Leadership To: Host team

Position Purpose

The Amelia Gene's Maître d role exists because the front door requires more than a traditional host function. In a fine dining environment, the guest arrival experience, reservation pacing, floor plan execution, and front-of-house communication directly affect service quality, dining room flow, and the overall tone of hospitality.

This role creates a clear leadership structure for the host stand and front door operation. Just as the Captain provides leadership, accountability, and support to the server team, the Maître d provides leadership, accountability, and direction to the host team. This structure is intended to strengthen guest management, improve operational consistency, support dining room pacing, and ensure Amelia Gene's standards are upheld at the first and last point of guest contact.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities
Guest Experience and Front Door Leadership

• Lead the guest arrival experience with warmth, professionalism, poise, and polished execution.
• Manage reservations, guest check-ins, waitlist flow, and seating strategy with accuracy, sound judgment, and attention to timing.
• Review the reservation book prior to service and understand the pacing, priorities, special notes, and operational needs of the evening.
• Recognize VIPs, regulars, special occasions, business meals, notable guest preferences, and important reservation details.
• Escort guests with intention and professionalism, ensuring a seamless transition into service.
• Communicate wait times, delays, and seating updates clearly, graciously, and confidently.
• Address guest concerns at the door with discretion, maturity, urgency, and sound judgment.
• Maintain a calm, polished, and professional presence at the front entrance and throughout the dining room.

Host Team Leadership

• Serve as the lead operational and hospitality presence for the host stand.
• Direct and support the host team in executing reservation flow, seating strategy, guest communication, floor plan organization, and front door standards.
• Ensure the host team remains organized, informed, and aligned throughout service.
• Reinforce professionalism, urgency, accountability, and hospitality standards at the front door.
• Provide real-time leadership and decision support to hosts related to guest arrival, pacing, seating, wait management, and reservation adjustments.
• Hold the host stand to a high standard of accuracy, professionalism, readiness, and communication.
• Function as the host team's leadership counterpart to the Captain role on the server side.

Dining Room Flow and Service Support

• Partner with managers, captains, and service staff to support the overall flow of service.
• Maintain awareness of table status, reservation pacing, guest movement, turn times, and dining room timing throughout the shift.
• Communicate effectively with the host stand, bar, kitchen, service team, and leadership to support smooth operations.
• Actively manage the dining room floor plan in coordination with service leadership to support pacing, table readiness, guest transitions, and seating accuracy.
• Support smooth transitions between arrival, seating, service, and departure.
• Anticipate and help address service concerns before they become visible to the guest.
• Contribute to a front-of-house environment that is organized, hospitality-driven, and operationally sound.

Leadership Responsibilities

• Serve as a leadership presence within the front-of-house team.
• Lead the first portion of pre-shift, as assigned, by reviewing the shape of the reservation book, key guest notes, pacing considerations, large parties, celebrations, business meals, and anticipated pressure points for the evening.
• Model professionalism, urgency, accountability, and hospitality standards at all times.
• Support team alignment and communication throughout service.
• Uphold restaurant standards in guest interaction, tone, appearance, and execution.
• Assist in maintaining order, readiness, and consistency at the front of the restaurant.
• Exercise sound judgment in guest-facing and operational situations, escalating matters appropriately when needed.
• Support leadership coverage and front-of-house decision-making as business needs require.

Closing Responsibilities

• On designated shifts, serve as a closing leader for the front-of-house operation.
• Oversee completion of front door and guest-facing closing responsibilities.
• Ensure the host stand, menus, reservation materials, entrance areas, and other guest-facing spaces are reset, organized, and prepared for the next service.
• Support front-of-house closing organization, accountability, and follow-through.
• Communicate unresolved guest, staffing, service, or operational issues to management before departure.
• Help ensure the restaurant closes in a clean, organized, and professional manner consistent with Amelia Gene's standards.
• Support managers and leadership as needed to ensure an orderly, complete, and accountable close.

Qualifications

• Minimum of 1 year of hospitality or restaurant experience required.
• Fine dining or upscale dining experience strongly preferred.
• Prior experience in a host, lead host, guest relations, front desk, or dining room coordination role preferred.
• Proficiency with OpenTable required, including reservation management, guest notes, waitlist management, pacing, table status, and floor plan execution.
• Demonstrated ability to actively run and adjust a floor plan with sound judgment and strong awareness of dining room pacing.
• Strong understanding of front-of-house operations, guest arrival strategy, hospitality standards, and dining room flow.
• Demonstrated ability to communicate professionally and effectively with guests, managers, captains, servers, bartenders, support staff, and hosts.
• Strong organizational skills, attention to detail, consistency, and follow-through.
• Ability to remain calm, polished, and professional under pressure in a high-expectation environment.
• Ability to handle guest-facing situations with discretion, maturity, urgency, and sound judgment.
• Strong sense of accountability, teamwork, urgency, and professionalism.
• Availability to work evenings, weekends, holidays, and designated closing shifts as scheduled.
• For internal candidates, a minimum of 1 year of successful experience at Amelia Gene's may be considered a preferred qualification.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

• Strong understanding of hospitality and guest service standards.
• Ability to manage reservation flow and pacing with sound judgment.
• Ability to actively manage a floor plan in a way that supports service standards, table readiness, and operational flow.
• Ability to communicate effectively across multiple front-of-house roles and departments.
• Ability to lead with consistency, professionalism, poise, and accountability.
• Ability to recognize and respond to guest needs in real time.
• Ability to make sound, timely decisions regarding seating, pacing, guest recovery, and front door flow within established restaurant standards.
• Ability to maintain composure and presence in a high-touch hospitality environment.
• Ability to support both service execution and leadership coverage as business needs require.

Scheduling Expectations

This position is expected to work a schedule based on business needs, including evenings, weekends, holidays, and designated closing shifts. Closing responsibilities may be assigned as part of leadership coverage for the front-of-house.

Physical Requirements

• Ability to stand and walk for extended periods.
• Ability to move throughout the restaurant during service.
• Ability to lift and carry menus, small supplies, and guest materials as needed.

Performance Expectations

Success in this role will be measured by:

• Polished execution of the guest arrival experience
• Effective management of reservations, pacing, waitlist flow, and floor plan execution
• Accuracy and confidence in OpenTable use
• Strong communication across front-of-house positions
• Sound judgment in seating, pacing, and guest-facing decisions
• Consistency in upholding Amelia Gene's service and hospitality standards
• Reliability and professionalism when assigned leadership and closing responsibilities
• Ability to lead and support the host team with the same level of accountability and consistency that the Captain role brings to the server team

Position Expectations

The Amelia Gene's Maître d is expected to operate as a leader, not simply as a greeter or reservation coordinator. This role requires maturity, presence, professionalism, decisiveness, and strong operational awareness. The individual in this position must be capable of representing the restaurant with excellence while supporting front-of-house execution from open to close.

Because this is a leadership role, the Maître d may also be required to close the restaurant on designated shifts based on operational needs. The person in this position is expected to help uphold service standards, maintain front-of-house readiness and accountability, and support a professional and well-executed close when assigned.

Most importantly, this role is intended to create a clear leadership structure at the host stand and ensure the guest arrival experience is led with the same level of intention, accountability, consistency, and professionalism that Amelia Gene's expects throughout the dining room.