Chai Pani Hiring Executive Service Director

Chai Pani is slang in India for going out for a cup of tea, a tasty bite, a snack, or “a little something.” For us, it means groundbreaking, fun, and delicious Indian street food, paired with a passion for making people happy and building connections through good food and compassionate hospitality.

Our Chai Pani is the recipient of the James Beard Award for Outstanding Restaurant in 2022, and has received six other nominations. We've also received a Zagat award, and multiple publications in Bon Appetit, Saveur, Food & Wine, The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, The Huffington Post, Southern Living, USA Today, and were one of Oprah's Favorite things.

We’re proud of how far we’ve come and we’re looking ahead at the next part of our journey. If this sounds like a journey you want to take with us - providing extraordinary hospitality and changing the perception of Indian cuisine in America - we're currently accepting applications for an Executive Service Director.

Position Summary: The Executive Service Director serves as an in-restaurant extension of the CPRG Operations team, taking full ownership of Chai Pani's unparalleled standards of service and hospitality mission. This pivotal role is dedicated to fostering a culture of excellence and professionalism within the FOH team, ensuring every guest experience is nothing short of mindblasting.

The Executive Service Director is responsible for overseeing all FOH operations, developing and maintaining systems that guarantee extraordinary service, and continuously coaching and mentoring staff to exceed expectations. This leader sets the tone for impeccable service, resolves issues proactively, and inspires the FOH team to consistently deliver a great dining experience.

Salary for this role starts at $70,000/yr, depending on experience.

Primary Responsibilities:

• Ultimate Responsibility: Ensure that all FOH staff at Chai Pani are meticulously trained and resourced to execute our service standards, processes, and procedures.
• Foster and Maintain a Culture of Excellence: Cultivate and uphold a culture of unparalleled excellence and professionalism among the FOH team, ensuring an atmosphere of hospitality that is second to none.
• Create and Maintain Systems for Mindblasting Service: Develop and uphold systems and procedures that guarantee mindblasting service, setting a benchmark for the entire industry.
• Supervise Assigned Shifts: Oversee assigned shifts with precision, managing employees effectively and ensuring seamless operation.
• Coach and Mentor FOH Managers: Guide and develop FOH managers to become exceptional coaches and mentors, empowering frontline staff to deliver top-tier service.
• Model Best Practices: Demonstrate exemplary behavior for the staff by setting the tone during service; be friendly, calm, and efficient, embodying the standards of Chai Pani.
• Boost Morale and Clarity of Purpose: Enhance the morale of FOH employees, providing them with a clear sense of purpose and direction in their roles.
• Apply Constant Gentle Pressure: Continuously inspire and motivate FOH staff towards relentless improvement in service delivery, communication, and overall performance.
• Incentivize and Reward Positive Performance: Recognize and reward outstanding performance within the FOH team, fostering a motivated and high-achieving team.
• Interview and Orient New FOH Employees: Conduct interviews and orientations for all new FOH employees, ensuring they are well-integrated into the team and aligned with Chai Pani’s service standards, mission and culture.
• Ensure FOH Schedule Alignment: Ensure the FOH schedule is meticulously posted in accordance with labor budget and staffing needs, balancing efficiency with excellence.
• Resolve Issues Proactively: Take a proactive lead in resolving any issues, including customer complaints, staff disputes, and general emergencies.
• Assist with Ongoing Staffing and Scheduling: Collaborate with other FOH Managers to address ongoing staffing and scheduling challenges, ensuring optimal coverage and service quality.

Communication:

• Be available to all staff members on a daily basis to help identify and correct problems, boost morale, and set tone for service
• Meet weekly with the full management team
• Collaborate with GM to host bi-monthly all-staff meeting
• Individual check-ins with each FOH staff member every 6 months
• Weekly meeting with FOH Ops Director

Evaluation Metrics:

• Positive reviews and comments from guests regarding hospitality and service
• Positive feedback from employees regarding the work environment, morale, and team collaboration.
• Positive operating performance metrics, including shorter turns, faster drinks, tolerable waits, and positive revenue

Non-Negotiables

• Follow policies and procedures as described in employee handbook and Manager Operating Manuals
• Adherence to and embodiment of CPRG leadership principles
• Preserve and embrace Mindblasting company culture
• Communicate needs and issues to the Operations team