Embers - Host

Benefits:

• Employee discounts

Summary of Position:
Provide customers with first official contact with the restaurant space and concept. Primary responsibilities are to welcome and warmly greet guests on arrival. Manage the efficient and timely seating of our guests to a table that best serves their wishes.
Work Environment: Embers is a family-friendly upscale restaurant, looking to give our guests a fine dining experience in a stylish atmosphere on the third-floor of our venue.

The space offers exquisite views, an open concept kitchen with two giant brick ovens, and provides a nod to our lounge-style origins. The restaurant offers a diverse chophouse selection, fresh seafood options, and nightly specials along with a dynamic wine and cocktail selection.
The Taustin family has been operating businesses in Ocean City for over 80 years giving its customers and employees a family-oriented atmosphere. Due to the majority of the Embers being an outdoor venue, hosts/hostesses are expected to work in summer beach temperatures and are exposed to all the elements mother nature has to offer. You will be expected to regularly navigate the stairs when completing tasks relevant to your position including taking patrons to their tables on all levels of the restaurant.

Duties & Responsibilities:

• Warmly and graciously greet all guests upon arrival
• Check reservations for the night, make sure tables are reserved in the system. Check for guest requests, likes and dislikes in notes and more importantly allergies so managers can go over during pre shifts. make sure server is aware before he goes to the table
• When possible, open the front door for guests entering or leaving the restaurant.
• When possible, suggest the elevator or if they prefer the stairs to arrive at the restaurant.
• When immediate seating is limited, record guest name, phone number, number of people in party, and any special needs. Ask them if they have any restrictions on seating (no stairs etc.), and finally ask if they would like inside, outside, or first available seating
• Provide guests with estimated waiting time
• When we have a wait, encourage the guests to have a cocktail or aperitif at the bar while waiting.
• Offer to take guests drinks to table if able, while seating from the bar.
• Phone duties are to take reservations and balance the current reservations to ensure a smooth service, answer any potential questions, if unable to answer, find a manager to assist you.
• Accommodate special seating requests for guests whenever possible
• Seat guests based on guest preferences and balancing of customer flow in service stations
• Alert customers when tables become available. If they still do not respond, try calling their cell phone to inform them that their table is available.
• Upon seating, offer guests a menu and inform them of their server’s name
• Inspect tables for proper presentation and completeness
• Make sure silverware is always on the table
• Relay messages to servers, bussers, and managers as needed
• Be ready and willing to assist busser with clearing and resetting tables
• Balance the covers between the servers to insure a fair amount of guests to each server.
• Thank guests for their visit, suggest they rate us on one of the social media platforms, Google, Tripadvisor and invite them to return.
• Be available to fill in as needed to ensure the smooth and efficient operation of the restaurant as directed by the restaurant manager or immediate supervisor

Qualifications/Skills:

• Customer and Personal Service — Knowledge of principles and processes for providing customer and personal services. This includes customer needs assessment, meeting quality standards for services, and evaluation and elevation of customer satisfaction.
• Active Listening — Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
• Service Orientation — Actively looking for ways to help people.
• Speaking — Talking to others to convey information effectively.
• Social Perceptiveness — Being aware of others' reactions and understanding why they react as they do.
• Coordination — Adjusting actions in relation to others' actions.
• Communicate with supervisors and respond to protocols and procedures after training
• Demonstrate ability to communicate with the public, work time spent standing, working with or in a group or team,

Education and/or Experience:

• No previous restaurant experience required

Physical Demands:

• Be able to work in a standing position for long periods of time (up to 8 hours)

Computer/Technology Skills:

• No previous skills required; job duties may require working with seating software programs and/or reservation software, recording customer names, phone number and other information about the party in computing device(s).

Language/Communication Skills:

• Be able to communicate clearly and effectively in the predominant language(s) of our guests