Hostess Job Description Sample & Template

Dining table set for Hostess

Hostesses are the face of your restaurant and provide all-around quality service.

Table of contents

  1. Future Job Prospects for Hostesses
  2. Hostesses Salary and Benefits
  3. Education and Training Requirements
  4. Hostesses Job Description Sample – Free Download

1. Future Job Prospects for Hostesses

2. Hostesses Salary and Benefits

  • According to the BLS, the annual median wage is $19,980.
  • Most roles are hourly with the average rate of $9.22.

3. Education and Training Requirements

  • High School Diploma or General Education Diploma (GED) required.
Tip
Hostesses are essential to building your service team. A good hostess will offer a balance between warm customer service and excellent organizational management.

4. Hostesses Job Description Sample

Download This Job Description Template

We are seeking a warm and welcoming hostess with an exceptional customer-first attitude. You possess a strong ability to hold a conversation and communicate sympathetically to all guests. In this role, you will greet guests as they enter our restaurant, find out their party size, and then promptly facilitate seating in the most gracious way possible. You will need to make fast, efficient decisions as to where guests should sit, while always maintaining your smile and welcoming attitude.

You will communicate effectively with servers, bussers, and guests to ensure tables are promptly cleaned, reset, and filled with new patrons. You are responsible for the ebb and flow of diners in and out of our facility. You must feel comfortable speaking in front of a crowd, as you will call out guest names as tables become available. Occasionally you will answer phone calls and field questions or take reservations from patrons by phone.

Our hostess will have solid organizational skills and use common sense when accommodating customer requests. You will have an appropriate sense of humor and greet everyone respectfully and warmly at all times.

You will spend long hours standing and walking; this is an active role at the front of our restaurant. As guests are seated you will provide them with menus and let them know their server’s first name.

You will be impeccably groomed and always pleasant and willing to help guests, servers or staff. As necessary, you will assist in table prep when the restaurant servers are exceptionally busy. Your primary job is to make sure that the customers are happy and return frequently. Smile, make eye contact, and be pleasant at all times.

Responsibilities

  • Facilitating the timely seating of restaurant patrons.
  • Greeting and thanking guests as they enter and leave a restaurant establishment.
  • Taking names and recording the volume of guests in a party.
  • Moving customers in and out of tables, opening doors as you welcome guests, and generally assisting patrons.
  • Seating patrons, providing them with menus and sharing the name of their server.
  • Monitoring the volume of seats available, and if needed, assisting with table clearing, cleaning, and setting to ensure an efficient ebb and flow of diners.
  • Ensure the guest requirements are communicated or fulfilled for parties with special needs.
  • General duties as needed which could include everything from mopping a spill or other spot cleaning to clearing and setting a table.
  • Use your excellent memory by remembering frequent customers and their preferences, customer orders, and using proper names.
  • Intuitively anticipate customer needs by offering a sympathetic presence to ensure all issues are resolved to the utmost satisfaction of customers.
  • Establish a seamless experience between restaurant and customer.   

Required Skills

Educational

  • High School Diploma or General Education Diploma (GED) required.

Technical

  • Excellent communicator, warm and enthusiastic.
  • Able to walk freely and stand for long periods without discomfort.
  • Able to count and do basic math.
  • Phone and interpersonal skills.
  • Strong verbal skills.
  • Completely comfortable with the restaurant menu and business policies.

Communication/Organizational

  • Excellent customer service skills with a calm, professional demeanor.
  • Active listener with good reading comprehension.
  • Strong organizational skills with a high level of responsibility.
  • Ability to multitask and handle the smells, sounds, and stresses that come with a fast paced restaurant environment.
  • Detail oriented and focused.
  • Exceptionally responsible and efficient.

Benefits

  • Shift work and includes a percentage of tips at the end of a shift.

How to Apply

  • Apply by forwarding your resume along with a cover letter.