Job Description

As The Alston's Maitre'd, you are the primary ambassador of our hospitality, setting the stage for an exceptional dining experience. Your main focus is cultivating genuine connections with our guests, ensuring everyone receives a warm, personal welcome and a gracious farewell. You'll master the art of guest recognition, making regulars feel cherished and new visitors instantly comfortable. While adeptly managing reservations and seating flow across the dining room, patio, and bar, your true measure of success lies in orchestrating a seamless and welcoming arrival and departure. You will lead and inspire the host team, empowering them to extend the same level of warmth and personalized attention. As the first and final impression, you embody The Alston's spirit, creating an inviting atmosphere where every guest feels valued and eager to return.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

At the Door & Guest Experience Focused:

• Extend a warm, genuine welcome to every guest upon arrival.
• Skillfully organize and manage the waitlist, communicating wait times clearly and courteously.
• Ensure the timely and accurate seating of reservations, while proactively acknowledging and fulfilling special guest requests whenever possible.
• Personally guide guests to their tables, ensuring a smooth and pleasant transition into their dining experience.
• Utilize OPENTABLE chits (or relevant system notes) effectively to communicate reservation specifics, guest preferences, or special occasion details to servers and managers, enabling the team to meet and exceed expectations.
• Maintain impeccable cleanliness and organization in all areas of the host stand, including counters, menus, computers/tablets, shelves, and storage.
• Provide a gracious and memorable farewell to all departing guests.
• Coordinate with our Private Members Director for seating in the dining room and private members club.

General Support & Operations:

• Be flexible and available to fill in as needed across various functions to ensure the smooth and efficient operation of the restaurant, as directed by management.
• Strictly adhere to all health and food safety standards and procedures.
• Assist with tasks such as restocking items and general cleaning to contribute to the overall readiness and appearance of the restaurant.
• Operate the Point of Sale (POS) system efficiently as needed (e.g., for retail or carry-out transactions if applicable).
• Answer restaurant phone calls professionally, handling inquiries and reservation requests with excellent customer service.
• Consistently follow all Fifty/50 Restaurant Group policies and procedures.

Physical Functions:

• Ability to stand and walk for extended periods, potentially a minimum of 8 hours or the duration of the shift.
• Must be able to exert well-paced and frequent mobility throughout the shift.
• Ability to frequently lift items weighing up to 20 pounds.
• Must be able to frequently climb and descend stairs.
• Requires frequent reaching, feeling, bending, stooping, carrying, fine manipulation (e.g., for keyboard/tablet use), and data entry.
• Must be comfortable working in environments with varying temperatures (warm and cool areas).
• Ability to perform duties effectively in an environment with potentially high levels of background noise (music, guest traffic, staff communication).
• Must be able to tolerate potential workplace exposure to common food allergens, including peanut products, egg, dairy, gluten, soy, seafood, and shellfish.

Qualifications, Education, and Behavior:

• Demonstrated ability to work efficiently and maintain high standards of safety and procedure adherence in a fast-paced environment.
• An active and professional social media presence is considered a plus.
• Dress in a professional and/or elegant matter to portray the Alston in the best possible light.
• Must have availability to work on Holidays and weekends as required by business needs.
• Ability to commit to and maintain a consistent work schedule, requiring availability for at least 4 days per week.
• A genuine passion for hospitality and creating positive guest interactions.

Required Skills:

• Proficiency with restaurant reservation management systems, specifically OpenTable.
• Experience operating restaurant Point of Sale (POS) systems.
• Exceptional interpersonal, communication, and problem-solving 

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