Manhattan, New York
Position Summary As a Host at NORTE, you are the first and final point of contact for our guests and play an essential role in creating the energy, hospitality, and professionalism of the restaurant. Hosts are expected to provide warm, confident, polished, and engaging hospitality to every guest entering and leaving the venue. You are responsible for managing the arrival and departure experience, reservations, guest profiles, coat check, telephone communications, and other guest-facing areas while maintaining the standards expected of an upscale dining and nightlife environment. This position requires exceptional communication skills, strong attention to detail, professional presentation, discretion, organization, and the ability to remain composed and hospitable in a fast-paced, high-volume environment. Essential Responsibilities You are responsible for the following duties, including but not limited to: Guest Reception & Hospitality • Warmly acknowledge, welcome, and engage every guest entering the restaurant., • Provide a gracious and professional farewell to guests departing the venue., • Maintain awareness of the entrance, lobby, waiting areas, and overall guest flow at all times., • Follow the 15-10-5 hospitality rule consistently:, • At approximately 15 feet, acknowledge the guest and establish awareness., • At approximately 10 feet, make eye contact, smile, and prepare to engage., • At approximately 5 feet, provide a verbal greeting, welcome, or appropriate hospitality interaction., • Anticipate guest needs and proactively offer assistance rather than waiting to be approached., • Maintain a calm, confident, and welcoming demeanor during high-volume periods, delays, special events, and challenging guest interactions., • Develop familiarity with regular guests, VIPs, special occasions, and returning clientele while maintaining appropriate discretion and confidentiality. Reservations & Guest Profiles • Accurately manage reservations, waitlists, seating information, and guest notes through the restaurant's reservation platform., • Create and maintain detailed guest profiles to support personalized service and future visits., • Record relevant guest preferences, seating requests, allergies, special occasions, VIP information, and service notes accurately and professionally., • Ensure guest information is kept current and useful for management and service teams., • Review upcoming reservations and guest notes before service to identify VIPs, special occasions, large parties, and other service considerations., • Communicate reservation changes, cancellations, late arrivals, special requests, and other important information to management., • Previous Resy experience is strongly preferred. Telephone & Guest Communications • Answer restaurant telephone calls promptly, professionally, and with appropriate hospitality., • Assist guests with reservations, directions, hours of operation, general restaurant information, and other appropriate inquiries., • Accurately document messages and ensure important communications are delivered promptly to the appropriate manager or department., • Maintain professional tone, language, and etiquette during all telephone and guest communications. Coat Check & Guest Areas • Operate and maintain the restaurant's coat check with accuracy, organization, security, and professionalism., • Properly tag, store, retrieve, and return guest belongings., • Maintain organization and cleanliness of the coat check area throughout service., • Monitor guest-facing restroom areas and communicate cleanliness, maintenance, supply, or service issues immediately to the appropriate team member or manager., • Maintain awareness of entrance and guest waiting areas and ensure they remain clean, organized, and presentation-ready. Delivery & Third-Party Order Support • Assist with restaurant delivery and third-party delivery systems as assigned., • Professionally greet and communicate with delivery drivers and couriers., • Confirm orders and deliveries with drivers before items leave the restaurant when required., • Help ensure orders are released to the correct driver and that appropriate confirmation procedures are followed., • Communicate delays, missing orders, incorrect pickups, or other delivery issues promptly to management or the appropriate team. Professional Presentation & Venue Standards • Maintain a polished, sophisticated, and fashion-forward professional appearance appropriate for an upscale restaurant and nightlife environment., • Adhere to all established uniform, grooming, hygiene, and presentation standards., • Maintain professional body language and posture while stationed at the entrance, host desk, coat check, or throughout guest-facing areas., • Avoid personal phone use, eating, leaning, congregating, or other behavior inconsistent with the professional presentation of the venue while in guest view., • Understand that the Host team contributes directly to the atmosphere and visual presentation of the restaurant while maintaining professionalism at all times. Communication & Teamwork • Maintain constant communication with management, servers, bussers, runners, bartenders, security, and other members of the service team regarding guest flow and reservations., • Communicate guest arrivals, VIPs, special occasions, seating requests, and service concerns promptly., • Assist management with controlling guest flow during peak arrival and departure periods., • Support fellow Hosts and other Front of House team members whenever necessary., • Remain flexible and assist with additional guest-service responsibilities as directed by management. Qualifications • Previous Host, Guest Relations, Reservations, or upscale hospitality experience preferred., • Experience in a high-volume, fine-dining, luxury hospitality, or nightlife environment is strongly preferred., • Resy experience is a plus., • Excellent verbal communication and interpersonal skills., • Strong organizational skills and attention to detail., • Comfortable working with reservation software, tablets, phones, and restaurant technology., • Ability to recognize guests and retain information regarding preferences and previous visits., • Ability to remain professional and composed while managing multiple priorities simultaneously., • Strong sense of hospitality, urgency, discretion, and situational awareness., • Must be comfortable interacting professionally with VIPs, regular clientele, and guests from diverse backgrounds., • Ability to work nights, weekends, holidays, and late-night service periods as required by the business. Physical & Professional Requirements • Ability to stand and remain active for extended periods during service., • Ability to move throughout the restaurant and guest areas as required., • Ability to safely handle guest coats and personal belongings., • Ability to communicate clearly in a busy restaurant and nightlife environment., • Maintain consistent professional grooming, hygiene, uniform, and presentation standards throughout the shift. Service Expectations A NORTE Host is expected to understand that hospitality begins before the guest reaches the door and continues until the guest has left the property. Every arrival should feel acknowledged. Every interaction should feel intentional. Every departure should leave the guest with a positive final impression. Hosts are expected to know who is coming, recognize who has arrived, understand relevant guest preferences, communicate that information to the team, and help create a personalized experience that encourages guests to return. The Host is not simply responsible for seating guests—the Host is responsible for managing the guest's first impression, supporting their experience throughout the visit, and delivering their final impression of NORTE.
