Occupation · SOC 35-9031
Hosts and Hostesses, Restaurant, Lounge, and Coffee Shop
Welcome patrons, seat them at tables or in lounge, and help ensure quality of facilities and service.
Median wage
$30,380
$22,010–$42,600
Projected growth
—
—
Annual openings
—
per year
Employed (US)
427,150
Job Zone 2
Typical preparation
Some preparation
Stackable credential programs
0 mapped
Core skills
Active ListeningSpeakingService OrientationSocial Perceptiveness
Knowledge areas
Customer and Personal ServiceEnglish Language
Technology & tools
Data base user interface and query softwareWeb page creation and editing softwarePoint of sale POS softwareCalendar and scheduling softwareSpreadsheet software
Representative tasks
Provide guests with menus.Greet guests and seat them at tables or in waiting areas.Maintain contact with kitchen staff, management, serving staff, and customers to ensure that dining details are handled properly and customers' concerns are addressed.Assign patrons to tables suitable for their needs and according to rotation so that servers receive an appropriate number of seatings.Speak with patrons to ensure satisfaction with food and service, to respond to complaints, or to make conversation.Inspect dining and serving areas to ensure cleanliness and proper setup.Supervise and coordinate activities of dining room staff to ensure that patrons receive prompt and courteous service.Answer telephone calls and respond to inquiries or transfer calls.Assist other restaurant workers by serving food and beverages, or by bussing tables.Inspect restrooms for cleanliness and availability of supplies, and clean restrooms when necessary.Take and prepare to-go orders.Inform patrons of establishment specialties and features.Receive and record patrons' dining reservations.Operate cash registers to accept payments for food and beverages.Direct patrons to coatrooms and waiting areas, such as lounges.Prepare cash receipts after establishments close, and make bank deposits.Order or requisition supplies and equipment for tables and serving stations.Confer with other staff to help plan establishments' menus.Hire, train, and supervise food and beverage service staff.Perform marketing and advertising services.
Competency framework
Skill expectations by proficiency level.
emerging
Guest menus — distribute promptly and accurately under supervisor guidance at the host stand during a standard dining shift.Arriving guests — greet warmly and escort to designated tables following established seating procedures in a casual restaurant setting.Waiting area — monitor and update guests on estimated wait times using scripted responses under direct staff supervision.Table assignments — follow a basic rotation chart to seat patrons at available tables with guidance from a senior host or manager.Dining and serving areas — inspect for visible cleanliness issues and report concerns to a supervisor before and during service.Guest satisfaction — ask simple scripted questions to confirm comfort and relay any complaints immediately to serving staff or management.Incoming telephone calls — answer using approved greetings, record reservation details, and transfer calls as directed by a manager.Point-of-sale software — enter basic reservation and waitlist information under direct instruction during a live restaurant shift.Customer and personal service standards — apply foundational courtesy and hospitality rules when interacting with guests in a lounge or coffee shop environment.Communication with kitchen and serving staff — relay straightforward seating updates using established verbal check-in protocols during low-volume service periods.
developing
Guest seating rotation — manage independently across multiple server sections to maintain equitable table distribution during a moderately busy restaurant shift.Menu distribution and explanation — provide menus and answer basic questions about layout and daily specials with confidence during routine service.Patron complaints and concerns — listen actively, apologize appropriately, and initiate resolution steps without requiring immediate managerial intervention in a casual dining setting.Dining room cleanliness and setup — conduct pre-service walkthroughs and correct minor setup deficiencies before the rush in a full-service restaurant.Telephone reservations and inquiries — handle calls efficiently, gather complete party details, and update the scheduling software with accuracy during standard operating hours.Guest flow communication — coordinate seating updates between front-of-house staff and kitchen personnel to minimize wait times in a mid-volume service environment.Table readiness assessment — evaluate turnover status and adjust seating assignments in real time to reduce patron wait times during a dinner service.Regular and returning guests — recognize preferences and apply social perceptiveness to personalize the greeting and seating experience in a neighborhood restaurant or lounge.Reservation and waitlist records — maintain accurate entries in calendar and scheduling software throughout a full shift with minimal oversight.Staff coordination during service — assist in directing dining room team members to cover gaps in coverage with appropriate urgency and courtesy.
proficient
Full-shift seating operations — manage independently across all seating areas and server rotations to deliver smooth, efficient guest flow in a high-volume restaurant environment.Guest dissatisfaction situations — assess, de-escalate, and resolve complaints autonomously using active listening and service-recovery techniques without escalating every case to management.Cross-functional dining room communication — maintain continuous, accurate information exchange among kitchen staff, servers, and management to prevent service breakdowns during peak hours.Complex reservation scheduling — coordinate large-party bookings, special-occasion arrangements, and waitlist conflicts using scheduling and database software in a busy dining establishment.Dining area standards — identify and address cleanliness, ambiance, and setup deficiencies proactively across the full front-of-house before and during service.Non-routine guest needs — adapt seating plans to accommodate accessibility requirements, dietary flags, or unexpected party-size changes with poise in a full-service restaurant.Service quality monitoring — observe guest body language and table pacing to identify satisfaction issues early and coordinate timely staff responses during a dinner service.Telephone and digital guest communications — handle high-call volumes, respond to online inquiries, and reconcile reservation platform data accurately within a multi-channel booking environment.New host onboarding guidance — demonstrate seating procedures, rotation logic, and guest interaction standards to newer staff during live service in a restaurant or lounge.Problem sensitivity in operations — detect emerging bottlenecks in seating, staffing, or kitchen output and communicate actionable adjustments to the service team in real time.
advanced
Front-of-house hosting standards — establish, document, and communicate seating and guest-relations protocols that align with the brand vision across an entire restaurant operation.Dining room staff development — design and lead training sessions on service orientation, social perceptiveness, and rotation management for host and hostess teams at multiple locations.Guest experience strategy — evaluate satisfaction trends, complaint data, and reservation patterns to recommend and implement systemic improvements in a multi-unit food service environment.Staffing schedules and rotation policies — develop host-team scheduling frameworks and seating-rotation rules that optimize server equity and guest wait times across high-volume service periods.Technology adoption and integration — evaluate, configure, and champion POS, scheduling, and reservation software upgrades that improve operational accuracy for the entire front-of-house team.Cross-departmental service alignment — lead regular coordination meetings between hosting, serving, kitchen, and management teams to maintain cohesive service delivery in a large or multi-concept venue.Complaint escalation and recovery programs — design guest-recovery procedures and empower host staff to resolve issues at the first point of contact, reducing management escalations across the operation.Performance coaching and accountability — observe host team members during live service, provide structured feedback, and set measurable improvement goals aligned with organizational hospitality standards.Brand-consistent communication standards — author scripts, greeting guidelines, and telephone response frameworks that ensure uniform guest interactions across all shifts and service environments.Operational problem-solving leadership — analyze recurrent seating, staffing, and communication breakdowns and implement process changes that raise service reliability across the full restaurant or lounge.
Also known as
27 alternate job titles map to this occupation.
Parlor ChaperoneGreeterBar HostessParty HostessTearoom HostessRestaurant HostessFront Desk HostessSeaterMarine Aide (Marine Corps 3372)Dining Room HostHostessHost CoordinatorRestaurant HostHost/Hostess, RestaurantBreakfast HostBar HostHostDeli Host (Delicatessen Host)Hospitality CoordinatorBuffet HostessMaitre D' (Maitre d'hotel)General TellerTearoom HostParty HostDining Room HostessDining CoordinatorFront Desk Host