Host and Hostess Training Guide

Your hosts and hostesses are the first employees to engage with customers when they walk
through your door. We know first impressions are critical in foodservice, but host training is
often neglected to make time for training servers or kitchen staff. If you invest time into
developing your host staff, the far-reaching benefits will have a positive effect on your entire
restaurant staff. 
What Is a Host at a Restaurant?
Hosts and hostesses greet customers and take them to their seats. It seems simple, but
hosting is more involved than you may realize. A good host has to be aware of the flow of
service in the dining room at all times. They must handle reservations, server seating
rotation, and customer wait times, all while welcoming each guest that walks through the
door. The host may also have to juggle answering phones, cashing out customers, and
packaging carryout orders.
Host vs Hostess
Which is the preferred title, host or hostess? If you want to use inclusive terminology in your
job postings or employee handbook, it's acceptable to say host and/or hostess. Host, or
host staff, is also considered gender neutral.
What Does a Restaurant Host Do?
From the guest’s perspective, the host welcomes them to the restaurant and leads them to
their seat in the dining room. But a restaurant host or hostess does more than just greet and
seat. A great restaurant host knows the dining room floor plan by heart, including table
numbers, covers per table, and server sections. They multitask behind the scenes to keep
the flow of service on track and maximize table turnover.
Host Training Guide
We’ll help you understand the intricate aspects of restaurant hosting and how you can train
your host staff to provide impeccable service.
1. Reservations
Taking reservations isn’t as easy as you think! If you take reservations by phone, your host
staff should be trained to ask for the following information:
 Number of guests
 Wheelchairs, walkers
 Table or booth preference
 Indoor or outdoor preference
 Dietary restrictions
 Birthdays or events
  Time and date
 Contact Information

What Is Floor Management?

The art of balancing open tables, reservations, and waiting guests is called dining room
floor management. At the start of the shift, the host or hostess reviews the reservations and
selects the appropriate table for the guests. This requires critical thinking because the host
cannot reserve a table too soon and leave it empty. It needs to be seated with paying
guests as often as possible, so it’s up to the host to decide when to block off the table in
time for the reserved party. Reservation software can help with floor management, but
many restaurants still require the host staff to manage seating for reserved guests.
2. Greeting Guests
Never underestimate the importance of greeting! First impressions are made within
seconds, and a poor greeting from your host or hostess can blemish a guest’s experience.
 Never Leave Your Post Unmanned - This simple rule ensures that every guest is
greeted properly. If a host or hostess must walk away from their post, they should
ask someone to keep a lookout while they are gone.
 Open the Door - Instead of waiting for guests to come to them, a great host is
proactive about opening doors and greeting guests before they enter.
 Make Eye Contact - A superior host or hostess can't afford to be shy! Making eye
contact shows you value a guest's patronage.
 Greet Each Guest - Offer a warm welcome to every guest, but change up the
greeting each time so it's not robotic.
 Pay Attention to the Order of Guests - One of the quickest ways to earn a customer
complaint is to neglect the order of a guest's arrival. First come, first serve is what
customers expect.
 No Personal Chatting - When guests are present, it's good manners for the host staff
to avoid chatting with each other about personal matters. Chatting between
coworkers becomes a huge problem when it distracts the host from noticing a guest
walking through the door. Customers should never be made to feel as if they aren't
the top priority.
3. Managing Wait Times
In a perfect world, one party of guests arrives at a time, but that’s not the case in a busy
restaurant. A line at the door is great for business if it’s handled properly. That job falls to
the host or hostess, and it’s not a simple task.
  Taking Names - Once all tables in a restaurant are filled, the host staff should jump
into action and start taking a list of names. Taking down a guest's name, the number
in their party, contact numberand their seating preference is the best way to seat
all guests in order. It helps to assign one host or hostess to the door so they can
greet all customers and write down their information. Another host should monitor
the dining room floor and take guests to their seats.
 First Available - The term first available is used to identify the guests that have no
table preference and therefore get seated more quickly. Make sure your host staff is
trained to explain the meaning of first available to guests.
 Observing the Flow of Service - The host's job isn't complete after guests are seated.
Observing the flow of service means monitoring the stages of the meal (drinks,
ordering, payment) for every table. A seasoned host or hostess can tell roughly how
long it will take for the diners to complete their meal based on their observations.
This is a skill that helps the host staff to manage wait times.
 Working with Busser Staff - In a full dining room, the host staff must work closely
with the bussers to prioritize cleaning the right tables. It’s up to the host to identify
which tables should be bussed first based on the parties that are waiting. For
instance, if a party of six guests is waiting, it would be unfortunate to waste time
cleaning several two-tops before finishing a six-top.
4. Seating Guests
To an observer, seating guests might seem straightforward. In reality, a host or hostess is
managing several considerations when they choose a table. The guest’s preferences are a
top priority, but floor plans and rotation are also involved in the decision.
 Floor Plans - Every dining room layout has a floor plan that separates tables into
server sections. There could be multiple floor plans based on how many servers are
working per shift. For example, on a slow night, the floor plan might only divide the
dining room into three sections. On a busy night, there could be upwards of 10
different sections. It’s the host’s job to memorize every floor plan, choose the right
floor plan for the shift, and know which sections belong to which server.
 Communication with Other Hosts - When there is more than one host or hostess
seating guests, they must be in sync with each other. Instruct your host staff to pay
attention to where guests are being seated at all times. That way, two hosts won't
go to the same table and cause confusion.
 Special Requests - Regardless of server rotation and floor plans, the host staff should
always honor special requests from guests. If a request isn't feasible, they should do
their best to find a solution that makes the guest happy.
 Guests with Disabilities - Wheelchairs, walkers, need to be accommodated safely
and comfortably. It’s the host’s responsibility to seat any guests with disabilities in
the right location.
5. Supporting Server Staff
Train your host staff to imagine they have two types of customers - the hungry guests
coming through the door and the servers on duty. It's the host's job to keep all their
customers happy. Sometimes it seems like an impossible task, but there are ways to seat all
guests and support the server staff through busy shifts.
 Communication - An efficient host or hostess will know every server by name and let
them know when they have a new table in their section. They’ll also communicate
special requests to the server and provide helpful info.
 Staggering Tables - By staggering tables, or adding a little time in between each
seating, the host staff can help servers provide better service. It also helps the
kitchen staff when tables are staggered instead of seated all at once.
 Getting Drinks or Rolls - If the host or hostess double seats a server, it’s a good
practice to provide some assistance so the server can catch up. This can be done by
getting water for the table, taking a drink order, or serving bread.
 Know the Server's Shift - The host or hostess should be aware when a server's shift
is coming to an end and avoid seating tables in their section.
6. Carryout Orders
Seating and floor management take up a lot of time, but your host staff must be able to
switch gears and handle carryout orders when needed. Even if you have online ordering set
up for your restaurant, the orders must be double-checked, packaged, and handed off to
the right customer.
 Menu Knowledge - Just like on-premise diners, carryout customers have menu
questions too! Train your host staff to be as knowledgeable about your menu as your
server staff.
 POS Training - If you don't have online ordering setup for your business, hosts need
to know how to enter takeout and curbside orders into your POS system.
 Packing Up Orders - Every host or hostess should be conscientious when packaging
takeout orders. All the dishes need to be checked for accuracy and placed in the
right containers. Additional items like straws, utensils, and condiments must be
included.
7. Checkout Station
Many restaurants offer a pay-your-server option, but there are still some establishments
that utilize a cashier station. The host-on-duty is responsible for operating the cash register
and handling payment from guests. It's just one more task that must be managed, along
with all other hosting duties.
  Receipt Paper - Running out of receipt paper in the middle of a rush is a rookie
mistake. Instruct your hosts and hostesses to stock the right receipt paper and teach
them how to load it quickly.
 Counterfeit Bills - Anytime you accept large cash bills, it's a good practice to check
for counterfeiting. Train hosts on what to look for and how to use counterfeit money
detectors.
 Coupons and Discounts - Coupons are a great way to promote your business, but
they add an extra layer of complexity to the checkout process. Your host staff should
be aware of all coupon campaigns and know how to apply the correct discount to a
customer's bill.

8. Host Dress Code

Just like all other front-of-house employees, your host staff should follow the proper dress
code.
 Uniforms / Dress Code - It's common for the host staff to wear their own dressy
attire instead of uniforms to set them apart from the server staff. Make sure you
outline the terms of the dress code you expect from your hosts.
 Grooming and Hygiene - Hosts and hostesses should be well-groomed at all times
and clothing must be free of wrinkles or stains.
 Acceptable Footwear - You've probably seen host staff employees at other
restaurants that are dressed to the nines with fancy footwear. A note of caution -
hosts and hostesses should follow the same footwear rules as the rest of your staff.
They walk through the kitchen and are just as likely to slip and fall on a wet floor.

Your host staff is responsible for many tasks and must learn to manage the floor, help
guests, and stay in sync with other staff members. It's not just a simple "greet and seat" job,
no matter how it appears to observers. The best hosts are detail-oriented, conscientious,
and supportive teammates.