How to hire hosts and hostesses, restaurant, lounge, and coffee shop
A job description you can copy, interview questions tied to the real work, and what to pay. Free.
Job description template
Copy it, fill in the brackets, and remove anything that does not fit your job. Keep only must-haves you would really turn someone away for.
[Job title] at [Company name] [City, State] · [Full-time / Part-time] · [Pay range] About the role [Two or three sentences about your team, the work and why it matters.] What you will do • Answer telephone calls and respond to inquiries or transfer calls. • Assign patrons to tables suitable for their needs and according to rotation so that servers receive an appropriate number of seatings. • Greet guests and seat them at tables or in waiting areas. • Inspect dining and serving areas to ensure cleanliness and proper setup. • Maintain contact with kitchen staff, management, serving staff, and customers to ensure that dining details are handled properly and customers' concerns are addressed. • Provide guests with menus. • Speak with patrons to ensure satisfaction with food and service, to respond to complaints, or to make conversation. • Supervise and coordinate activities of dining room staff to ensure that patrons receive prompt and courteous service. What you bring • [Required license, certification or years of experience, if any] • [Education, only if you truly need it. Typical to start in this job: No formal educational credential] • Strong active listening and speaking skills • Working knowledge of customer and personal service and English Language • [Anything else you would really turn someone away for] Pay and benefits [Pay range]. For reference, the U.S. median for this job is $15.00 an hour ($31,200 a year). [Benefits, schedule and anything else candidates should know.] How to apply [Apply on JAI Bot. Every applicant hears back.]
Interview questions for hosts and hostesses, restaurant, lounge, and coffee shop
Ask every candidate the same questions, in the same order, and write down what they say. Questions about past work show what someone has actually done.
- Tell me about a time you had to answer telephone calls and respond to inquiries or transfer calls. What did you do, and how did it turn out?
- Tell me about a time you had to assign patrons to tables suitable for their needs and according to rotation so that servers receive an appropriate number of seatings. What did you do, and how did it turn out?
- Tell me about a time you had to greet guests and seat them at tables or in waiting areas. What did you do, and how did it turn out?
- Tell me about a time you had to inspect dining and serving areas to ensure cleanliness and proper setup. What did you do, and how did it turn out?
- Tell me about a time you had to understand a request or problem that was explained poorly. How did you make sure you got it right?
- Explain something technical from your last job as you would to a new coworker.
- Why this job, and why now? What would make you stay here for the long term?
Good answers name a real situation, what the person did themselves and what happened. Avoid questions about age, family plans, religion, health, national origin or anything else unrelated to the job.
What hosts and hostesses, restaurant, lounge, and coffee shop do
- Answer telephone calls and respond to inquiries or transfer calls.
- Assign patrons to tables suitable for their needs and according to rotation so that servers receive an appropriate number of seatings.
- Greet guests and seat them at tables or in waiting areas.
- Inspect dining and serving areas to ensure cleanliness and proper setup.
- Maintain contact with kitchen staff, management, serving staff, and customers to ensure that dining details are handled properly and customers' concerns are addressed.
- Provide guests with menus.
- Speak with patrons to ensure satisfaction with food and service, to respond to complaints, or to make conversation.
- Supervise and coordinate activities of dining room staff to ensure that patrons receive prompt and courteous service.
Skills that matter most
Education, experience and outlook for hosts and hostesses, restaurant, lounge, and coffee shop
- Typical education to start: No formal educational credential (BLS)
- Related work experience most have: None (O*NET)
- Training on the job: Short-term on-the-job training (BLS)
- Job outlook: +3.4% over ten years, about as fast as average · about 107,100 openings a year (BLS)
What to pay hosts and hostesses, restaurant, lounge, and coffee shop
Pay depends a lot on where the job is. Highest and lowest median yearly pay by state:
| State | Median yearly pay |
|---|---|
| Hawaii | $47,070 |
| Oregon | $40,720 |
| District of Columbia | $37,570 |
| Washington | $37,270 |
| Maine | $36,800 |
| Wyoming | $22,660 |
| Louisiana | $22,060 |
| Mississippi | $21,990 |
See hosts and hostesses, restaurant, lounge, and coffee shop pay in every state
Related hiring guides
- Waiters and Waitresses
- Dining Room and Cafeteria Attendants and Bartender Helpers
- Food Servers, Nonrestaurant
- Fast Food and Counter Workers
- Hotel, Motel, and Resort Desk Clerks
- Bartenders
- Locker Room, Coatroom, and Dressing Room Attendants
- Passenger Attendants
- Demonstrators and Product Promoters
- First-Line Supervisors of Food Preparation and Serving Workers
Post this job on JAI Bot. Free to start: JAI Bot reads every applicant against your must-haves, shows the resume evidence behind each one, and helps you reply to everyone. People make every decision.
Post a job freePay by areaJob duties and skills: O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA), used under the CC BY 4.0 license; O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA. JAI Bot has modified this information; USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed, or tested these modifications. Pay: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS, May 2025. Interview questions and the job description template: JAI Bot, based on the duties and skills above.