Maitre'D | World's 50 Best Opening | NYC
An internationally acclaimed hospitality brand is seeking an experienced and polished Maître'D to join the opening leadership team of a highly anticipated restaurant debut in New York City's West Village. This is a unique opportunity to become part of the U.S. launch of one of the world's most celebrated restaurant groups. We are seeking a hospitality professional who is passionate about creating exceptional first and lasting impressions, thrives in a refined dining environment, and understands that genuine hospitality begins well before guests are seated. The ideal candidate is a confident, gracious, and highly organized leader with exceptional guest recognition skills, strong emotional intelligence, and the ability to manage a dynamic, high-profile dining room with warmth and professionalism. Experience within South American or Latin-inspired restaurant concepts is highly preferred.
Key Responsibilities
Guest Experience
- Serve as the face of the restaurant, providing a warm, genuine, and personalized welcome to every guest.
- Manage reservations, guest flow, and seating to maximize both hospitality and operational efficiency.
- Build meaningful relationships with regular guests while creating memorable first-time experiences.
- Anticipate guest needs and resolve concerns with professionalism, discretion, and confidence.
- Collaborate closely with the management and service teams to deliver a seamless dining experience.
Dining Room Operations
- Oversee daily reservation management and seating strategy using reservation platforms.
- Balance walk-in demand, VIP reservations, and service pacing while maintaining the integrity of the guest experience.
- Communicate effectively with managers, servers, and kitchen leadership throughout service.
- Maintain an organized and welcoming reception area that reflects the restaurant's hospitality standards.
Team Leadership
- Lead and mentor the host team through coaching, training, and ongoing development.
- Establish hospitality standards for guest greetings, reservation management, and telephone etiquette.
- Support pre-shift meetings and communicate daily reservation notes, VIP arrivals, and special accommodations.
- Foster a collaborative, positive culture built on professionalism, teamwork, and accountability.
Opening Support
- Assist with pre-opening training, service rehearsals, and operational readiness.
- Help establish reservation systems, guest communication standards, and opening procedures.
- Partner with leadership to ensure a successful opening and ongoing operational excellence.
Qualifications
- 3+ years of experience as a Maître d', Lead Host, Guest Relations Manager, or similar leadership role within an upscale or fine dining restaurant.
- Exceptional guest engagement and relationship-building skills.
- Experience managing high-volume reservation books and coordinating service flow.
- Familiarity with reservation platforms such as Resy, OpenTable, or SevenRooms.
- Experience within South American or Latin-inspired restaurant concepts is highly preferred.
- Spanish speaking is strongly preferred but not required.
- Strong communication, organizational, and multitasking abilities.
- Ability to remain calm, composed, and solution-oriented in a fast-paced environment.
Preferred Experience
- Experience opening new restaurants or participating in high-profile restaurant launches.
- Strong understanding of the New York City dining scene and hospitality landscape.
- Ability to travel internationally for pre-opening training.
- Full availability throughout the opening and training period.
Personal Qualities
- Warm, charismatic, and genuinely hospitality-driven.
- Poised, polished, and confident interacting with high-profile clientele.
- Emotionally intelligent with excellent interpersonal skills.
- Highly organized with exceptional attention to detail.
- Calm under pressure with the ability to anticipate guest needs before they arise.
Compensation & Benefits
- Competitive salary based on experience
- Performance-based bonus opportunity
- Health insurance
- Laundry service
- Cell phone reimbursement
- Opportunity to join an internationally acclaimed hospitality brand during an exciting U.S. expansion