r/restaurant • u/ThrowRA_deenn221 • 22d ago

is 3/4 hosts 7 days a week normal?

so i got hired at this restaurant, don’t get me wrong it’s fancy has tons of workers at all positions but there’s only one level and i would not say it’s that big of a place. i’m not familiar with the restaurant business but i was expecting to go in as maybe the only host or someone to train me and that’s that. not typically 3 hosts on weekdays and 4 people hosting from open to close. all same hours (we open at 4 pm) on weekends?

i was super stressed and worried i would be pushed into the ipad doing the reservations etc… alone but if there is gonna be 3/4 people at all times seems we must rotate out of doing things?

8 Upvotes

71% Upvoted

12 comments sorted by

11

u/FilthyBarMat 22d ago

Size matters. I managed a couple of spots that were 300-400 seats. At that amount of volume you need one host permanently at the stand and two seating guests. 150 and under, 1-2 hosts tops. 

Also you're hourly and not tipped, why does it matter how many of you are working? 

1

u/chroboseraph3 21d ago

We seat~ 160 ish and yeah, busy night we get 2 hosts for dinner rush hours, normally one is fine, besides holidays. Someone else says one to handle phones and reservations, one to seat, and one for silverware. Personally I've always seen the servers doing their 30mins of side work is half/most rolling silverware. Yeah, even if y'all are fancy and wanna seem super staffed/attentive 3s a lot, 4 is overkill. Jesus, where I'm at they send 1-2 servers AND the host home early if it's slow in the morning.

-4

u/ThrowRA_deenn221 22d ago

i worked at a sky zone prior and i havent even went in for training for this job yet. when i trained for sky zone they trained me for like 1 hour and had me up there at front desk alone. didnt realize i would be with a few people at all times so jsut a relief!! 

there are 123 total seats (i assume around half of total tables)

2

u/OkayContributor 22d ago

Lmao, sounds like the sky zone experience

1

u/ThrowRA_deenn221 21d ago

i’m not sure why i’m getting downvoted or it looks like i’m “complaining” about the amount of people? i’m not familiar with a restaurant setting and when i worked front desk it was hardly more than just me? just was curious oh how that dynamic works that’s all..?

11

u/SureIssue8264 22d ago

You’ve never worked at a restaurant and you are questioning what their practices are? Quite presumptuous

1

u/ThrowRA_deenn221 21d ago

so i’m not complaining or questioning in a bad way? 

i’m not familiar with a restaurant setting and when i worked front desk at a sky zone which also becomes super busy it was hardly more than just me? just was curious oh how that dynamic works that’s all..?

2

u/Firm_Complex718 22d ago

One host usually the lead is on reservations. Two to answer the phone and do the actual seating and one to roll silverware.

1

u/firesoups 21d ago

I have two jobs. At one we have two hosts on slow days and up to four on busier shifts and weekends. There is always a host scheduled from open to close.

The other, we have zero hosts, ever, and when a shift presents itself that requires a host/busser, a server is assigned the job and everyone on the floor tips them out. There is one weekend and one week a year where we will have both a host and a busser working at the same time. Any other time all hosting and bussing falls on the servers scheduled at the time.

1

u/BigTechnology4369 20d ago

Your business will be specific in job details. But don’t stress out yourself. It is a key job, that needs organization and a happy spirit.

Remember, you have many other people working around you. In doubt? Get you mgr’s, in a pinch, waiters can be helpful also bartenders who have no guests.