Elena Prokopets
Claire Briggs Webber, CPRW
Restaurants have made a comeback after the pandemic. Now that people are going out to eat again, the best eating establishments know they need to attract qualified staff, which is often in short supply. According to OpenTable research, 62% of establishments say they can’t staff up to meet demand, and 80% have a hard time filling open positions.
If you are great with people and have front-of-house experience, there is great demand for your talents as a restaurant host. All you have to do is land that first interview. For that, you need a compelling resume. Let’s get that sorted! We have a hostess resume example along with some actionable tips to help you get the job.
Hostess Resume Example (Word)
Resume for Hostess (plain text)
Career Objective
High-energy restaurant host with more than four years front of house experience along with significant back-of-house skills. Seeking a position as host, captain, or Maître d’ in a fine dining restaurant, resort, or boutique food establishment.
Skills
- Point of Sales
- Reservation Management
- Customer Service
- Upselling
- Wine Service
- Food and Wine Pairings
- Dining Service Planning
- Cold and Hot Prep
Work History
The Grotto – Chicago, IL
Front of House Manager
February 2021 – Present
Presently employed at the North Side’s premier Italian, fine dining restaurant. As a member of the team at this James Beard award-winning establishment, I am responsible for ensuring that every customer enjoys nothing less than a stellar experience. Additionally, I optimize workflows nightly to ensure that all other staff has a successful service. My responsibilities include:
- Presenting menus and specials in a taste bud-tickling manner
- Ensuring smooth dining experiences by standing in for servers as needed
- Providing information about the restaurant and signature dishes
- Managing VIP dining experience and closed events
- Solving and escalating customer issues as needed
Accomplishments:
- More than $10K in beverage sales generated through product recommendations
- Named among the best-ranked hostesses by Restaurant Digest.
Bistro West – Chicago, IL
Host
April 2018 – February 2021
Worked as a dinner service host at a fine dining restaurant that specializes in Modern American cuisine. My responsibilities included introducing patrons to a fixed-course dining experience, making wine recommendations, seating customers, and presenting menus.
University of Chicago Food Service
January 2012 – March 2019
Senior Hostess/Front of House Coordinator
Began my career in hospitality management in the food services department at the University of Chicago. Over a seven-year period, I grew from part-time busser, prep cook, and dish machine operator to managing front-of-house operations for all sit-down restaurants on campus. This included hiring and training staff, ensuring campus restaurants and cafes had adequate staff, hosting duties, and coordinating FOH and BOH activities.
Education
Madison County Community College.
Hospitality Management – Certificate of Proficiency
May 2012
Certifications:
- ServSafe Food Protection Manager Certification – Current License
- Illinois BASSET Alcohol Service Certification – Current License
How to Write a Hostess Resume
Hostesses must showcase their amicable personality and strong soft skills. As a natural “talker” it may be somewhat hard to convey those in writing. If that’s the case, apply the following helpful tips.
Use The Right Language
As you probably know, language evolves. Moreover, restaurants all tend to develop a unique lingo. As you write your resume and cover letter, keep this in mind. Tailor your writing to the language you see on a restaurant’s website, customer communications, etc. By doing this, you show you are flexible and sensitive, and that you pay attention to detail.
For example, you can use:
- Gender-neutral terms (if the establishment does so)
- Restaurant-specific service item names
- A similar tone of voice
On the other hand, you should avoid using restaurant lingo unless you know it is universal.
This is particularly important for this position as there are so many different words used to describe the job of host/hostess.
Show Your Capabilities
A restaurant host is a leadership position. It doesn’t matter that manager isn’t in the title. You are the one who ensures that the dining service goes as planned. The simple choices you make in seating patrons have a big impact on each server’s ability to do their job well.
While it is fine to list your responsibilities, you also need to detail your accomplishments. For example, a responsibility is making wine recommendations. Selling thousands of dollars in products through recommendations and upselling is an accomplishment.
Make Your Contact Information Stand Out
Make it easy for hiring managers to contact you. Include your email, text, LinkedIn, and any other professional contact information you have. Make it prominent — aka place everything in the resume header — so you can be contacted quickly when it’s time for interviews.
Final Tip: Remember to Follow Up
You don’t need to be told that busy restaurant managers take forever to follow up on job applicants. That’s okay! Take on that responsibility yourself. Set a time to follow up, about a week after you submit your resume. A quick email or text could be that little nudge you need to get called in for an interview.
