The hostess/host is a job in the restaurant business, involving a person who’s used as a direct representative for the establishment to its customers. The job of a host can include greeting new customers and arranging their tables, taking reservations and registering them appropriately, and generally ensuring that guests are well-accommodated and are enjoying their visit to the restaurant. In some cases, such as on a busy day, the host may give guests tips on what to order to avoid large delays in the preparation of their food, as well as recommend the current specials.
To become a good host, one needs an extremely warm and friendly personality. Many people get an immediate impression of the restaurant’s quality from the greetings they receive from its host, so it’s very important to hire the appropriate person for this job, if a manager wants to ensure the success of their establishment. A good ability to work under pressure and resolve multiple conflicts simultaneously can be very beneficial to those working the job.
A host/hostess typically earns rather low, in the $14,000 – $23,000 range. The job isn’t seen as a very serious one by most people who practice it and it’s often an auxiliary job, or an intermediate step in progressing towards a higher occupation in the restaurant’s hierarchy. Some high-grade restaurants tend to pay their hosts considerably more, though that’s valid for all of their employees in general and should be seen as an exception and not the norm.