What is a Restaurant Host?

A restaurant host is a member of the front of house restaurant staff who is responsible for ensuring that guests have a pleasant meal and that their needs are met. Restaurant hosts are also known simply as “hosts” or “hostesses,” in the case of women. Typically, their training includes waiting and hospitality experience, and a restaurant host may also have experience with bookkeeping and financial matters. Some culinary and professional schools offer training which is specifically geared to people who wish to become hosts. The job of a restaurant host includes taking reservations, seating customers, answering questions, keeping an eye on the flow of the floor, handling complaints, being prepared for a variety of events, and sometimes assisting the waiters, if the restaurant is extremely busy, and depending on the restaurant. A host often also handles the financial part of closing the restaurant, totaling income, distributing tips, and so forth. Essentially, a restaurant host is like an ... more