Maitre D

At Seed Library, hospitality begins the moment a guest walks through our doors. The Maitre d' serves as the face of the restaurant, setting the tone for every guest experience through genuine warmth, thoughtful attention, and exceptional service leadership.

This role is responsible for overseeing reservations, guest relations, seating strategy, and front-door operations while acting as a key leader within the dining room. The ideal candidate is a natural host, an organized operator, and a passionate mentor who understands that great hospitality comes from both caring for guests and developing people.

As a member of the leadership team, the Maitre d' will play a critical role in building Seed Library's culture, supporting employee growth, and ensuring that every guest leaves feeling recognized, appreciated, and eager to return.

Core Responsibilities Guest Experience & Hospitality

• Serve as a ambassador of Seed Library, creating memorable first and last impressions for every guest.
• Welcome and engage guests with warmth, professionalism, and genuine hospitality.
• Manage reservations, waitlists, and seating assignments to optimize guest satisfaction and dining room flow.
• Develop relationships with regular guests, VIPs, neighborhood patrons, and community partners.
• Recognize special occasions and personalize experiences whenever possible.
• Resolve guest concerns with empathy, professionalism, and a solutions-oriented mindset.
• Actively gather guest feedback and communicate opportunities for improvement to management.
• Maintain a visible presence throughout service, ensuring hospitality standards are consistently upheld.

Dining Room Leadership

• Oversee host stand operations and coordinate seamless communication between the kitchen, service, and management teams.
• Execute strategic seating plans that balance guest experience, server equity, and operational efficiency.
• Monitor reservations, pacing, and table turns throughout service.
• Assist managers in maintaining service standards and smooth dining room execution.
• Support large parties, special events, and VIP experiences.
• Maintain accurate guest profiles and reservation notes within reservation management systems.

Opening Responsibilities

• Review daily reservations, guest notes, VIP arrivals, special events, and operational updates.
• Prepare dining room floor plans and seating strategies.
• Ensure host stands, reception areas, menus, and guest-facing spaces are clean, organized, and fully stocked.
• Verify reservation and waitlist systems are functioning properly.
• Conduct pre-shift communication with the host team to review expectations, reservations, and service priorities.
• Collaborate with managers to address staffing needs, special requests, and service planning.
• Walk the dining room prior to opening to ensure Seed Library's presentation standards are met.

Closing Responsibilities

• Oversee the completion of reservation records, guest notes, and service documentation.
• Record VIP visits, guest recovery opportunities, and notable service experiences.
• Communicate important follow-up items to management and the next leadership team.
• Reconcile reservation system details and prepare notes for future services.
• Ensure host stations, entrances, and reception areas are cleaned, organized, and reset.
• Review next-day reservations and anticipate staffing or operational needs.
• Participate in post-service discussions to identify opportunities for continuous improvement.

Talent Development & Team Leadership

• Recruit, interview, onboard, and retain exceptional hospitality professionals.
• Lead the host team through consistent coaching, mentorship, and performance development.
• Train staff on guest engagement, reservation management, communication standards, and conflict resolution.
• Conduct ongoing hospitality education focused on creating memorable guest experiences.
• Provide real-time feedback and development opportunities during service.
• Assist in creating individualized growth plans for high-potential team members.
• Foster a culture of accountability, inclusion, collaboration, and hospitality excellence.
• Serve as a role model for professionalism, integrity, and guest-centric leadership.
• Support succession planning by helping develop future supervisors and managers from within the team.

Qualifications

• Minimum 2 years of leadership experience in upscale hospitality, restaurants, hotels, or guest-focused environments.
• Strong understanding of reservation management systems and dining room operations.
• Exceptional interpersonal, communication, and organizational skills.
• Ability to remain calm, professional, and solution-oriented in a fast-paced environment.
• Demonstrated passion for hospitality and guest engagement.
• Strong coaching and team development abilities.
• Availability to work evenings, weekends, and holidays.
• Fine dining, luxury hospitality, or high-volume restaurant experience preferred.

What Success Looks Like at Seed Library

• Guests feel welcomed, valued, and personally connected to the Seed Library experience.
• The dining room operates smoothly, efficiently, and with exceptional hospitality standards.
• Reservation and seating strategies support both guest satisfaction and business performance.
• Team members are engaged, growing professionally, and committed to excellence.
• Seed Library becomes known not only for its food and beverage program, but for memorable hospitality that creates lifelong guests.

Seed Library is committed to creating a workplace where hospitality professionals can grow, lead, and build meaningful careers. We believe that exceptional guest experiences start with exceptional teams, and we invest in the people who help bring our vision to life every day.

More detail about Seed Library part of Renwick Hospitality Group