Selkirk Host

Job Responsibility:

Department: Selkirk Restaurant

Position Type: Seasonal

Contract Start Date: August 15, 2024

Contract End Date: January 15, 2025

Hourly Rate: $15.50

Hours: Varies

What we offer:

• Flexible work arrangements
• Working in a beautiful park setting
• Free entrance to the Park, including to our many public special events
• Employee discounts on food and retail items and free parking

Who We Are:

Heritage Park is Canada's largest living history museum and offers visitors a chance to experience life in Western Canada from the 1860s to the early 1950s. The Park features historical buildings, costumed interpreters, working antiques, and various exhibits that provide insight into the region's past.

Job Overview:

As a Restaurant Host/Hostess, the primary responsibility is to ensure guests feel welcomed, valued, and attended to from the moment they enter the restaurant until they depart. This position plays a crucial role in managing the flow of guests, coordinating reservations, and optimizing seating arrangements to maintain efficient operations and maximize guest satisfaction.

Responsibilities:

Customer Service

• Greet guests with a friendly smile and welcoming demeanor, providing a positive first impression that sets the tone for their visit
• Efficiently manage the seating of guests, balancing reservations, walk-ins, and waitlisted parties to minimize wait times and maximize seating capacity
• Maintain an organized reservation system, accurately recording bookings, confirming reservations, and managing any changes or cancellations effectively
• Manages the waitlist during peak hours, providing accurate wait time estimates and keeping guests informed of their status while ensuring a fair and equitable seating process
• Orders necessary sales and serving supplies under the direction of management, ensuring adequate inventory levels to support smooth restaurant operations.
• Provides attentive and courteous service to guests, addressing inquiries, assisting with special requests, and promptly resolving any concerns or issues to ensure a positive dining experience
• Supports the turnover of tables by coordinating with servers and kitchen staff to expedite food orders and maintain an optimal dining pace for guests
• Acquire and maintain a thorough understanding of the restaurant's offerings, including menus, specials, and promotions
• Acquire and maintain comprehensive knowledge of Heritage Park, its services, and any special events, providing guests with interpretive historical information and programming relevant to the Selkirk
• Assist in emergency evacuation procedures, ensuring visitor safety, in calm and efficient manner
• Assist with bussing tables during peak times or as needed, including clearing dishes, glassware, and other items from tables, as well as ensuring that tables are promptly cleaned and reset for the next guests
• Deliver dishes from the kitchen to the appropriate tables as assigned, ensuring that orders are accurate and promptly served to guests
• Replenish supplies such as napkins, utensils, condiments, and beverages at service stations, ensuring that servers have everything they need to provide efficient service to guests
• Assist servers and cashiers with processing payments, handling cash transactions, and reconciling sales at the end of shifts
• Perform other duties as assigned

Organizational Excellence and Wellbeing

• Contribute to inspiring and immersive experiences at the Park through your roles and responsibilities by engaging in Heritage Park initiatives that align with the overall mission and vision of the Park
• Demonstrate commitment to workplace health and safety by complying with Heritage Park's Health, Safety and Environment Management System (HSEMS), following safe work practices, reporting work-related incidents, injuries and hazards, participating in employer training, and adhering policies including the Code of Conduct and the Workplace Violence and Harassment policy
• Actively support a positive work environment through creating an atmosphere of inclusion, engagement and fulfillment in line with Heritage Park values
• Demonstrate responsible stewardship of our people, collections and financial assets by ensuring that they are handled with integrity, sustainability, and a focus on long-term benefits for the organization and its stakeholders
• Perform other duties as required

Required Qualifications:

• Previous experience in a restaurant or hospitality environment is required; experience in a fast-paced, high-volume restaurant is preferred
• Prior experience hosting in similar family-dining chain restaurants is preferred
• Possession of ProServe certification is preferred; meeting ProServe eligibility requirements (being 18 years of age or older) is mandatory
• Ability to work flexible hours, including evenings, weekends, and holidays
• Attention to detail to accurately take orders and fulfil guest requests
• Ability to work efficiently in a fast-paced environment while maintaining a positive attitude
• Ability to work independently as well as a team
• Demonstrated strong interpersonal and communication skills in a client-faced setting
• All successful candidates (over the age of 18) will be required to go through Police Information Check as a condition of employment.

Special Clothing and Equipment:

• Appropriate uniform and safety equipment will be provided by Heritage Park; and
• Footwear, as designated by the Heritage Park Costume Department, will be provided by the employee.

Special Working Conditions:

• The position will be exposed to weather extremes and will work both indoors and outdoors; and
• This position is physically demanding, and the incumbent must have the ability to lift heavy items, stand for long periods of time and walk throughout the Park for extended periods.

Hours of Work:

• Hours vary, but schedules with up to 40 hours of work are available
• Evening and weekend shifts are required