The maitre d'hotel is the face of your restaurant

Not every restaurant can pay for the services of a high-profile headwaiter. And some beginning restaurateurs do not see the need for this person at all. The presence of the head waiter in the hall of the restaurant already in itself speaks about the quality of the services provided here, about the highest level of service, and the special attitude to the guests of the establishment. But is it really the maitre d'hotel's responsibility to only accompany the guest to the table and a dazzling smile?

Who is the headwaiter of the restaurant

The maitre d'hotel welcomes guests and escorts them to the table. In addition, his duties include the management and control of waiters, porters, security guards, cleaners - in general, everyone who works in a restaurant, but does not belong to the kitchen. The headmaster smooths conflict situations between guests and waiters, and also conducts staff training.

In order to be a headwaiter, you need to have a special education and extensive experience in the restaurant business. This work is either the pinnacle of a career in this direction or an intermediate step on the way to opening your own restaurant.

The head waiter is a person who simply must love his work. Otherwise, he simply will not be able to sincerely smile at the guests, gain the confidence and respect of the personnel, adequately cope with possible conflicts in the team or with the guests. This is work late, and work on holidays. You can not be sick, you can not look bad, be depressed, concerned about your own problems. It's not just the administrator of the restaurant, it's the face of the institution, and the face must be impeccable.

Functions of the headwaiter

The waiter's job description includes the following items:

• Control the appearance of the restaurant hall, bar counters, showcases - from design to cleanliness and order at each particular moment;
• Control of the work of waiters: taking orders and serving guests by waiters, as well as checking the correctness of accounts;
• Listening to guests' comments on the quality of service, and then taking measures to eliminate the shortcomings;
• Participation in the preparation of weddings, large-scale celebrations;
• Control compliance with discipline, labor law;
• The obligation to be a link between the owner of the restaurant and the staff: the introduction of innovations, monitoring the implementation of instructions.

What the head waiter needs to know and be able to do

The most minimal requirements for the head waiter are a specialized secondary education and work experience in the restaurant business for at least two years.

The maitre d'hotel is a restaurant employee who:

• Knows the decrees, orders, instructions of the higher leadership;
• Ideally knows and understands the rules and principles of the public catering business, as well as the basics of personnel management , marketing and advertising, interior design techniques;
• Knows the menu of the institution, can consult a guest, help in choosing wines;
• Has the concept of ethics, aesthetics, psychology. He is able to create a good mood, place the guest to himself and the institution. The head waiter should understand his people well, know how to motivate them and how to organize the most efficient work in the team.

How to become a headwaiter

The absolute majority of good headwaiters are former waiters. During his time as a waiter, you can find out the "kitchen" of the restaurant from the inside, all the subtleties, possible difficulties. Learn to work with people, get used to moody or conflicting clients. And how much time will leave on the way from the waiter to the head waiter depends on personal qualities, diligence and luck. This may take several months or several years. Ideally, if there is a special education - university, college, technical school, courses in the field of cooking or restaurant facilities. The head waiter, whose duties are directly related to working with a wide variety of people, should be psychologically stable and have leadership skills. Any experience of communication with clients, teamwork, in psychologically uneasy conditions will help.

The maitre d'hotel is the restaurant manager?

He manages the restaurant in four areas: sales, expenses, quality, personnel. The administrator of the restaurant is, first of all, the manager. Thus, the manager is already an expert of a completely different level. The head waiter does not manage the expenses or the personnel of the kitchen, he is not responsible for the content of the menu and the quality of the dishes. He manages the quality of service, as well as sales through the same quality, but he does not make a menu, is not responsible for the restaurant's profitability, does not control the budget. Just work experience is not enough to grow out of the head waiter in restaurant managers, you will need a special education.

Where to study at the headwaiter

In business academies, there are special programs for training headwaiter and restaurant administrators. Teachers are not theoreticians, but practitioners with many years of experience: managers, restaurateurs, headwaiter. Classes are held both theoretical and practical with the use of restaurant equipment. As a rule, the best students, after completing the course, immediately get a job. Education is paid. The head waiter is a very popular profession in the labor market, and it pays very well, so the money spent for training will return very quickly. The same can be said about the specialty of "restaurant manager". Given diligent studies, a keen interest in the profession, you can very soon succeed in the restaurant industry and grow out of a waiter in a diner at the head waiter of a high-level institution.