First, a definition:
Maître d’hôtel // From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The maître d’hôtel (French: “master of hotel”, head waiter, host or maître d’ ) manages the public part or front of the house of a formal restaurant. The responsibilities of a maître d’hôtel generally include supervising the wait staff, welcoming guests and assigning tables to them, taking reservations and ensuring that guests are satisfied.
Every restaurant dependent on reservations needs to rethink its management structure.
The first and last person your guest sees is your current host. That person has a unique opportunity to make a great first and last impression, but also to market your restaurant offerings WHEN guests are in your establishment – your best place to shine.
I propose that in lieu of a floor manager or even a general manager (of a smaller outlet) you create the new (yet historically significant) post of Maître d’.
Yes, this very much outside the box for most, but when you consider all you have to do to market your restaurant, if you find the right person to “man/or woman” the door, entrust other management functions into that person and see your repeat business grow by leaps and bounds.
