Experienced Head Servers

Background

The Waterfront Hotel in Baltimore, is a well known and regarded 3 star family hotel in the centre of the iconic and stunning fishing village of Baltimore, West Cork.  The business is run by the second generation Jacob Family who began their enterprises in Baltimore in the 1970’s when Youen Jacob Senior sailed in from Brittany and married the local primary school teacher on Sherkin Island, Mary O’Neill.  Together they started Chez Youen Seafood Restaurant on the main street in Baltimore which became a much loved institution known through the generations for it’s fabulous Shellfish Platters and seafood.  In the 1990’s Youen Jacob Jnr took the helm down the street running a pizzeria and grill with rooms, offering affordable authentic food cooked to order and freshly prepared daily.  The business evolved, in 2016.  The Waterfront Hotel premises was built and Youen Jacob Jnr and his wife Kate, commenced a new chapter of the family business opening the 3 star Waterfront Hotel, The Lookout Restaurant and Jacob’s Bar with a sister business next door La Jolie Brise Pizzeria and Grill.  Today this business runs all year with an extremely busy food and beverage business with a marked seasonal trend running from Easter to the October Bank Holiday weekend.  The winter months November to March are quieter and gives our team time to catch up on winter projects for the business and time to enjoy the slower pace of life in beautiful West Cork.  The Jacob Family and their wonderful loyal long serving team deliver personal warm service to our many returning guests who over the years have fallen in love with The Waterfront and Baltimore.  We enjoy the fast pace and excitement of the summer season contrasted with the time to reflect and enjoy our stunning surroundings during the off season.

Job Overview and Responsibilities

We are looking for full time and part time highly experienced servers for permanent or seasonal positions with at least 3 years proven experience in a similar fast paced environment for both of our food service areas. (1) Jacob’s Bar / outdoor terrace areas and La Jolie Brise Pizzeria & Grill.  This is open all year 7 days a week from 8 a.m. to late.  (2) The Lookout Seafood Restaurant which operates on a seasonal basis in the evenings on a set menu arrangement.  This department requires a thorough knowledge of high end service, food and wine service.  We do request that you have the experience, you have fluent English (with a second language considered a bonus) and you have your own reliable transport to and from Baltimore.

The purpose of this role is to ensure that the quality and standards of your restaurant area are maintained at the highest level and customer expectations are met and exceeded. This is achieved both by taking charge of situations arising during the course of service to our guests, as well as providing hands-on assistance and guidance to junior servers at all times. Task overview: To work with the management team to ensure the smooth running of food and beverage service. Meeting and greeting guests. Dealing with guest queries in a friendly and professional manner, ensuring guest satisfaction. Being a reliable point of contact for junior servers, kitchen staff, management and office staff. Maintaining quality standards throughout the food and beverage service area. Providing consistent supervisory presence during key times. To ensure that the department is functioning correctly in relation to staffing levels, customer care etc. and to plan ahead accordingly. Managing staff where needed and delegating duties. Compliance with Health and Safety regulations. Recording any accidents that may occur on the premises during the shift. Adhering and ensuring all SOP’s are executed daily and correctly.  Liaising closely with management, office team and kitchen team in relation to all aspects of stock taking and ordering.   To communicate with relevant departments with regard to updated information or special requests with regard to an event or individual guest. Ensuring the effective running of any food and beverage department under your supervision. In addition to above duties – our successful candidate will also be responsible for Ad-hoc projects as designated by management. (these may include training projects / Standard Operating Procedure projects / Health & Safety projects.)

• To effectively supervise all Food and Beverage service in your department and functions when necessary to the agreed standards.
• To carry out skills training through hands on assistance at all times for all staff to ensure a consistent level of skills performance is maintained.
• To ensure that all new starters receive a departmental induction into your area.
• To attend meetings and training sessions as required.
• To maintain the standard of uniform and personal hygiene in the restaurant as agreed.
• To manage effective rosters to ensure ample cover for the level of business.
• To ensure the restaurant is cleaned on a daily basis and is maintained in a hygienic manner.
• To report to Office team, Maintenance, Management any damaged or defective items.
• To liaise closely with office team, kitchen team, Head Bar person, on all aspects of ordering and stock taking.
• To maintain crockery, cutlery, linen,glassware stocks to par stock level and ensure all measures are implemented to control breakages/loss.
• To ensure that the telephone is answered quickly and politely.
• To deal with any complaints/queries in an attentative and courteous manner and inform management where appropriate.
• To be aware-of all reservations for groups/parties and V.I.P’s in advance and inform staff of same.
• To carry out pre-service briefings of the menu, type  of reservations, V.I.P.’with all staff.
• To be aware of and take full responsibility for any special requirements of guests and inform all staff of same.
• To be responsible for wine stocks and answer any queries which occur and to ensure agreed control  procedures are maintained.
• To maximise sales in restaurant.
• To greet customers in a courteous and welcoming manner and seat them.
• To maintain a presence in the room regardless of how few customers there are during service.

• To ensure orders are taken promptly and clearly.
• To inform you team of waiting times on food and to ensure they are relaying same to customers as part of the ordering process.
• To ensure tables waiting on food are not only informed but are checked in on regularly and felt looked after from start to finish.
• To ensure restaurant is ready for service at least 20 minutes prior to service.
• To check frequently that guests are content with meal and ensure that all guests receive polite and courteous attention.
• To ensure tables are always free of unnecessary crockery, cutlery, glassware, dirty ashtrays,  sauces etc.
• To ensure adequate stocks are kept in restaurant.
• To ensure all food going to restaurant is of agreed standard.
• To comply with company regulations regarding:

a)         Fire.

b)         Health and Safety

c)         Hygiene

e)         Customer Care.

f)         Security.

• To ensure all guests are billed correctly, and thanked for their business.
• To ensure good inter departmental   co-operations and communications is encouraged and maintained.
• To read, understand and carry out your-responsibilities as defined in the Health and Safety Statement   and Staff Handbook.

OCCASIONAL DUTIES:

• To carry out any other duty/routine outside normal daily or weekly routine but within the overall scope of your position e.g. in house or off site training programmes and staff meetings.

If you have fluent English and are interested in working with a dynamic team from around the world please contact us with your C.V. and details of experience together with at least 3 reference names, their address, position and contact number.

All applications and correspondence in English please.