Head Host

KONG; Greater London; On-site; GBP 32,000 - 43,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Team meal

Competitive salary + troncs

Five-day week

Job summary

Kong is seeking an experienced host to join our Shoreditch team. You’ll lead reservations, manage the door, and ensure every guest feels personally welcomed in our fast-paced, high-service environment.

With at least two years in a busy venue, you’ll coordinate with a large team, handle allergies and accessibility, and keep to a smart-casual dress code. Salary £37K, full-time, Monday to Sunday availability, shifts from early to late.

Qualifications

• 2+ years hosting in busy venues with reservation systems.
• Warm and welcoming, making every arrival feel personal.
• Organised and confident managing bookings and the door; accommodate walk-ins.

Responsibilities

• Manage reservations and guest flow.
• Lead and grow a large team with humility and care.
• Maintain high standards and hospitality beyond the expected.
• Ensure allergies and accessibility details reach the right staff.

Skills

Guest management

Warmth

Organization

Attention to detail

Tools

Reservation systems

Job description

Everyone at Kong shapes a guest's day

Kong will be fast-paced and demanding, with best-in-class service, regular queues, and a large team to lead and grow with humility and care.

You won’t do it alone: on busy nights, fellow managers and 40–50 Kongers will be with you, all pulling the same way. You’ll be trusted to do the right thing, protect the standards, and pursue hospitality beyond the expected.

• You’ve spent at least 2 years hosting somewhere busy and are comfortable with reservation and guest-management systems.
• You’re naturally warm and welcoming, making every arrival feel personal rather than performed.
• You’re organised and confident managing both the book and the door — looking after reservations while always finding room for walk-ins where you can.
• You have a keen eye for the details that matter, making sure allergies, access needs and special occasions reach the right people before a guest ever has to repeat themselves.

Location: Shoreditch, London
Salary: £37K per annum
Contract: Full-Time

Everyone at Kong shapes a guest's day

Kong will be fast-paced and demanding, with best-in-class service, regular queues, and a large team to lead and grow with humility and care.

You won’t do it alone: on busy nights, fellow managers and 40–50 Kongers will be with you, all pulling the same way. You’ll be trusted to do the right thing, protect the standards, and pursue hospitality beyond the expected.

Who we hope to find

• You’ve spent at least 2 years hosting somewhere busy and are comfortable with reservation and guest-management systems.
• You’re naturally warm and welcoming, making every arrival feel personal rather than performed.
• You’re organised and confident managing both the book and the door — looking after reservations while always finding room for walk-ins where you can.
• You have a keen eye for the details that matter, making sure allergies, access needs and special occasions reach the right people before a guest ever has to repeat yourself.

The practical bits

• A team meal with every shift.
• A competitive salary, tronc included, paid monthly.
• Full-time across five days, with Monday to Sunday availability.
• Your rota published at least six days ahead - room to plan a life around it.
• Kong is open from early till late, so shifts come in every shape: mornings, middles and evenings, not an endless run of late closes. Flexibility required across a 15-hour operational day, 8am–11pm.
• Proper paid holiday — the usual allowance, at your usual rate. And we close on Christmas Day and New Year’s Day.
• No costumes here. Our dress code is smart-casual — jackets and trainers are absolutely fine.
• You’ll need the right to work in the UK. We check the paperwork for every role, the same way for everyone.
• Students, including Student visa holders eligible to work in the UK, are very welcome to apply for our host, server, and bar roles.

How we take care of our team
Growing from within

• Training starts on day one, and it doesn't stop there. We aim to promote 80% of our roles from within, so as Kong grows, the people who built it grow with it.

Financial

• Free weekly wage advances and emergency cash.
• Access to our savings support & financial health planning tool.
• A monthly allowance to eat at Kong the way a guest does.
• Whenever you're off duty, you and up to three guests get 50% off during the day and 25% off in the evening

Health and headspace

• Someone to talk to in confidence when life gets heavy.
• Maternity and paternity leave that treats a growing family as the good news it is.

Time together

• The whole house together through the year: a big New Year celebration and a summer festival.
• Long service, properly marked. After four years with us, we take you from one Kong to the other: a trip to Hong Kong with our co-founder, Chef Andrew Wong