Esquire Maitre D'

M Street Entertainment Group; Chicago (IL); On-site; USD 85,000 - 100,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical insurance

Dental insurance

Vision insurance

401(k) plan

Life insurance

AD&D

STD

LTD

Paid time off

Paid sick leave

Bereavement leave

FMLA/VESSA leave

Job summary

Esquire, a modern luxury steakhouse in Chicago, is seeking a Maître d' to own VIP relations and oversee the host team. You will manage arrivals, seating, and guest recognition for high-value guests, cultivating repeat business and ensuring flawless service throughout shifts.

You will lead a sophisticated team in a demanding, luxury setting, coordinating with the GM and culinary leadership while maintaining discretion, memory for guests, and a polished presence.

Qualifications

• 4+ years as Maître d' or head host in upscale dining.
• Proven guest-relationship and repeat-business development.
• Strong memory, discretion, and polished service.
• Fluency with SevenRooms or equivalent guest management system.
• Ability to manage VIP programs and reservations.

Responsibilities

• Own VIP and repeat-guest relationships: recognition, preferences, occasions, and proactive outreach.
• Lead the host and reservations team; set the standard for arrival and departure.
• Orchestrate the book and floor plan with SevenRooms guest profile.
• Develop regulars deliberately: track patterns, build relationships, and grow repeat visitation.
• Coordinate VIP and promo arrivals with the GM, Captains, and culinary leadership.

Skills

VIP-relations leadership

Guest-relationship management

SevenRooms fluency

Memory for guests

Discretion and polish

Education

Illinois BASSET

Illinois Food Handler

Job description

Locations

58EOS Chicago IL
Esquire
58 E Oak St
Chicago, IL 60611, USA

• On-site
• Pay or shift range: $85,000 USD to $100,000 USD
• The estimated range is the budgeted amount for this position. Final offers are based on various factors, including skill set, experience, location, qualifications and other job-related reasons.
• Front of House
• Full-Time
• Requisition #: ESQUI001101

Description

Location: 58 East Oak Street, Gold Coast, Chicago, IL Employment type: Full-time Classification: Salaried, exempt Reports to: General Manager

Why Esquire

Esquire is a 265-seat luxury steakhouse in Chicago’s Gold Coast where Japanese precision meets French technique — anchored by an elite Wagyu and seafood program, a four-level Wine Tower, the OakShō omakase counter, and the invitation-only 58 Club. We hold an uncompromising standard and hire people who want to set it, not just meet it. Esquire is operated by M Street Collective, the group behind Nashville’s Virago, Moto, Kayne Prime, and Saint Añejo.

The Role

The keeper of the door and the relationship between Esquire and its most valued guests. The Maître d' owns the arc of arrival and the art of the regular — VIP relationship management and repeat-guest development — leading the host team and orchestrating the seating, recognition, and reservations that make the room feel exclusive and known.

What You’ll Do

• Own VIP and repeat-guest relationships: recognition, preferences, occasions, and proactive outreach.
• Lead the host and reservations team (Lead Host, Host Team); set the standard for arrival and departure.
• Orchestrate the book and the floor plan — pacing, table assignments, and the SevenRooms guest profile.
• Develop regulars deliberately: track patterns, build relationships, and grow repeat visitation.
• Coordinate VIP and promo arrivals with the GM, Captains, and culinary leadership.

What You Bring

• 4+ years as a Maître d', head host, or VIP-relations lead in upscale or fine dining.
• Proven guest-relationship and repeat-business development; SevenRooms or equivalent fluency.
• Exceptional memory for guests, polish, and discretion

Certifications & Requirements

• Illinois BASSET (alcohol) — REQUIRED. Valid BASSET certification before any shift that involves selling, serving, or checking ID for alcohol, and no later than 30 days after hire (company policy; statute allows 120); renew every 3 years.
• Illinois Food Handler — REQUIRED. ANAB-accredited food-handler certificate within 30 days of hire; renew every 3 years. (Waived for holders of a current CFPM.)

Compensation — Pay Scale

$85,000–$100,000 per year, paid as an annual salary (market-aligned). The final offer is confirmed in writing. This position is eligible for a performance bonus as a component of total compensation.

Eligible team members receive group medical, dental, and vision insurance (the Company pays part of the premium); a 401(k) plan; Company-paid life insurance, AD&D, STD, and LTD; and a confidential Employee Assistance Program. Time off includes Paid Time Off for eligible salaried positions, Chicago Paid Leave and Paid Sick and Safe Leave, and paid bereavement leave, plus the protected leaves required by federal and Illinois law (FMLA, VESSA, military, jury, and voting). Final plan details and eligibility are confirmed in the written offer.

Held to Esquire’s four pillars — quality, consistency, hospitality, and innovation — and the five universal competencies: professionalism, teamwork, growth mindset, excellence, and hospitality.

About Esquire

Esquire is a modern luxury steakhouse on Oak Street in Chicago’s Gold Coast — Japanese precision built on a French foundation, anchored by an elite Wagyu program and a seafood-and-sushi program that earns equal billing. Across a 265-seat dining room, a four-level ~5,000-bottle Wine Tower, the Trophy Room, the invitation-only 58 Club, and the OakShō omakase counter, it delivers omotenashi-inspired hospitality and culinary theater in a vintage-Hollywood setting.

About M Street Collective

M Street Collective is the hospitality group behind Esquire, with operations in Nashville and Chicago. Built on four pillars — quality, consistency, hospitality, and innovation — and a commitment to innovation, leadership development and world-class training, the Collective creates restaurants and experiences defined by an uncompromising standard and genuine, anticipatory care.

M Street Collective is an equal opportunity employer. We consider all qualified applicants without regard to race (including traits associated with race under the CROWN Act), color, religion, sex, pregnancy, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, national origin, ancestry, age, marital or family-responsibilities status, disability, military or veteran status, citizenship or immigration status, arrest or conviction record (as limited by law), credit history, genetic information, or any other characteristic protected by federal, Illinois, or Chicago law. Consistent with the Illinois Job Opportunities for Qualified Applicants Act, we do not ask about criminal history on the application, and we do not ask about salary history. Reasonable accommodations are available for applicants with disabilities, for pregnancy and related conditions, and for religious observance — contact People Operations. This position is performed in Chicago, Illinois.

Licenses & Certifications

Required

Equal Opportunity Employer
This employer is required to notify all applicants of their rights pursuant to federal employment laws.For further information, please review the Know Your Rights notice from the Department of Labor.