Head Sommelier

Gracious Hospitality Management; New York (NY); On-site; USD 19,000 - 28,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical, Dental and Vision benefits

Commuter Benefits

Paid Time Off

Referral Bonus Program

Career Advancement Opportunities

Employee Recognition Awards

Job summary

COQODAQ, a new concept from Michelin-starred COTE, seeks a Head Sommelier in New York to lead the wine program, train the FOH team, and drive wine sales for exceptional guest experiences. You will oversee the wine list, pairings, events, and beverage programming, collaborating across departments to ensure service excellence.

The role demands expert wine knowledge, leadership, and outstanding guest service. NY pay range is $17 per hour; applicants should be flexible for evenings and weekends;

Qualifications

• Must read, speak, understand, and follow written directions.
• Must be reachable by email and able to communicate via phone.
• Excellent organizational skills and attention to detail.
• Positive, results-oriented, team-player mentality.
• Ability to perform duties under pressure in a high-paced environment.
• Knowledge of workplace safety procedures and local Department of Health standards.
• Food Handler’s Certification or the ability to obtain.
• Able to work a flexible schedule including weekends, nights, and holidays; legal age to serve alcohol.
• Familiarity with restaurant management software (POS, reservations, inventory, MS Office, Google Workspace).

Responsibilities

• Act as a dining room captain during service.
• Serve as point person on wine service protocols when the Wine Manager is absent.
• Coach service teams on wine service techniques and SOPs.
• Lead wine knowledge training and COQODAQ College sessions.
• Build relationships with customers and wine lovers.
• Ensure wines are stored, presented, and served to standards.
• Recommend wines based on price, taste, and food pairing.
• Oversee wine storage and service.
• Maintain knowledge of COQODAQ wine and food menu items.
• Accurately take and enter orders; coordinate with servers and chefs.
• Use POS and restaurant tech to account for sales.
• Address and resolve customer issues with professionalism.
• Maintain cleanliness and service tools.
• Attend scheduled shifts and train new staff.
• Perform administrative duties and assist with beverage programming for events.
• Oversee wine list updates and accuracy.

Skills

Communication skills

Interpersonal skills

Organizational skills

Attention to detail

Team player mentality

Customer service

Ability to work under pressure

Reading and following directions

Education

WSET Level 2 or CMS Certified Sommelier

Tools

POS systems

Reservations management

Inventory management

Microsoft Office

Google Workspace

Job description

A new concept from Michelin-starred COTE Korean Steakhouse, unveiling its highly anticipated opening: COQODAQ, our new fried chicken concept, which is just two blocks from our COTE NYC location. Gracious Hospitality Management is first and foremost an outstanding hospitality company that conceptualizes Michelin-starred and James Beard nominated restaurants. We focus on both passion and profitability. We are professionals committed to ensuring exceptional hospitality and service to our customers. GHM has been honored with receiving a Michelin star eight years in a row for its restaurants Piora, Cote Korean Steakhouse & COTE Miami.

We follow a simple mantra:

The Head Sommelier is a dynamic hospitality professional responsible for assisting the COQODAQ Beverage and Management teams on all aspects of the wine program: overseeing the restaurant’s wine and beverage list, sales of wine and beverages and graceful service thereof to customers, and oversight of the sommelier team. The Head Sommelier should have an expert understanding of major regional wine laws, appellations, grape varieties, harvest times, elevation, climate, soil, and fermentation processes.

Essential Job Duties & Responsibilities:

• Acts as a dining room captain while in service and assists other departments to ensure excellence.
• In the absence of the Wine Manager, acts as point person for questions on wine service protocols and SOP’s, and provides feedback to the Wine Manager on areas of improvement for wine service.
• Actively upholds steps of wine service and principles of customer interaction for the sommelier, bar, and server teams by providing coaching and direct feedback as appropriate.
• Shares wine knowledge and encourages the Front of House team to develop their wine knowledge further through regular training; assists the Wine Manager in conducting biannual wine service classes, contributes to COQODAQ College sessions, and drives extracurricular wine education for the service team.
• Actively builds long-standing relationships with customers; acts as a cornerstone for Wine Lovers and Wine PX’s.
• Ensures all wines are stored, presented, and served to the required standards.
• Recommends wines to customers based on price, personal taste, and food selection.
• Oversees the serving and storage of wine.
• Has full knowledge of COQODAQ wine and food menu items in order to make effective sales that enhance both the business and customer experience.
• Accurately takes and enters orders and communicates flow with servers, management, and chefs.
• Effectively uses point of sale systems and other restaurant technology to account for all sales.
• Addresses and resolves customer issues with a positive attitude and notifies management of resolutions.
• Adheres to high standards of cleanliness and maintenance.
• Maintains all service tools including decanters, wine keys, and serviettes.
• Reports to each scheduled shift on time, in uniform, and ready to work.
• Assists other stations or areas of the restaurant when requested by management.
• Responsible for training new employees as assigned.
• Performs administrative duties as detailed below.
• Acts as a role model for outstanding service and leads the department in preparation, execution, and breakdown.
• Regularly reports into management on department performance including positive feedback, constructive feedback, and any issues on facilities, personnel, or product and hospitality.

Administrative Duties:

• Under the direction of the Wine Manager, acts as point person on administrative tasks for the sommelier team; assigns tasks to the sommelier team as appropriate; ensures that tasks are completed fully and in a timely fashion.
• In coordination with the Wine Manager, takes ownership of beverage programming for special events; communicates with LP customers to confirm selections and ensures product is ordered and set aside in a timely manner.
• Oversees and delegates the creation and upkeep of COQODAQ wine educational materials as directed by the Wine Manager.
• Oversees ordering of BTG, omakase pairing, and event wines in collaboration with the Wine Manager.
• Assists the Wine Manager in creating, maintaining, and developing the wine program.
• Assists the Wine Manager with invoicing and other areas of financial accountability and analysis.
• Oversees the inspection of all incoming orders and invoices for accuracy. Ensures no product is damaged or incorrect.
• Stocks and organizes all wine inventory.
• Oversees the sommelier team in updating the wine list; audits said list to ensure accuracy in spelling, list formatting, and naming protocols.

Standards:

• Upholds GHM's mission to delight our customers.
• Consistently performs actions that positively impact the customer experience, and identifies opportunities to delight in all planning and processes.
• Display knowledge of COQODAQ brand, culture, and product.
• Demonstrate the Company’s core values of people, learning, culture, relationships, sustainability and stewardship.
• Maintain professional and respectful behavior when in contact with customers, management, and teammates.
• Present a polished personal appearance, adhering to company grooming standards outlined in the Employee Handbook.
• Adhere to all company policies and procedures outlined in handbooks, manuals, and other company documents.
• Attend and participate in all scheduled meetings, training sessions, and continuing education activities.
• Take care of all company property.
• Maintain safety, cleanliness, and sanitation standards.
• Comply with federal, state, and local laws and regulations.

Qualifications:

• Must have the ability to read, speak, understand, follow written directions, and verbal instructions in English.
• Must be reachable by email and able to communicate via phone as well.
• Communicates information effectively and efficiently.
• Excellent organizational skills and attention to detail.
• Possesses a positive, results-oriented, team-player mentality.
• Ability to perform job duties and responsibilities well and maintain professionalism and composure under pressure and in a high-paced and at times stressful environment.
• Ability to under pressure and maintain professionalism when working under stress.
• Knowledge of workplace safety procedures and local Department of Health standards.
• Food Handler’s Certification or the ability to obtain in accordance with federal, state, or local regulations and/or Company policy.
• Able to work a flexible schedule in order to accommodate business levels (weekend, nights, and holiday availability required). We will endeavor to provide reasonable accommodations for sincerely held religious beliefs.
• Must be of legal age to serve alcohol.
• Certification for responsible alcohol service or ability to obtain within 6 months.
• Familiarity with restaurant management software such as point of sales, reservations management, inventory management, Microsoft Office, and Google Workspace.
• Ability to execute steps of service in adherence with company policy.
• Excellent interpersonal and customer service skills.
• Excellent communication with management and teammates.
• WSET Level 2 or higher or CMS Certified Sommelier pin preferred.

Physical Demands:

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential job duties and responsibilities of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform those essential functions.

While performing the essential duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to:

• Exert well-paced mobility for periods of up to 12 hours per day and at least 60 hours per week.
• Lift and carry up to 50 pounds.
• Frequently stand, walk, reach, bend, stoop, push, pull, and kneel.
• Frequently utilize the stairs, often while lifting and carrying heavy items.
• Occasionally crouch and climb.
• Be exposed to hazards including, but not limited to, burns, cuts, scrapes, and frequent exposure of hands to water.
• Withstand fluctuations in temperature within the work environment, from high heat to below freezing.
• Handle heavy equipment and machinery.

New York State’s Pay Transparency Law requires employers to include a range of pay forall advertised job, promotion, or transfer opportunities.

New York Pay Range: $17 USD - $17 USD

Benefits (with variation for full-time/part-time employment):

• Structured, generous compensation for all positions
• Comprehensive Medical, Dental, and Vision benefits
• Flexible Spending Account/Health Savings Account
• Commuter Benefits
• Referral Bonus Program
• Career Advancement Opportunities
• Employee Recognition Awards
• Paid Time Off

COQODAQ fully complies with all applicable federal, state, and local anti-discrimination laws by providing equal employment opportunities to all employees and job applicants without regard to race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy, childbirth, and related medical conditions, sexual orientation, or gender identity), national origin, age (40 or older), disability, and genetic information (including family medical history), or any other legally protected status.

Applicants requiring a reasonable accommodation to perform the essential functions of the job should contact the Human Resources department at [e-mail].