Host

Highway Inn; Honolulu (HI); On-site; USD 30,000 - 40,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Employee discounts

Comprehensive health insurance

Paid time off

401K/Profit sharing

Job summary

A renowned local restaurant in Honolulu is looking for a Host to greet and seat guests, manage wait times, and support the front-of-house team. The ideal candidate will have customer service experience and a positive attitude, with familiarity in Hawaiian food being a plus. The role offers benefits such as employee discounts and health insurance, with closures on major holidays.

Qualifications

• 1 to 2 years of customer service experience preferred, especially in restaurant service.
• Ability to stand/walk for long periods and lift 20-25 pounds.
• Expected to follow both oral and written instructions.

Responsibilities

• Greet and seat guests, explaining menu items.
• Manage wait times and ensure prompt service.
• Monitor reservations and alert servers to special requests.

Skills

Customer service experience

Excellent interpersonal skills

Conversational level in non-English languages

Positive attitude

Multitasking

Proactive

Job description

Company Overview

Highway Inn is an award‑winning, 75‑year‑old, third‑generation‑owned Hawaiian and local food restaurant. We are proud of the food we serve and the exceptional service we extend to every guest. ‘Ohana and aloha are our core values—many of our employees have been with us for more than 20 years and generations of families have been dining with us since we first opened in 1947.

Host Responsibilities

• Greeting and seating guests, informing them of specials and explaining our dishes to guests who are unfamiliar with Hawaiian or local‑style foods.
• Managing wait times to ensure prompt seating and service, including anticipating and planning how to handle potential service bottlenecks due to large parties or reservations.
• Reviewing and monitoring reservations calendar to ensure prompt service for guests with reservations; alerting servers of any special notations in reservations details.
• Answering questions about menu items if guests’ server is unavailable.
• Identifying guests who need help and assisting or obtaining help for them.
• Quickly and accurately report all complaints and/or service exceptions to the manager on duty so that action can be taken before customer(s) leave the restaurant.
• Secondary duties: serving as back‑up for counter service, take‑out orders and/or incoming phone calls; general stocking, cleaning, and daily maintenance of front‑of‑house areas; assisting co‑workers to ensure prompt, high‑quality guest service; may be called upon to assist with serving duties.

Qualifications

• 1 to 2 years of customer service experience; preferred experience with restaurant service, especially host duties, as well as familiarity with Hawaiian food and “Hawai‘i local” dishes.
• Excellent customer service and interpersonal skills.
• Conversational level or fluency in non‑English languages a plus.
• Strong attendance record.
• Positive attitude.
• Team player who is able to multitask efficiently.
• Proactive in identifying and anticipating the needs and concerns of customers, co‑workers, and managers.
• Able to stand and/or walk continuously for long periods of time, read the POS screen, and hear customers in an often‑noisy environment.
• Must be able to lift 20-25 pounds with or without assistance.
• Required to follow both oral and written instruction.
• Expected to communicate clearly and efficiently with co‑workers and managers.

Benefits/Perks

• Closed on all major holidays: Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Year’s.
• Based on hours worked, employees are eligible for employee discounts, comprehensive health insurance, paid time off, temporary disability insurance, 401K/Profit sharing.