Lead Server

The Press Club Grill; San Diego (CA); On-site; USD 28,000 - 30,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Shift meals

Employee dining discounts

Clear path toward FOH management

Job summary

Lobster Lab is hiring a Lead Server for our brand-new Sky Deck location in Del Mar Highlands Town Center. You will own your section, train new servers, and help run smooth service during busy shifts.

This role rewards leadership, provides an on-site, tips-inclusive pay, and a clear path toward front-of-house management as Tiger Hospitality expands across Southern California.

Qualifications

• 3–5 years of full-service restaurant serving experience.
• Hospitality-first mindset and high standards you can pass on to others.
• Comfortable with opening/closing responsibilities and cash handling.
• Availability that includes evenings, weekends, and some holidays.
• California Food Handler Card, or willingness to get one within 30 days of hire.

Responsibilities

• Own a section and deliver warm, anticipatory service.
• Lead the floor on shifts: assignments, timing, and pacing with kitchen and bar.
• Run opening and closing duties: checklists and cash handling.
• Train and coach new servers to standards and run pre-shift huddles.
• Be the first stop for guest issues and resolve them with empathy.
• Keep FOH, bar, and kitchen communicating throughout service.
• Spot staffing gaps or 86s and address them quickly.

Skills

Customer service

Team leadership

Cash handling

Open/close shifts

Education

California Food Handler Card

California RBS certification

Tools

Toast POS

Square POS

Job description

Lead Server

Sky Deck at Del Mar Highlands Town Center · 12841 El Camino Real, Suite 200, San Diego, CA · Full-Time · $20.00–$22.75/hour + Tips

Every great floor has one person the whole shift leans on. Our Del Mar location is brand new, and we’re looking for a lead server to set the standard here from day one — an experienced server who runs the room calmly, trains others by example, and treats hospitality as a craft.

About Us

Lobster Lab is Tiger Hospitality Group’s coastal seafood concept — lobster rolls, lobster grilled cheese, chowders, and seafood salads, rated the #1 lobster roll in San Diego on Yelp. After starting at the Windmill Food Hall in Carlsbad, we just opened our newest location on the Sky Deck at Del Mar Highlands Town Center, and we’re building the team that will make it the neighborhood favorite. We believe hospitality means making people feel genuinely cared for, and we hold ourselves to that standard on every shift — with our guests and with each other.

About the Role

This is a serving role with real ownership. A year from now, success looks like this: you open or close most of your shifts, new servers are trained by you and sound like it, the floor runs smoothly on your watch even when it’s slammed, and the GM steps away knowing nothing will slip. If you’re a strong server ready for the next step toward management, this is that step.

What You’ll Do

• Everything a great server does — own a section and deliver warm, anticipatory service
• Lead the floor on your shifts: section assignments, break timing, and pacing with the kitchen and the bar
• Run opening and closing duties — checklists, cash handling, and end‑of‑shift notes
• Train and coach new servers to Lobster Lab standards, and run quick pre‑shift huddles
• Be the first stop for guest issues, resolving them with empathy before they need a manager
• Keep FOH, bar, and kitchen talking to each other all service long
• Spot problems early — staffing gaps, 86s, low supplies — and fix or flag them fast

What We Expect From Our Lead

• Leads by example — your own section, your standards, and your attitude set the bar the rest of the floor follows
• Able to train new team members and bring them up to standard quickly
• Able to open or close shifts independently — checklists, cash handling, and a floor that’s ready (or properly put to bed) without a manager checking behind you
• Stays calm and decisive when it’s busy — teammates naturally match your pace

What We’re Looking For

Required:

• 3–5 years of full‑service restaurant serving experience
• A hospitality‑first mindset and high standards you can pass on to others
• Comfortable with opening/closing responsibilities and cash handling
• Availability that includes evenings, weekends, and some holidays
• California Food Handler Card, or willingness to get one within 30 days of hire

Nice to have:

• Bar experience is a plus — helpful, but not required
• Experience opening a new restaurant or location
• POS administration experience (Toast, Square, or similar)
• California RBS certification
• A second language

Pay & Perks

• $20.00–$22.75 per hour, plus tips
• Shift meals and employee dining discounts
• A clear path toward FOH management as Tiger Hospitality Group expands across Southern California

Tiger Hospitality Group is an equal opportunity employer.

We welcome applicants of all backgrounds and are committed to an inclusive, respectful workplace.