Server

Black Briar; Chicago (IL); On-site; USD 16,531 - 24,796; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health benefits

Paid time off

Paid sick leave

Employee dining benefit

Annual performance review with merit

Job summary

Black Briar in Chicago's West Loop seeks a skilled server who can guide guests through the menu with confidence and warmth. This floor-first role reports to the AGM and GM, thrives on knowledge, presence, and genuine care, and is built for those who view serving as a craft rather than a task.

You will maintain strong menu knowledge, coordinate with kitchen and bar via Toast, and uphold high standards while delivering timely, accurate service.

Qualifications

• Prior serving experience in a full-service restaurant; Chicago dining a plus.
• Genuine command of food and wine, hunger to learn quickly.
• Warm, composed and socially intelligent under a full section.
• Strong memory and attention to detail; don’t write down what you should remember.
• Comfort with Toast or a comparable POS.

Responsibilities

• Guide guests through the full food, beverage, and wine menus with confidence.
• Read and pace each table to the rhythm of the kitchen and guest experience.
• Deliver accurate, attentive service from greeting through check.
• Maintain full menu knowledge, ingredients, preparations, allergens, story behind dishes.
• Enter orders correctly and manage timing with kitchen and bar via Toast.
• Anticipate needs and provide recommendations before asked.
• Partner with runners, bartenders, and support staff to keep tables seamless.
• Maintain station cleanliness, side work, and open/close procedures to standard.
• Uphold responsible alcohol service at all times.

Skills

Server experience

Food & wine knowledge

Memory & detail

POS: Toast or similar

Reliability & teamwork

Education

Illinois Food Handler Certification

BASSET Certification

Job description

Company Overview

Black Briar is a Bold American Tavern anchored by an open coal grill, a serious raw bar, and hospitality that feels instinctive rather than choreographed. We are opening in Chicago’s West Loop and building something meant to last — a restaurant with a point of view, a team with standards, and a room worth returning to.

We are looking for a Server who reads a table without being told, moves with purpose, and understands that great service is felt long before it is noticed.

The Role

The Server is the guest’s primary relationship with Black Briar — the person who guides them through the menu, sets the pace of the meal, and carries the standard of the room from the first greeting to the last goodbye. You report to the AGM and GM. This is a floor-first role built on knowledge, presence, and genuine care. If you see serving as taking orders, this is not the room for you.

What You Own

• Guiding guests through the full food, beverage, and wine menus with genuine knowledge and confidence
• Reading and pacing each table to the rhythm of the kitchen and the guest’s experience
• Delivering accurate, attentive service from greeting through check — without hovering or disappearing
• Maintaining full menu knowledge — ingredients, preparations, allergens, and the story behind the dishes
• Entering orders correctly and managing timing with the kitchen and bar via Toast
• Anticipating needs — the refill, the recommendation, the small thing — before being asked
• Handling guest questions, requests, and recovery with composure and warmth
• Partnering with runners, bartenders, and support staff to keep every table seamless
• Maintaining station cleanliness, side work, and full open and close procedures to standard
• Upholding responsible alcohol service at all times

What We’re Looking For

• Prior serving experience in a full-service restaurant preferred — Chicago dining a plus
• Genuine command of food and wine, or the hunger to learn it quickly
• Warm, composed, and socially intelligent under a full section
• Strong memory and attention to detail — you don’t write down what you should remember
• Comfort with Toast or a comparable POS preferred
• Illinois Food Handler and BASSET certifications required, or obtained before start date
• Reliable, punctual, and team-first
• A real interest in hospitality as a craft, not a stopgap

The Floor

Black Briar’s dining room runs on live fire, a raw bar, and a beverage program built to be taken seriously. The floor moves fast and holds a high standard — every server is expected to know the menu cold, work clean, and carry their section with calm. This is a place to get better at the craft, not coast through a shift.

Compensation & Benefits

• Hourly wage $12.96 + gratuity
• Health benefits
• Paid time off, accruing after 90 days
• Paid sick leave per Illinois law
• Employee dining benefit
• Annual performance review with merit increase opportunity

Who You Are

You take care of people for a living and you are good at it. You notice the table that is ready before they wave, the glass that is low, the guest who needs a minute. You move with intention and you do not let the weeds rattle you. You want to know the food and the wine because knowing them makes you better — not because someone is checking. You are looking for a room where service is treated as a craft and the team holds the line together. If that is you, we want to hear from you.

Black Briar is an equal opportunity employer. We are committed to building a team that reflects the city we are proud to call home.