What Does it Take to Be a Restaurant, Lounge, or Coffee Shop Host?
Career Description Welcome patrons, seat them at tables or in lounge, and help ensure quality of facilities and service.
Life As a Restaurant, Lounge, or Coffee Shop Host: What Do They Do?
- Inspect dining and serving areas to ensure cleanliness and proper setup.
- Assist other restaurant workers by serving food and beverages, or by bussing tables.
- Maintain contact with kitchen staff, management, serving staff, and customers to ensure that dining details are handled properly and customers' concerns are addressed.
- Speak with patrons to ensure satisfaction with food and service, to respond to complaints, or to make conversation.
- Plan parties or other special events and services.
- Hire, train, and supervise food and beverage service staff.
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Qualities of a Restaurant, Lounge, or Coffee Shop Host
Restaurant, Lounge, and Coffee Shop Hosts state the following job skills are important in their day-to-day work.
Active Listening: Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
Speaking: Talking to others to convey information effectively.
Social Perceptiveness: Being aware of others' reactions and understanding why they react as they do.
Service Orientation: Actively looking for ways to help people.
Coordination: Adjusting actions in relation to others' actions.
Critical Thinking: Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.
Other Restaurant, Lounge, or Coffee Shop Host Job Titles
- Tearoom Hostess
- Seater
- Dining Room Host
- Buffet Hostess
- Hospitality Coordinator
Are There Job Opportunities for Restaurant, Lounge, and Coffee Shop Hosts?
In the United States, there were 409,200 jobs for Restaurant, Lounge, or Coffee Shop Host in 2016. New jobs are being produced at a rate of 6.9% which is above the national average. The Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts 28,300 new jobs for Restaurant, Lounge, or Coffee Shop Host by 2026. There will be an estimated 97,900 positions for Restaurant, Lounge, or Coffee Shop Host per year.

The states with the most job growth for Restaurant, Lounge, or Coffee Shop Host are Washington, Utah, and Arizona. Watch out if you plan on working in Ohio, West Virginia, or Maine. These states have the worst job growth for this type of profession.
Restaurant, Lounge, or Coffee Shop Host Average Salary
The salary for Restaurant, Lounge, and Coffee Shop Hosts ranges between about $17,410 and $30,590 a year.

Restaurant, Lounge, and Coffee Shop Hosts who work in Hawaii, District of Columbia, or Massachusetts, make the highest salaries.
Below is a list of the median annual salaries for Restaurant, Lounge, and Coffee Shop Hosts in different U.S. states.
State | Annual Mean Salary |
---|---|
Alabama | $19,180 |
Alaska | $24,780 |
Arizona | $24,870 |
Arkansas | $20,350 |
California | $26,850 |
Colorado | $25,450 |
Connecticut | $25,700 |
Delaware | $19,850 |
District of Columbia | $30,420 |
Florida | $24,110 |
Georgia | $19,800 |
Hawaii | $32,050 |
Idaho | $21,040 |
Illinois | $23,560 |
Indiana | $20,050 |
Iowa | $20,010 |
Kansas | $18,610 |
Kentucky | $19,610 |
Louisiana | $19,840 |
Maine | $23,700 |
Maryland | $24,050 |
Massachusetts | $28,440 |
Michigan | $21,460 |
Minnesota | $24,450 |
Mississippi | $19,010 |
Missouri | $19,980 |
Montana | $19,780 |
Nebraska | $22,760 |
Nevada | $27,120 |
New Hampshire | $22,800 |
New Jersey | $24,280 |
New Mexico | $21,070 |
New York | $28,400 |
North Carolina | $20,110 |
North Dakota | $21,860 |
Ohio | $20,390 |
Oklahoma | $19,890 |
Oregon | $25,130 |
Pennsylvania | $21,790 |
Rhode Island | $24,610 |
South Carolina | $20,460 |
South Dakota | $21,670 |
Tennessee | $19,580 |
Texas | $21,220 |
Utah | $21,680 |
Vermont | $25,960 |
Virginia | $21,180 |
Washington | $29,130 |
West Virginia | $20,630 |
Wisconsin | $20,250 |
Wyoming | $23,310 |
Tools & Technologies Used by Restaurant, Lounge, and Coffee Shop Hosts
Below is a list of the types of tools and technologies that Restaurant, Lounge, and Coffee Shop Hosts may use on a daily basis:
- Microsoft Excel
- Microsoft Office
- Data entry software
- Microsoft Windows
- Point of sale POS software
- iMagic Restaurant Reservation
- Hospitality Control Solutions Aloha Point-of-Sale
How to Become a Restaurant, Lounge, or Coffee Shop Host
What education or degrees do I need to become a Restaurant, Lounge, or Coffee Shop Host?

How many years of work experience do I need?

Who Employs Restaurant, Lounge, and Coffee Shop Hosts?

Restaurant, Lounge, and Coffee Shop Hosts work in the following industries:

You May Also Be Interested In…
Are you already one of the many Restaurant, Lounge, or Coffee Shop Host in the United States? If you’re thinking about changing careers, these fields are worth exploring:
References:
More about our data sources and methodologies.
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