Hosts and Hostesses, Restaurant, Lounge, and Coffee Shop
35-9031.00
Bright Outlook Updated 2024

Welcome patrons, seat them at tables or in lounge, and help ensure quality of facilities and service.

Sample of reported job titles: Buffet Hostess, General Teller, Greeter, Host, Hostess, Seater

Occupation-Specific Information

Tasks

  • Provide guests with menus.
  • Assign patrons to tables suitable for their needs and according to rotation so that servers receive an appropriate number of seatings.
  • Greet guests and seat them at tables or in waiting areas.
  • Answer telephone calls and respond to inquiries or transfer calls.
  • Operate cash registers to accept payments for food and beverages.
  • Speak with patrons to ensure satisfaction with food and service, to respond to complaints, or to make conversation.
  • Take and prepare to-go orders.
  • Maintain contact with kitchen staff, management, serving staff, and customers to ensure that dining details are handled properly and customers' concerns are addressed.
  • Receive and record patrons' dining reservations.
  • Inspect dining and serving areas to ensure cleanliness and proper setup.
  • Inform patrons of establishment specialties and features.
  • Inspect restrooms for cleanliness and availability of supplies, and clean restrooms when necessary.
  • Assist other restaurant workers by serving food and beverages, or by bussing tables.
  • Supervise and coordinate activities of dining room staff to ensure that patrons receive prompt and courteous service.
  • Hire, train, and supervise food and beverage service staff.
  • Prepare cash receipts after establishments close, and make bank deposits.
  • Direct patrons to coatrooms and waiting areas, such as lounges.
  • Plan parties or other special events and services.
  • Order or requisition supplies and equipment for tables and serving stations.
  • Perform marketing and advertising services.
  • Confer with other staff to help plan establishments' menus.
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Technology Skills

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Hot Technologies are requirements most frequently included across all employer job postings.

Occupational Requirements

Work Activities

  • Performing for or Working Directly with the Public — Performing for people or dealing directly with the public. This includes serving customers in restaurants and stores, and receiving clients or guests.
  • Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates — Providing information to supervisors, co-workers, and subordinates by telephone, in written form, e-mail, or in person.
  • Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships — Developing constructive and cooperative working relationships with others, and maintaining them over time.
  • Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events — Identifying information by categorizing, estimating, recognizing differences or similarities, and detecting changes in circumstances or events.
  • Getting Information — Observing, receiving, and otherwise obtaining information from all relevant sources.
  • Making Decisions and Solving Problems — Analyzing information and evaluating results to choose the best solution and solve problems.
  • Monitoring Processes, Materials, or Surroundings — Monitoring and reviewing information from materials, events, or the environment, to detect or assess problems.
  • Resolving Conflicts and Negotiating with Others — Handling complaints, settling disputes, and resolving grievances and conflicts, or otherwise negotiating with others.

Detailed Work Activities

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Work Context

  • Contact With Others — 88% responded “Constant contact with others.”
  • Spend Time Standing — 78% responded “Continually or almost continually.”
  • Work With Work Group or Team — 64% responded “Extremely important.”
  • Telephone — 81% responded “Every day.”
  • Face-to-Face Discussions — 71% responded “Every day.”
  • Spend Time Walking and Running — 53% responded “Continually or almost continually.”
  • Physical Proximity — 44% responded “Very close (near touching).”
  • Deal With Unpleasant or Angry People — 49% responded “Every day.”
  • Deal With External Customers — 49% responded “Extremely important.”
  • Indoors, Environmentally Controlled — 63% responded “Every day.”
  • Coordinate or Lead Others — 40% responded “Extremely important.”
  • Frequency of Conflict Situations — 42% responded “Every day.”
  • Structured versus Unstructured Work — 35% responded “A lot of freedom.”
  • Spend Time Making Repetitive Motions — 42% responded “Continually or almost continually.”
  • Importance of Being Exact or Accurate — 37% responded “Very important.”
  • Freedom to Make Decisions — 27% responded “A lot of freedom.”
  • Frequency of Decision Making — 47% responded “Every day.”
  • Responsible for Others' Health and Safety — 30% responded “High responsibility.”
  • Responsibility for Outcomes and Results — 35% responded “Moderate responsibility.”
  • Importance of Repeating Same Tasks — 31% responded “Important.”
  • Impact of Decisions on Co-workers or Company Results — 29% responded “Moderate results.”

Experience Requirements

Job Zone

Title
Job Zone Two: Some Preparation Needed
Education
These occupations usually require a high school diploma.
Related Experience
Some previous work-related skill, knowledge, or experience is usually needed. For example, a teller would benefit from experience working directly with the public.
Job Training
Employees in these occupations need anywhere from a few months to one year of working with experienced employees. A recognized apprenticeship program may be associated with these occupations.
Job Zone Examples
These occupations often involve using your knowledge and skills to help others. Examples include orderlies, counter and rental clerks, customer service representatives, security guards, upholsterers, tellers, and dental laboratory technicians.
SVP Range
(4.0 to < 6.0)

Training & Credentials

State training
Local training
Certifications
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State licenses

Apprenticeship Opportunities

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Worker Requirements

Skills

  • 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.
  • Service Orientation — Actively looking for ways to help people.
  • Social Perceptiveness — Being aware of others' reactions and understanding why they react as they do.
  • Coordination — Adjusting actions in relation to others' actions.

Knowledge

  • Customer and Personal Service — Knowledge of principles and processes for providing customer and personal services. This includes customer needs assessment, meeting quality standards for services, and evaluation of customer satisfaction.
  • English Language — Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.
  • Food Production — Knowledge of techniques and equipment for planting, growing, and harvesting food products (both plant and animal) for consumption, including storage/handling techniques.
  • Sales and Marketing — Knowledge of principles and methods for showing, promoting, and selling products or services. This includes marketing strategy and tactics, product demonstration, sales techniques, and sales control systems.
  • Mathematics — Knowledge of arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, statistics, and their applications.

Education

How much education does a new hire need to perform a job in this occupation? Respondents said:

  • 62%
     
    High school diploma or equivalent required
  • 32%
     
    Less than high school diploma required
  • 6%
     
    Bachelor’s degree required

Worker Characteristics

Abilities

  • Oral Comprehension — The ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.
  • Oral Expression — The ability to communicate information and ideas in speaking so others will understand.
  • Speech Clarity — The ability to speak clearly so others can understand you.
  • Speech Recognition — The ability to identify and understand the speech of another person.
  • Near Vision — The ability to see details at close range (within a few feet of the observer).
  • Problem Sensitivity — The ability to tell when something is wrong or is likely to go wrong. It does not involve solving the problem, only recognizing that there is a problem.

Interests

Interest code: SEC
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  • Social — Work involves helping, teaching, advising, assisting, or providing service to others. Social occupations are often associated with social, health care, personal service, teaching/education, or religious activities.
  • Enterprising — Work involves managing, negotiating, marketing, or selling, typically in a business setting, or leading or advising people in political and legal situations. Enterprising occupations are often associated with business initiatives, sales, marketing/advertising, finance, management/administration, professional advising, public speaking, politics, or law.
  • Conventional — Work involves following procedures and regulations to organize information or data, typically in a business setting. Conventional occupations are often associated with office work, accounting, mathematics/statistics, information technology, finance, or human resources.

Work Values

  • Relationships — Occupations that satisfy this work value allow employees to provide service to others and work with co-workers in a friendly non-competitive environment. Corresponding needs are Co-workers, Moral Values and Social Service.
  • Support — Occupations that satisfy this work value offer supportive management that stands behind employees. Corresponding needs are Company Policies, Supervision: Human Relations and Supervision: Technical.
  • Achievement — Occupations that satisfy this work value are results oriented and allow employees to use their strongest abilities, giving them a feeling of accomplishment. Corresponding needs are Ability Utilization and Achievement.

Work Styles

  • Cooperation — Job requires being pleasant with others on the job and displaying a good-natured, cooperative attitude.
  • Stress Tolerance — Job requires accepting criticism and dealing calmly and effectively with high-stress situations.
  • Self-Control — Job requires maintaining composure, keeping emotions in check, controlling anger, and avoiding aggressive behavior, even in very difficult situations.
  • Dependability — Job requires being reliable, responsible, and dependable, and fulfilling obligations.
  • Social Orientation — Job requires preferring to work with others rather than alone, and being personally connected with others on the job.
  • Adaptability/Flexibility — Job requires being open to change (positive or negative) and to considerable variety in the workplace.
  • Integrity — Job requires being honest and ethical.
  • Concern for Others — Job requires being sensitive to others' needs and feelings and being understanding and helpful on the job.
  • Attention to Detail — Job requires being careful about detail and thorough in completing work tasks.
  • Initiative — Job requires a willingness to take on responsibilities and challenges.
  • Achievement/Effort — Job requires establishing and maintaining personally challenging achievement goals and exerting effort toward mastering tasks.
  • Leadership — Job requires a willingness to lead, take charge, and offer opinions and direction.

Workforce Characteristics

Wages & Employment Trends

Median wages (2023)
$14.05 hourly, $29,220 annual
State wages
Local wages
Employment (2023)
435,600 employees
Projected growth (2023-2033)
Little or no change
Projected job openings (2023-2033)
110,400
State trends
Top industries (2023)

Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics 2023 wage data and 2023-2033 employment projections . “Projected growth” represents the estimated change in total employment over the projections period (2023-2033). “Projected job openings” represent openings due to growth and replacement.

Job Openings on the Web

State job openings
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More Information

Professional Associations

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National Associations
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