Captain Job Description
n/naka is a Michelin-starred California kaiseki restaurant led by Chefs Niki Nakayama and Carole Iida. Our highly personal interpretation of kaiseki is devoted to honoring seasonality and providing an intimate, heartfelt guest experience. Our team is driven by “omotenashi”, the Japanese philosophy of wholeheartedly caring for our guests.
We are looking for passionate and experienced fine dining Captains with wine/sake knowledge to join our team. The ideal candidate will have at least 3 years of fine dining service experience from a Michelin level establishment and a passion for Japanese food, wine and sake knowledge.
Duties and responsibilities:
As Captain, your job responsibilities include, but are not limited to:
- Remembering detailed Chef menu notes in order to deliver accurate and highly personalized guest experience
- Having a deep understanding of Japanese food and kaiseki philosophy in order to deliver a guest experience that communicates our unique vision at n/naka
- Ability to connect with guests to convey heartfelt hospitality
- Ability to multi-task and remain calm under pressure at all times
- Ability to adapt to all different types of guests to meet and exceed their expectations
- Ability to make guests feel cared for and appreciated, while following strict service standards and timing
- Be a highly responsible and dependable team player that understands the importance of teamwork and can communicate effectively with team members
- Be detail oriented, efficient and organized with all assigned tasks, including pre-service cleaning, wine glass polishing, post-service closing duties.
- Ability to adapt to last minute dietary changes or guest requests in a professional manner
- Ability to follow steps of service in a timely manner to maintain optimum flow of service and table turns
- Fluent English speaking and listening ability
- WSET II or higher wine knowledge certification preferred
- Sake knowledge/certification preferred
- Possess a clean and well groomed presence and maintain uniform upkeep
- Be capable of adapting service style to match each guest
- Be a quick learner who thrives in a small team environment
- Ability to see beyond your assigned tables and help other Captains whenever possible
- Ability to handle difficult situations with guests in a calm and professional manner
- Dedication to remembering guests’ names, faces and preferences in order to uphold our personalized guest relationship philosophy
Hours of operation:
We are open for service Wednesday through Saturday with occasional special events and buyouts on additional days.
Physical Demands
- The physical demands for this position are seeing, hearing, speaking, reaching, frequently lifting up to 25 pounds, occasionally lifting up to 50 pounds, sitting, standing, for 4 to 11 hours, bending, and moving intermittently during working hours. These physical requirements may be accomplished with or without reasonable accommodations.
The duties of this position may change from time to time. n/naka reserves the right to add or remove duties and responsibilities at the discretion of Ownership or its managers. This job description is intended to describe the general level of work being performed. It is not intended to be all-inclusive.
n/naka is proud to be an Equal Opportunity Employer. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, color, creed, religion, gender (including gender identity or expression), pregnancy, childbirth or related medical conditions, sexual orientation, marital status, domestic violence, sexual violence or stalking victim status, ancestry, national origin, alienage or citizenship, age, disability, military or veteran status, genetic information or predisposing genetic characteristic, or other protected status.