Host

HOST — BUDDY AND SON

Location: Buddy and Son at PUBLIC Hotel, Lower East Side, New York, NY
Reports to: General Manager and Floor Managers
Employment type: Full-time or part-time, hourly
Compensation: $20–$24 per hour, based on experience

ABOUT BUDDY AND SON

Buddy and Son is a seasonal brasserie inside PUBLIC Hotel on the Lower East Side, with 95 seats in the dining room, 35 at the bar, and a 60-seat garden.

The cooking is ingredient-driven and unfussy: sophisticated in sensibility, simple in execution, and built around thoughtful sourcing and seasonality. Buddy and Son is a neighborhood restaurant—for the artists, makers, regulars, and wanderers who have always defined the Lower East Side, as well as the guests who come to stay at the hotel.

THE ROLE

The Host is the first and last point of contact for our guests and plays a central role in setting the tone of the restaurant.

We are looking for someone who is naturally welcoming, organized, calm under pressure, and able to manage the door with both confidence and kindness. The right candidate can balance reservations, walk-ins, hotel guests, regulars, and special requests while protecting the pace of the dining room.

CORE RESPONSIBILITIES

• Greet every guest warmly and acknowledge arrivals promptly.
• Manage reservations, walk-ins, wait times, and table assignments.
• Maintain an accurate understanding of the floor plan and table status throughout service.
• Coordinate seating with managers, Servers, Table Support, and the kitchen.
• Answer telephone, email, and in-person inquiries professionally.
• Confirm reservations and document guest notes, preferences, and special occasions.
• Recognize returning guests and help build a useful, respectful guest database.
• Communicate delays honestly and graciously.
• Maintain an organized, clean, and welcoming entrance and host stand.
• Assist with coat check, directions, hotel questions, and other reasonable guest needs.
• Support the management team with menus, seating reports, and reservation notes.
• Help ensure that every guest receives a thoughtful goodbye.

THE IDEAL CANDIDATE

• Naturally warm, polished, and comfortable speaking with a wide range of people.
• Exceptionally organized and attentive to detail.
• Able to remain calm and gracious when the door becomes busy.
• Confident making decisions while knowing when to involve a manager.
• Clear and professional in person, over the phone, and in writing.
• Interested in remembering names, preferences, and the small details that create regulars.
• Reliable, punctual, and committed to supporting the whole team.

EXPERIENCE & QUALIFICATIONS

• Previous host, reservationist, receptionist, or guest-service experience preferred.
• Experience in a busy New York City restaurant or hotel is a plus.
• Familiarity with Resy, OpenTable, SevenRooms, or a comparable reservation platform is helpful.
• Basic familiarity with Toast or another POS system is helpful.
• Ability to stand and move throughout the restaurant for the duration of a shift.
• Availability to work evenings, weekends, brunches, and holidays as required.

DETAILS

This is an on-site position at PUBLIC Hotel on the Lower East Side. Buddy and Son is committed to building a safe, respectful, and inclusive workplace and is an equal-opportunity employer.