The ''maître d'hôtel'' (; ), head waiter, host, waiter captain, or ''maître d ( , ) manages the public part, or "front of the house", of a formal

restaurant A restaurant is a business that prepares and serves food and drinks to customers. Meals are generally served and eaten on the premises, but many restaurants also offer take-out and food delivery services. Restaurants vary greatly in appearan ...

. The responsibilities of a ''maître d'hôtel'' generally include supervising the

waiting staff Waiting staff (British English), waitstaff (North American English), waiters (male) / waitresses (female), or servers (North American English), are those who work at a restaurant, a diner, or a bar and sometimes in private homes, attendi ...

, welcoming guests and assigning tables to them, taking reservations, and ensuring that guests are satisfied. In large organizations, such as certain hotels, or

cruise ship Cruise ships are large passenger ships used mainly for vacationing. Unlike ocean liners, which are used for transport, cruise ships typically embark on round-trip voyages to various ports-of-call, where passengers may go on tours known as ...

s with multiple restaurants, the ''maître d'hôtel'' is often responsible for the overall dining experience, including

room service Room service or in-room dining is a hotel service enabling guests to choose items of food and drink for delivery to their hotel room for consumption. Room service is organized as a subdivision within the food and beverage department of high-end ...

and buffet services, while head waiters or supervisors are responsible for the specific restaurant or dining room they work in. Food writer Leah Zeldes writes that the role of ''maître d’hôtel'' originated as a kind of combined "host, headwaiter and dining-room manager" and, in the past, persons with this role were sometimes responsible for such operations as tableside boning of fish and mixing of

salad A salad is a dish consisting of mixed, mostly natural ingredients with at least one raw ingredient. They are typically served at room temperature or chilled, though some can be served warm. Condiments and salad dressings, which exist in a va ...

s. Traditionally, the host of a restaurant was a comparatively prestigious position given to trusted employees. The maître d' represented the restaurant as a whole and coordinated its service. While still true at certain high-end restaurants, this began to change in the 21st century. Many restaurants kept a host position, but it became an entry-level position for new hires rather than a senior position. According to the United States

Bureau of Labor Statistics The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) is a unit of the United States Department of Labor. It is the principal fact-finding agency for the U.S. government in the broad field of labor economics and statistics and serves as a principal agency of ...

, most hosts in the US are young and made an average annual wage in 2020 of $24,800, a fairly low amount. A potential factor contributing to the decline in the position is that customers are less deferential and ruder to hosts compared to the past, resulting in the position being seen as less desirable and less fulfilling.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Maitre D' Restaurant staff Restaurant terminology

See also

References