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

restaurant A restaurant is an establishment 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 Delivery (commerce), food delivery services. Restaurants ...

. The responsibilities of a ''maître d'hôtel'' generally include supervising the waiting staff, welcoming guests and assigning tables to them, taking reservations, and ensuring that guests are satisfied. Other roles include supervising wine selections and helping chefs create menus. In North America, a ''maître d'hôtel'' is known as a dining room manager. 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 Tourism, tours k ...

s with multiple restaurants, the ''maître d'hôtel'' is often responsible for the overall dining experience, including room service 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 salads. The role of head waiter (also known as a ''chef de salle'') can sometimes occupy a distinct role when their role is not undertaken by a ''maître d'hôtel.'' When this occurs, the head waiter is solely responsible for oversight of dining room service.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Maitre D' Restaurant staff Restaurant terminology

See also

References