Role: Service and Hospitality Manager

Reports To:  General Manager

Direct Reports: Hourly Team Members

Key Relationships:  Apres Cru Partners and Team

About the Role 

The Hospitality and Service Manager’s primary focus will be on building and maintaining strong relationships with valued guests and employees. In addition to managing service on the floor, this role will work to enhance the restaurant's visibility, attract new clientele, and ensure exceptional guest experiences for both Crif Dogs and Please Don’t Tell. The Service and Hospitality Manager will actively work on connecting the two businesses while honoring their individuality. 

About PDT

PDT, is an award-winning speakeasy cocktail bar in New York City’s East Village. The bar opened on the other side of the phone booth of Crif Dogs in 2007, six years after Crif Dogs established itself as the iconic downtown hot dog shop. The two businesses thrive together, and the highbrow lowbrow dynamic has developed a loyal following of regulars while providing intriguing appeal to domestic and international tourists. Over the years, PDT has won every major award, including World’s Best Bar by World’s 50 Best and by Tales of the Cocktail, James Beard Award for Best Cocktail Program, and PDT Managing Partner  Jeff Bell, was named American Bartender of the Year in 2017. The PDT Cocktail Book is one of the best-selling books of its kind and is found at the top cocktail bars globally. 

About Crif Dogs

Crif Dogs is an iconic NYC Hot Dog Stand serving creative hot dogs, griddled burgers and tater tots. Started in 2001 on St. Marks Street in NYC’s, Crif Dogs quickly became an East Village institution.  Inspired by the legendary hot dog stands of the northeast, Crif Dogs uses all-natural hot dogs that you can build into your own creation or sample one of the creative signature dogs.  House-made soft drinks are crafted by the famous speakeasy Please Don’t Tell, hidden inside the original Crif Dogs, behind a phone booth.

Service Management:

• Uphold and maintain the steps of service across all restaurants.
• Ensure training materials are accurate and up to date.
• Create pre-shift templates that both sides can use to ensure staff is aware of changes. 
• Work with General Managers to enhance the employee and guest experience
• Act as the liaison between Crif Dogs and Please Don’t Tell to encourage collaboration.
• Actively participate in and support service on the floor 
• Hold employees accountable to all standards and practices. Coach and discipline when necessary.

Guest Relations:

• Develop the process of confirming reservations and actively utilize the restaurant's waitlist to maximize our books and accommodate our guests.
• Constantly look for opportunities to personalize and enhance the guest experience
• Collaborate with Front Door  & GM team to proactively and continuously fine-tune Resy. 
• Review reservations daily to identify VIPs, occasions, value guests and opportunities to improve guest experience
• Respond to guest feedback (Resy, Google, Yelp, Facebook, Trip Advisor) on a weekly cadence.
• Develop and manage relationships with our regular guests, encouraging repeat visits and fostering a sense of community around our brand. 
• Utilize guest feedback and analytics to identify trends and opportunities for improvement, contributing to ongoing efforts to enhance guest satisfaction and overall restaurant performance.

Community Outreach and Management: 

• Working with marketing teams, connect with influencers, celebrities, high-value clientele, and various communities around the city to entice them to visit PDT and Crif Dogs. 
• Build relationships to brand visibility and generate positive word-of-mouth marketing. 
• Work closely with the marketing team to support social media campaigns and marketing strategies that boost awareness and outreach. 
• Serve as an ambassador, for the business in the neighborhood, building relationships and establishing Crif/PDT as a standard bearer in the industry and the community

Business Acumen and Compliance:

• Work with the General Manager to implement, monitor, and fine-tune clear strategic initiatives to achieve top and bottom-line targets.
• Work with management team on a proactive approach to managing prime costs, with an eye on the daily, weekly, monthly and annual projections, and budgets.
• Work with the General Manager on managing staffing levels, schedules, and systems that allow the restaurant to achieve excellence in operations while taking care of the bottom line.
• Weigh in on the weekly costed schedules and participate in inventories, to show fiscally responsible and an understanding of the budgeted targets.
• Lead daily and weekly walk through’s to ensure facilities are up to our standard.
• Ensure that HR practices are consistent with PDT/Crif’s values and compliant with all local, state and federal laws.                                    
• Lead a best-in-class approach to cleanliness, safety, sanitation, and food safety.
• Provide monthly commentary on Financial performance actual vs. budget with actionable tactics going forward.

Additional Skills and Responsibilities:

• Excellent communication, time management, and problem-solving skills
• Hands-on leader who possesses an ability to adapt and lead change  
• Analytical and organizational skills, as well as the ability to define and effectively solve a variety of changing situations under stress.
• Must possess strong interpersonal skills and the ability to resolve conflicting interests with the goal of obtaining cooperation.
• Passion for exceptional hospitality, food, and beverages.
• Ability to thrive in a fast-paced, entrepreneurial environment.  
• Self-driven, results-oriented, and possesses a solid track-record of leading high-caliber teams, upscale restaurants.
• Flexible work schedules, including nights and weekends
• May be required to lift, carry, push, or pull heavy objects up to 50 lbs.
• Kneel, bend, or stoop, ascend or descend stairs; be on feet for extended amounts of time

Preferred Experience:

• Entry level knowledge of  analyzing P&L statements and overall financial performance
• High Volume Experience a plus
• Proficient in a variety of technology systems, especially Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, Outlook, PowerPoint), G-Suite, Toast POS,, Resy, Instagram etc.

PDT & Crif Dogs provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment and prohibits discrimination and harassment of any type without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin, disability status, genetics, protected veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local laws.

This policy applies to all terms and conditions of employment, including recruiting, hiring, placement, promotion, termination, layoff, recall, transfer, leaves of absence, compensation and training.