Required Years of Experience
0-1 years
Job Details
Chai Pani is coming to one of D.C.’s most vibrant neighborhoods - Union Market - and we’re building a passionate team to bring it to life!
In India, chai pani is slang for “going out for a cup of tea, a snack, or a little something.” For us, it means vibrant, joyful, delicious Indian street food paired with heartfelt hospitality — a place where people connect, celebrate, and feel taken care of.
We’ve been recognized with seven James Beard nominations, and in 2022, Chai Pani Asheville won Outstanding Restaurant. We've been featured in The New York Times, Bon Appétit, Food & Wine, and even landed on Oprah’s Favorite Things. But accolades don’t matter if the experience we offer doesn’t feel warm, genuine, and grounded. That’s where you come in.
We’re hiring Hosts to help us build something truly special in D.C.
Position Summary: As the first face guests see and the last goodbye they receive, the Host sets the tone for the entire experience. You’ll greet everyone with genuine warmth, manage the flow of service with precision and calm, and create a sense of ease and excitement from the moment guests walk through the door. It’s a make or break position. You’ll be the compass of our dining room and a key part of our guest’s first impression.
What we this role offers:
- The chance to work with a James Beard Award–winning restaurant group and Chef
- Flexibility, camaraderie, and a culture where your voice matters
- Growth, mentorship, and a community that values excellence and care
- A Masterclass in hospitality systems, guest communication and service flow
What you offer:
- A genuine love of hospitality and being of service to others
- Warmth, empathy
- A mind for systems and puzzles
- A clear, friendly and confident communication style
- A growth mindset, and a commitment to upholding a culture of excellence, love and care
- A team-first attitude and a drive to go above and beyond for guests and coworkers alike
Benefits:
- Medical, dental, vision, disability, dependent care FSA, and supplemental life insurance (full-time team members)
- Company paid life insurance (full and part-time team members)
- Tip-share program
- Flexible work schedules
- Paid sick days
- Free shift meals
- Employee discount on merch, Spicewalla products, and all of our other restaurant locations in Asheville, Charlotte & Atlanta
- Cash advance program
- Opportunity to apply to annual staff trip to India after 1 year of employment
Giving back is at the heart of Chai Pani's mission. We make a difference when and where we can - from our partnership with an educational non-profit in Mumbai; to feeding the homeless with dignity in our communities; and within our own walls, offering competitive pay, schedules, and benefits that support work-life harmony. We hope you’ll join our team and be a difference-maker too.
Compensation Details
Compensation: Hourly ($10.00) plus tips
Benefits & Perks: Health Insurance, Dental Insurance, Vision Insurance, Dining Discounts
Required Skills
Customer Service Orientation
Problem Solving Skills
Attention to Detail
Ability to manage stress
Interpersonal Skills
Adaptability
Collaboration
Time Management
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Chai Pani is coming to one of D.C.’s most vibrant neighborhoods in the Union Market district, and we’re building a passionate team to bring it to life!
From Bombay to Asheville and Atlanta, Chai Pani has extended our love of food, hospitality, and storytelling to the south’s most essential culinary cities. In 2021, The New York Times included Chai Pani in their prestigious list of America’s Favorite Restaurants. And in 2022, 13 years after we opened our doors and ran out of food midday, Chai Pani Asheville was named Outstanding Restaurant by the James Beard Foundation.
Chai Pani literally means “tea and water.” It's slang in India for going out for a cup of tea, a tasty bite, a snack, or “a little something.” In Downtown Asheville and Downtown Decatur (Atlanta), it means groundbreaking, fun, affordable, and “mindblasting” Indian street food that’s changing the perception of Indian cuisine in America. It means innovative, fun, affordable and delicious Indian cuisine. We'd go so far as to say it's “mindblasting.”
Some of the best food of any country is its street food, and Chai Pani features chaat – crunchy, spicy, sweet, tangy, brightly flavored Indian street snacks. And because there's nothing more comforting and delicious in any culture than a home cooked meal, Chai Pani also brings you thalis – traditional family meals highlighting India's amazing culinary diversity.
In 2009, Chef Meherwan Irani (who grew up in Ahmednagar, in the midwestern state of Maharashtra in India) opened Chai Pani with his wife and business partner, Molly. It was the bottom of the great recession, but they had a crystal clear vision of what Chai Pani could be: They’d serve street food and home-cooked meals — the most underrepresented Indian foods in Western culture — by way of the unparalleled hospitality modeled to Meherwan as a child in his parents’ bed & breakfast. Chai Pani has since been recognized as sparking a revolution in Indian cuisine in America.
