Required Years of Experience
2 years
Job Details
THE OPPORTUNITY
Café Mars, located in the Gowanus neighborhood of Brooklyn, is seeking a fun, friendly, and fast paced individual looking for work in an unusual and fun restaurant with a focus on internal team development and food/beverage/hospitality growth and education.
We are looking to round out our team with a full-time Lead Server. This role will involve working 4 dinner services (W-Sa), as well as Brunch on Sunday morning (negotiable).
WHO WE ARE
Opened in May 2023, Café Mars is an unusual Italian restaurant in Gowanus. We aim to be the neighborhood place that make locals proud and makes visitors want to become locals. The restaurant is in a corner space on Third Avenue, across the street from where Paul’s great grandfather first settled in Brooklyn from Campania, Italy. When joining Café Mars, you will become part of a small, tight‐knit team that gives the best we have to offer our guests and each other.
Since 2023, we have been recognized by Michelin with a Bib Gourmand, as well as Best Service (NYC) in 2023 and Inspector's favorite visit in NYC in 2024. We are also an OpenTable icon since 2024. Fun, seasonal and inventive, the menu pays homage to the traditional Italian roots of the neighborhood, while celebrating the chefs’ eclectic backgrounds in the food world. Chefs Paul D’Avino and Juan David Gracia’s past includes NYC spots wd~50 and aska as well as long and short stints in Iceland, Colombia, Denmark, and Japan. Our Service Director, Stephen Puntillo, has spent time at Torrisi Italian Specialties, Lincoln Ristorante, and others. Café Mars strives to serve a menu with a fun, thoughtful, and modern take on Italian cuisine.
MAIN RESPONSIBILITIES- Perform set up and breakdown of the dining room, including restocking and cleaning, and any side work that is deemed necessary for the space.
- Warmly greet, check-in and seat guests.
- Assist in maintaining the reservation system during service.
- Assist the team with all facets of service as needed.
- Accurately describes and sells food items and beverages, guiding guests with supplied and pre-existing knowledge, free of pretension.
- Records and communicates orders from guests to the kitchen and/or bar, while noting any special requests or allergies in a clear and concise manner.
- Provides wine service, both BTG and BTB, to guests. Runs or transports beverages via tray service (cocktails, beer, and spirits, coffee/tea) from bar to table.
- Ensures excellent service & hospitality is provided to all guests, our community, vendors and staff. We are committed to maintaining a kind and positive environment to every person who enters our space.
REQUIREMENTS
- Minimum one year of experience in fine dining or upscale casual restaurants.
- Must have weekend and Sunday brunch availability.
- Must demonstrate a love of food, beverages of all types, and an excitement about the restaurant experience as a whole.
- Love of learning and commitment to improvement. Is open to receiving and contributing critique in a straightforward manner.
- Ability to establish and maintain effective relationships in all directions: ownership, co-workers, and guests while listening and addressing concerns as needed.
- Must possess outstanding organizational, interpersonal skills, and excellent attention to detail.
- An outgoing team player with a positive attitude and problem-solving skills, willing to adapt and learn every day.
As an important member of our team, you’ll have access to:
- Inclusive Healthcare
- Wellness Program
- Retirement Plan option
- Commuter Benefits
- Paid Time Off to support you having an active life outside work
- Yearly Stipend for dining at other restaurants
- Closed on ALL Major Holidays for you to spend quality time with loved ones
We offer a supportive working and learning environment that fosters growth and promotes career advancement, believing that one should always be learning. This is a great opportunity for industry professionals looking to advance their career and have the opportunity to be a part of an opening team. If you are interested in joining a restaurant that values creativity, uniqueness, dedication, hard work and a commitment to genuine hospitality then come and get it!
Compensation Details
Compensation: Hourly ($18.00) plus tips
Benefits & Perks: Paid Time Off, 401k, Commuter Benefits, Wellness Program
Required Skills
Customer Service Orientation
Team Collaboration
Communication Skills
Time Management
Adaptability
Conflict Resolution
Attention to Guest Experience
Knowledge of Food and Beverage Pairing
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Café Mars is an unusual Italian restaurant, nestled in the heart of the historically Italian neighborhood of Gowanus, Brooklyn. Opened in May 2023, chef Paul D’Avino, beverage director Jake Riley, and the whole team, are looking to honor tradition while expanding the definition of what an Italian restaurant can be.
Steeped in Italian history, Café Mars occupies a former pasta factory and Italian grocer, sitting across the street from the home Paul’s great grandfather lived in, after immigrating to Brooklyn from Campania, Italy in 1901. While Café Mars’ connection to the past is strong, we also tap into the ever-evolving elements of modern Italian culture beyond just gastronomy. Our combined restaurant experience (wd~50, aska, uchu, olmsted), travels, and research lend a broad base to deliver a different kind of Italian meal.
Whereas many Italian restaurants tend to use a magnifying glass to zoom in on specific regions and traditions, we instead reach for a telescope. Café Mars looks at the totality of Italian cuisine, gaining inspiration from every region of Italy, and even beyond the boot. From the port cities of North and South America, to the Itameshi cuisine of Japan, the universal love of Italian cooking has seen it travel to every corner of the world, and reinterpreted wherever it went. That’s our Italy. Be it food or drink, our menus shine a light on overlooked classics and unexpected flavors that aim to reframe what it means to go out for Italian.
We are doing it in a kind and fun atmosphere, that still takes a deep approach to food, beverage, and hospitality in very thoughtful and intentional way.
Awards / Distinctions
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