Server

SERVER — BUDDY AND SON

Location: Buddy and Son at PUBLIC Hotel, Lower East Side, New York, NY
Reports to: General Manager and Floor Managers
Employment type: Full-time or part-time, hourly, tipped
Compensation: $11.35 per hour plus tips

ABOUT BUDDY AND SON

Buddy and Son is a seasonal brasserie inside PUBLIC Hotel on the Lower East Side, with 95 seats in the dining room, 35 at the bar, and a 60-seat garden.

The cooking is ingredient-driven and unfussy: sophisticated in sensibility, simple in execution, and built around thoughtful sourcing and seasonality. Buddy and Son is a neighborhood restaurant—for the artists, makers, regulars, and wanderers who have always defined the Lower East Side, as well as the guests who come to stay at the hotel.

THE ROLE

We are looking for warm, knowledgeable, and attentive Servers who understand that great service is about more than delivering food. Our Servers guide the guest experience from arrival through the final goodbye, balancing genuine hospitality with strong product knowledge, organization, and awareness of the room.

The right candidate is confident without being rehearsed, attentive without hovering, and able to make every table feel cared for.

CORE RESPONSIBILITIES

• Provide warm, polished, and unhurried service throughout the guest experience.
• Develop a thorough understanding of the food, wine, spirits, and beverage menus.
• Guide guests through the menu and make thoughtful recommendations.
• Accurately enter orders and communicate allergies, dietary restrictions, and special requests.
• Coordinate closely with the kitchen, bar, hosts, and table-support team.
• Maintain strong pacing and anticipate what a table needs before being asked.
• Handle guest concerns with patience, discretion, and a solutions-oriented approach.
• Complete opening, closing, and assigned side work thoroughly.
• Maintain clean, organized, and fully stocked service stations.
• Follow all food-safety, responsible alcohol-service, and workplace-safety standards.
• Help create a respectful, collaborative environment across the front and back of house.

THE IDEAL CANDIDATE

• Warm, observant, organized, and genuinely interested in hospitality.
• Comfortable working in a busy, high-volume restaurant.
• Strong communicator who remains composed under pressure.
• Knowledgeable about food, wine, spirits, and classic service fundamentals.
• Able to read a table and adjust the style and pace of service accordingly.
• Reliable, punctual, and committed to supporting the entire team.
• Interested in learning, improving, and contributing to a new restaurant.

EXPERIENCE & QUALIFICATIONS

• At least one year of serving experience in a full-service restaurant preferred.
• New York City restaurant experience is a plus.
• Familiarity with Toast or a comparable POS system is helpful.
• Ability to safely carry trays and lift up to 40 pounds.
• Ability to stand and move throughout the restaurant for the duration of a shift.
• Availability to work evenings, weekends, brunches, and holidays as required.

DETAILS

This is an on-site position at PUBLIC Hotel on the Lower East Side. Buddy and Son is committed to building a safe, respectful, and inclusive workplace and is an equal-opportunity employer.