Restaurant Lead-Front of House

WHO WE ARE:

Saks Fifth Avenue is a leading destination for luxury fashion, blending bold curation with a visionary, modern point of view. Since its inception in 1924, the company has delivered one-of-a-kind shopping experiences, featuring an expertly curated assortment of fashion and highly personalized customer service. Through an integrated retail model, we deliver a seamless customer journey across our portfolio of stores in leading luxury markets, complemented by a strong digital presence and remote selling offerings. Saks Fifth Avenue is part of Exemplar Luxury Group, the luxury collective uniting coveted brands with unrivaled customer experiences.

Job Description:

YOU WILL BE: The Restaurant Lead is a vital supervisor who drives floor operations and sets the benchmark for service excellence. In this role, you will manage employee scheduling, delegate daily responsibilities, and directly support the Restaurant Manager and Culinary Leadership in all aspects of front-of-house operations. Acting as a premier brand ambassador, you will lead by example on the floor greeting and seating guests, mentoring staff, and ensuring every customer experiences warm and accommodating. WHAT YOU WILL DO: • Floor Leadership & Service Standards • Setting the Standard: Sets and maintains the benchmark for the service team regarding personal hygiene, uniform standards, and refined guest interactions. • Hospitality Excellence: Champions the delivery of premium service, food, and beverage quality to elevate the overall luxury dining experience. • Guest Relations: Acts as a prominent representative of the restaurant, proactively building relationships with guests and managing front-of-house flow (greeting, seating, and table touching). • Quality Control: Constantly monitors the floor for any lapses in luxury service standards, providing real-time coaching and constructive feedback to staff. • Daily Coordination: Partners with the dining room team to ensure flawless preparation, breakdown, and execution of daily service shifts. • Scheduling & Operational Administration • Roster & Schedule Management: Creates and manages efficient, flexible restaurant work schedules, budgeting labor effectively while aligning with business projections. • Reporting & Forecasting: Completes accurate daily, weekly, and monthly operational reports to track sales trends, forecast business volume, and manage budgets. • Team Delegation: Delegates shift responsibilities to Associates dynamically and follows up rigorously on task completion. • Event & Inventory Coordination • Cross-Functional Planning: Coordinates closely with key culinary and kitchen staff to identify scheduling needs, ensure proper menu coverage, and seamlessly align front-of-house and back-of-house operations. • Event & Catering Execution: Supports the coordination and flawless execution of special promotions and private events. Reviews catering prospectuses to ensure absolute accuracy regarding guest counts, floor plans, and dietary needs. • Logistics Oversight: Manages operational variables for events, including rentals, labor allocation, and beverage provisions (beer, wine, and spirits). • Inventory & Waste Mitigation: Maintains keen awareness of inventory levels and quality control to prevent product waste while ordering necessary supplies. WHAT YOU WILL BRING: • High School Diploma or GED preferred. • Proven experience in restaurant supervision, fine-dining table service, or high-end hospitality leadership. • Service & Culinary Mastery: Thorough knowledge of premium order of service guidelines, proper placement of luxury table settings (china, glass, flatware), and a strong familiarity with culinary terminology. • Leadership Capabilities: Demonstrated ability to delegate tasks, hold team members accountable, and work autonomously with minimal supervision. • Communication & Interpersonal Skills: Excellent oral and written communication skills with the ability to interact graciously with the public and handle high-volume multitasking with poise. • Attributes: Motivated, results-driven, highly organized, and an exceptional problem-solver with a strong "win together" team mentality. • Technical Savvy: Basic proficiency with MS Office Product Suite and Google Workspace preferred. • Physical Demands: Role requires physical stamina for extended standing, bending, walking the floor, climbing stairs, and the ability to lift and carry up to 35 pounds. • Flexibility: Must be willing to work a flexible schedule tailored to premium retail and hospitality business needs, which will include evenings, weekends, and holidays.

YOUR LIFE AND CAREER AT EXEMPLAR LUXURY GROUP:

• Opportunity to work in a dynamic fast paced environment at a company experiencing growth and transformation 

• Exposure to rewarding career advancement opportunities across the largest multi-brand luxury retailer from retail to distribution, to digital or corporate 

• Comprehensive benefits package for all eligible full-time employees (including medical, vision and dental)
• An amazing employee discount

Benefits: We offer the following benefits for this position, subject to applicable eligibility requirements: medical insurance, dental insurance, vision insurance, 401(k) retirement plan, basic life insurance, supplemental life insurance, disability insurance, and a variety of additional voluntary benefits (such as critical illness, hospital and accident insurance).

Thank you for your interest with Exemplar Luxury Group. We look forward to reviewing your application.

Exemplar Luxury Group is an equal employment opportunity employer and is committed to providing reasonable accommodations to applicants with disabilities. If you are interested in applying for employment with Exemplar Luxury Group and would like to request special assistance or an accommodation, please contact candidatesupport@exemplarluxury.com.

Salary Range $25.11 - $31.38*

Compensation for this role varies by geographic location. The listed range reflects multiple markets, including higher-cost areas. Actual starting pay will be determined based on work location, experience, and other job-related factors.