Waiter / Waitress
7 days ago
London
JOIN LA PETITE BRETAGNE FULL-TIME WAITER / WAITRESS SELF-MANAGING FRONT-OF-HOUSE POSITION £16/HOUR GUARANTEED MINIMUM EARNINGS TO UP TO 22£ SERVICE CHARGE + HIGH BONUS INCENTIVES Hammersmith, London PLEASE READ THE FULL ADVERTISEMENT BEFORE APPLYING!!This is important.Please do not apply based only on the job title.This is not a position where you will be one waiter among five people on the floor.La Petite Bretagne is a small, established restaurant with only 26 seats, and we intentionally operate with a small front-of-house team.Once properly trained, you will often be responsible for managing the floor independently during your shift during weekdays.That means welcoming guests, taking orders, serving food and drinks, making coffees, clearing and resetting tables, keeping the restaurant clean and organised, communicating with the kitchen and dealing with guest requests often without another front-of-house person beside you during weekdays.This is a very hands-on position.But above everything else, service is at the heart of the job.You need to genuinely enjoy looking after people, be confident with guests and be comfortable managing several tables at the same time while staying organised.If you are looking for a restaurant where every person has one small individual task, this probably will not be the right position for you.If you enjoy having your own floor, being trusted, staying active and taking responsibility for your shift, then keep reading. ABOUT LA PETITE BRETAGNE La Petite Bretagne is an established independent restaurant in Hammersmith specialising in authentic Breton galettes, sweet crêpes and warm, personal hospitality since 14 years now.We have just 26 seats, which means our style of service is very different from a large restaurant.There are no unnecessary layers of management and no huge front-of-house team.We work with a small, experienced team where everybody understands their responsibilities and is expected to contribute.We are now looking for an experienced full-time Waiter / Waitress who can become an important and trusted part of the restaurant for the long term.For the right person, there is also genuine opportunity to progress into a Supervisor position in the future. THIS IS A SELF-MANAGING POSITION We want to be completely transparent about this before you apply.Once you are properly trained and understand how the restaurant operates, you will often manage the front of house independently during your shift.You need to be capable of seeing what needs to be done without somebody constantly telling you.During a normal service, you may move between: • Welcoming guests., • Taking orders., • Serving food and drinks., • Managing several tables at the same time., • Making coffees., • Clearing tables., • Washing plates when required., • Cleaning., • Polishing glasses and cutlery., • Resetting and redressing tables., • Communicating with the kitchen., • Answering questions about the menu., • Dealing with guest requests., • Handling complaints professionally., • Keeping the restaurant clean and organised., • Completing opening or closing duties. You are responsible for your floor from beginning to end.We therefore need somebody who can think ahead, prioritise properly and remain calm when several things happen at the same time.You should be comfortable working independently and taking responsibility for the guest experience. SERVICE IS THE HEART OF THE POSITION Although organisation, cleanliness and independence are extremely important, this is first and foremost a hospitality position.The majority of your job will involve looking after guests.We are looking for somebody who genuinely enjoys service.Someone who notices when a guest needs something.Someone who can read a table.Someone warm, confident and natural who can create a connection without becoming intrusive.You should be comfortable explaining the menu, recommending dishes and drinks, suggesting extras and upselling naturally.We do not want aggressive selling.We want somebody who understands that good recommendations are part of excellent hospitality.When done properly, the guest has a better experience and the restaurant performs better. YOU NEED TO BE COMFORTABLE UNDER PRESSURE A small restaurant does not necessarily mean an easy service.Because our front-of-house team is intentionally small, there will be moments when several tables need your attention at the same time.You need to remain calm, organised and professional.You should also be comfortable dealing with: • Busy services., • Guest complaints., • Difficult situations., • Special requests., • Several priorities happening at once., • Clear communication with the kitchen., • Making decisions independently when required. Previous experience as a Supervisor, Head Waiter, Senior Waiter or Assistant Manager is a strong advantage, particularly if you are already comfortable taking responsibility during a shift.However, previous management experience is not essential if you are an experienced waiter or waitress with the right maturity, attitude and confidence. BARISTA & LATTE ART SKILLS ARE ESSENTIAL This requirement is non-negotiable.You must already be comfortable using a professional espresso machine.You should know how to texture milk correctly and confidently prepare drinks including: • Flat whites., • Cappuccinos., • Lattes., • Cortados., • Espresso-based drinks. You must also be capable of producing basic latte art consistently.We can teach you our menu.We can teach you our systems.We can teach you exactly how La Petite Bretagne operates.We cannot teach basic barista skills from scratch for this position.If you do not already have genuine coffee experience, please do not apply. WHO WE ARE LOOKING FOR We are looking for somebody who is: • Experienced in hospitality., • Naturally warm and confident with guests., • Strong at service., • Reliable and punctual., • Mature and responsible., • Extremely organised., • Comfortable working independently., • Fast without becoming careless., • Calm under pressure., • Able to prioritise several tasks at once., • Very attentive to cleanliness., • Comfortable handling complaints., • Strong at communicating with the kitchen., • Capable of noticing what needs doing without being asked., • Someone who takes ownership., • An experienced barista with good latte-art skills., • Comfortable recommending and selling., • Looking for a stable, long-term position. Weekend availability is essential and non-negotiable.We are looking for somebody who wants to stay, develop and become genuinely trusted within the restaurant.No seasonal or short-term applications. PAY, SERVICE CHARGE & BONUSES £16 PER HOUR GUARANTEED MINIMUM EARNINGS Whatever the month and whatever your sales performance, your total earnings will not fall below £16 per hour, made up of your base hourly wage together with service charge.But £16 is the guaranteed minimum not where your earnings stop.Every month, there are additional opportunities through service charge and performance-based bonuses.Strong performers can increase their effective hourly earnings to around £22 per hour or more, depending on the month, restaurant performance and individual results.The principle is very simple: THE MORE YOU CONTRIBUTE AND THE MORE YOU SELL, THE MORE YOU CAN EARN. We reward people who recommend confidently, upsell naturally, generate additional sales, take responsibility and consistently provide excellent service.There is no unrealistic salary promise.You have the security of a £16-per-hour guaranteed minimum, while your performance gives you the opportunity to earn significantly more.High-performing team members can therefore reach £22+ per hour in total earnings depending on their results, service charge and bonuses for that month.Put simply: perform well, sell well and your earnings increase. STABLE ROTA & GENUINE WORK-LIFE BALANCE Hospitality does not need to mean having no life outside work.We want people to work hard and take responsibility while they are here, but we also believe your time outside work should be respected.Your rota is published one month in advance.Once you have completed your training, you will work on a stable repeating rotation, meaning your working pattern remains consistent rather than changing every week.After training, you will also receive: TWO CONSECUTIVE DAYS OFF EVERY WEEK. Not random individual days scattered through the week.Two consecutive days.Every week.This means you know your schedule well in advance and can actually organise your life outside work.We believe that stability is one of the most important parts of building a strong long-term team. WHAT YOU RECEIVE The position includes: • £16 per hour guaranteed minimum earnings., • Service charge., • Monthly performance bonuses., • Sales-based incentives., • Potential to reach £22+ per hour in total earnings depending on performance., • Rota published one month in advance., • Stable repeating rotation after training., • Two consecutive days off every week after training., • Complimentary staff meals., • Employee discounts., • Long-term stability., • Independence once trained., • Trust and autonomy., • Opportunity to progress., • Genuine work-life balance. A SMALL, STABLE TEAM One of the biggest advantages of working at La Petite Bretagne is the environment.We are not a large corporate restaurant with constantly changing employees, multiple managers and unnecessary hierarchy.We are a small team.People know each other.People understand their jobs.Everybody is expected to work hard during their shift, but everybody should also be able to have a life outside work.Once we trust you, we will not stand behind you every five minutes telling you what to do.You will have independence.You will h
