What are the responsibilities and job description for the Host / Reservationist position at Black Gates?
ABOUT THE ROLE
Han Cha is an intimate Korean- and Japanese-inflected tea service at the Stony Island Arts Bank, serving a seasonal $75 prix fixe alongside our Yunomi cocktail bar. We are looking for a warm, organized, and quick-moving Host & Service Assistant to be the first face our guests see and a steady extra set of hands for the service team.
This is a hybrid front-of-house role. You will run the door and seating, then flow onto the floor between seatings to clear and reset tables, refill water, and take small tasks off our servers so that each guest experiences calm, unhurried hospitality. It's a great fit for someone who enjoys people and takes pride in a beautifully turned room.
WHAT YOU'LL DO
- Greet and welcome every guest, manage the reservation book and waitlist, and seat parties in a smooth, well-paced flow.
- Help with bussing and reset tables between seatings — clearing courses, wiping and resetting place settings, and keeping the room tidy and camera-ready.
- Refill water and refill water carafe, and help bring over newly cleaned ceramics from bar.
- Handle our service ceramics with care — many pieces come from Theaster Gates's studio and are hand-washed, never rushed.
- Keep the host stand, entryway, and side garden door area clean and inviting throughout service.
- Support closing tasks: resetting the dining room, organizing menus, and readying the space for the next service.
WHAT WE'RE LOOKING FOR
- A genuine hospitality instinct — you make people feel welcome and read a room well.
- Organized and calm under pressure, able to juggle the door and the floor during a busy seating.
- Reliable, punctual, and comfortable on your feet for the length of a shift, lifting and carrying bus tubs and trays.
- A team player who notices the small task that needs doing and simply does it.
- Prior host, busser, food-runner, or server-assistant experience is a plus but not required — we will train the right person.
- Illinois BASSET certification (or willingness to obtain it) is a plus, given our adjacent bar service.
- Must be legally authorized to work in the U.S.; new hires complete Form I-9 on their first day.
SCHEDULE & COMPENSATION
Days Thursday–Saturday, roughly 11:30 AM–8 PM, and Sunday, roughly 11:30 AM–6 PM (service is 12–8 Thu–Sat and 12–6 Sun, with about an hour before and after each shift).
Type Part-time, hourly.
Pay $18/hour.
Salary : $18