Expo

Join the Team at Juniper

Highwood, IL

Juniper is a new Modern American restaurant with a dedicated sushi program in the heart of Highwood, led by Executive Chef Todd Stein, whose career includes leadership within Ballyhoo Hospitality, with concepts including Sophia Steak, Pomeroy, Coda di Volpe, Gemini, and more.

Our menu brings together modern American cooking and a dedicated sushi program in a polished, high-volume restaurant environment.

We're building a team of culinary and hospitality professionals who believe great restaurants are built through genuine hospitality, teamwork, communication, and attention to detail.

We're looking for an experienced, organized, and confident Food Runner / Expo who can serve as the critical link between our kitchen and dining room and help ensure every plate leaves the kitchen correctly, efficiently, and at the standard our guests expect.

The right person for this position is calm under pressure, an excellent communicator, highly organized, and comfortable taking control of a busy service.

Why Join Juniper?

• Be part of an exciting new restaurant and growing team.
• Work alongside an experienced culinary and leadership team.
• Opportunity for growth and additional responsibility.
• Highly competitive hourly pay.
• Team Member Family Meal every shift.
• Team Member Dining Discount.
• Team-first culture built around professionalism, accountability, and hospitality.

What You'll Do

As an Expo at Juniper, you'll work at the center of service, coordinating between the kitchen, sushi bar, servers, food runners, and management to ensure food reaches our guests accurately and efficiently.

Expo Responsibilities

• Coordinate the flow of food from the kitchen and sushi bar to the dining room.
• Read, organize, and manage tickets throughout service.
• Communicate clearly with the kitchen, sushi bar, servers, food runners, and management.
• Ensure every dish is complete, properly presented, and going to the correct table and seat.
• Verify modifications, allergies, special requests, and other important ticket information before food leaves the kitchen.
• Organize and prioritize tickets to maintain proper pacing throughout the dining room.
• Coordinate courses so dishes arrive together and at the appropriate time.
• Direct food runners and clearly communicate table and seat positions.
• Maintain awareness of long ticket times and proactively communicate delays or issues.
• Ensure plates meet Juniper's presentation and quality standards before leaving the pass.
• Assist with garnishing, finishing, and organizing plates when appropriate.
• Maintain a clean, organized, and efficient expo station throughout service.
• Communicate immediately with chefs and managers when something isn't right.

Who Thrives at Juniper

• Extremely organized and detail-oriented.
• Confident communicating with both the kitchen and dining room.
• Comfortable directing others during a busy service.
• Able to process a large amount of information quickly and accurately.
• Remains calm and focused under pressure.
• Understands the importance of timing, pacing, and course coordination.
• Notices mistakes before they reach the guest.
• Communicates problems quickly instead of allowing them to become bigger problems.
• Takes ownership and follows through.
• Works with urgency without becoming frantic.
• Understands that great service requires constant communication between the front and back of house.

Previous restaurant experience is strongly preferred. Experience as an Expo, Food Runner, Server, Cook, or in another high-volume restaurant position is especially valuable.

Requirements

• Previous full-service restaurant experience preferred.
• Strong communication and organizational skills.
• Ability to read and manage multiple tickets simultaneously.
• Ability to learn Juniper's entire food and sushi menu, including ingredients, modifications, and common allergens.
• Ability to stand and work for extended periods.
• Ability to lift up to 40 pounds.
• Nights, weekends, and holiday availability.
• Ability to obtain an Illinois Food Handler Certification.

At Juniper, the Expo is more than someone calling tickets. This position is the communication hub between the kitchen and dining room and plays a major role in the pace, accuracy, and overall quality of every service.

We're looking for someone who can see the entire board, stay one step ahead, and help keep both the kitchen and dining room moving together.

Apply today and become a key part of the team at Juniper.

Salary : $15