What are the responsibilities and job description for the Captain position at Press Club?
Captain
Press Club | Washington, DC | Full-Time
Press Club is an award-winning record bar and cocktail lounge from the team behind Hive Hospitality. Our approach to hospitality is rooted in Living Room Hospitality — creating an environment that feels warm, personal, thoughtful, and genuinely welcoming while maintaining an exceptionally high standard of service.
Our work has been recognized nationally, including:
- North America’s 50 Best Bars 2026 — #34
- 2 Pins from the Pinnacle Guide 2025
- Nominated for Best New Cocktail Bar — Tales of the Cocktail 2025
- Eater DC Awards — Best Night Out 2025
We are looking for a Captain to join our team full-time.
The Opportunity
The ideal Captain has experience in a high-level service environment and understands that exceptional hospitality is about much more than getting the details right.
You may have experience in fine dining, Michelin-recognized restaurants, luxury hospitality, or an award-winning bar program. You care deeply about service, have a strong eye for detail, and take pride in creating memorable experiences for guests.
At the same time, you're looking for an environment that feels less rigid and more human.
At Press Club, we believe elevated service doesn't have to feel formal or pretentious. We want our guests to feel like they're spending an evening in the home of someone who happens to be exceptionally good at hospitality.
We're looking for someone who can bring precision, confidence, and professionalism to that environment while still being warm, conversational, and authentic.
What You'll Do
As a Captain, you'll take ownership of your station and play an important role in creating a seamless guest experience from the moment guests arrive through the end of their visit.
Your responsibilities will include:
- Delivering warm, knowledgeable, and highly attentive hospitality throughout service
- Taking ownership of your assigned station and ensuring service flows smoothly
- Reading the room and anticipating guest needs without being intrusive
- Building genuine connections with guests and creating memorable experiences
- Demonstrating strong knowledge of our food, cocktails, and beverage program
- Guiding guests through the menu and making thoughtful recommendations
- Maintaining exceptional attention to detail throughout service
- Communicating effectively with the kitchen, bar, and broader service team
- Executing pre-shift, ongoing, and post-shift side work
- Maintaining a clean, organized, and polished floor
- Supporting opening and closing procedures as needed
- Helping maintain the high standards that have earned Press Club national recognition
What We're Looking For
The right person will bring a combination of technical service ability, genuine hospitality, and personality.
Ideally, you have:
- At least 2 years of professional hospitality experience
- Experience in fine dining, luxury hospitality, high-end cocktail bars, or another elevated service environment
- A strong understanding of food and cocktails
- Exceptional attention to detail
- The ability to remain composed and attentive in a high-volume environment
- Strong communication and teamwork skills
- Confidence taking ownership of a section and making decisions independently
- A genuine interest in hospitality and creating meaningful guest experiences
- A warm, personable presence and the ability to make guests feel comfortable
We are especially interested in candidates who have worked in highly structured, detail-oriented service environments but are looking for a more relaxed, creative, and relationship-driven approach to hospitality.
What We Offer
- Full-time position
- Medical, dental, and vision benefits
- 25% employee dining discount
- The opportunity to work within an award-winning cocktail and hospitality program
- Opportunities for growth within Press Club and Hive Hospitality
Our Philosophy
We don't believe great hospitality has to be stuffy.
We believe in knowing the details, anticipating needs, taking care of one another, and making people feel at home.
If you have the service standards of a fine-dining professional but the personality of someone who genuinely enjoys taking care of people, we'd love to meet you.
Press Club is an equal opportunity employer.
Salary : $18