What are the responsibilities and job description for the Front Desk & Guest Liason Manager | AVA CG & CLAUDIE position at RIVIERA DINING GROUP?
RDG introduces its first restaurant-concept brand, MILA, which offers guests a culinary journey through exquisite MediterrAsian cuisine, opened in January 2020 in Miami Beach. Combining genuine hospitality, fine dining, and a sophisticated nightlife atmosphere, MILA has quickly become a premier destination within Miami's upscale social scene.
At RDG, we are a collective of individuals dedicated to excellence and the art of sensory engagement. We embrace the rhythms of life and are motivated by the thrill of adventure. Our core principles focus on providing customers with immersive experiences, organic design, and a refined culinary journey.
DREAM IT
MILA has exceeded expectations in its initial two years, achieving remarkable success despite pandemic-related challenges and securing the #5 spot in The Restaurant Business Top 100 ranking. Building on this success, RDG has expanded into new concepts, including AVA MediterrAegean in Winter Park, Florida, CASA NEOS on the Miami River, Claudie (opened Feb 2025), and MM, a Membership Community. Upcoming projects include AVA’s second location in Coconut Grove and Casa Neos Lounge (Fall 2026), Noora and HONŌ Japanese Steakhouse (Spring 2027).
BUILD IT
RDG's distinguished brand portfolio and exclusive membership program aim to create a network of venues and experiences that offer a unique lifestyle to guests and members in Florida. Our goal is to establish RDG as a leader in the luxury restaurant industry in the United States.
GROW IT
RDG has demonstrated rapid growth and is poised for significant economic expansion globally. We are actively exploring national markets such as New York City, Los Angeles, and Las Vegas, and international markets including Paris, London, Dubai, and Mexico City for potential expansion opportunities.
Summary
The Guest Manager is responsible for leading and standardizing reception, reservations, and guest arrival experiences across Riviera Dining Group venues. This role ensures consistency in guest welcome, reservation strategy, and host team leadership while supporting operational flow and guest satisfaction across multiple concepts.
As a key operational partner to venue leadership, this role oversees reservation management, guest seating strategy, host team training, and reception standards to ensure RDG’s hospitality philosophy is consistently executed across all locations.
The Guest Liason Manager works cross-functionally with venue General Managers, Directors of Operations, and service leadership to ensure optimized reservation books, seamless guest flow, and elevated first and last impressions for all guests.
Responsibilities
Guest Experience & Hospitality Leadership
At RDG, we are a collective of individuals dedicated to excellence and the art of sensory engagement. We embrace the rhythms of life and are motivated by the thrill of adventure. Our core principles focus on providing customers with immersive experiences, organic design, and a refined culinary journey.
DREAM IT
MILA has exceeded expectations in its initial two years, achieving remarkable success despite pandemic-related challenges and securing the #5 spot in The Restaurant Business Top 100 ranking. Building on this success, RDG has expanded into new concepts, including AVA MediterrAegean in Winter Park, Florida, CASA NEOS on the Miami River, Claudie (opened Feb 2025), and MM, a Membership Community. Upcoming projects include AVA’s second location in Coconut Grove and Casa Neos Lounge (Fall 2026), Noora and HONŌ Japanese Steakhouse (Spring 2027).
BUILD IT
RDG's distinguished brand portfolio and exclusive membership program aim to create a network of venues and experiences that offer a unique lifestyle to guests and members in Florida. Our goal is to establish RDG as a leader in the luxury restaurant industry in the United States.
GROW IT
RDG has demonstrated rapid growth and is poised for significant economic expansion globally. We are actively exploring national markets such as New York City, Los Angeles, and Las Vegas, and international markets including Paris, London, Dubai, and Mexico City for potential expansion opportunities.
Summary
The Guest Manager is responsible for leading and standardizing reception, reservations, and guest arrival experiences across Riviera Dining Group venues. This role ensures consistency in guest welcome, reservation strategy, and host team leadership while supporting operational flow and guest satisfaction across multiple concepts.
As a key operational partner to venue leadership, this role oversees reservation management, guest seating strategy, host team training, and reception standards to ensure RDG’s hospitality philosophy is consistently executed across all locations.
The Guest Liason Manager works cross-functionally with venue General Managers, Directors of Operations, and service leadership to ensure optimized reservation books, seamless guest flow, and elevated first and last impressions for all guests.
Responsibilities
Guest Experience & Hospitality Leadership
- Ensure that all RDG venues maintain a consistent and elevated guest arrival and departure experience aligned with brand standards.
- Serve as a hospitality leader and escalation point for guest reception challenges or complex reservation issues.
- Partner with venue leadership to ensure VIP recognition, guest preferences, and special accommodations are properly captured and executed.
- Maintain service excellence standards for guest welcome, check-in, and waitlist management.
- Monitor guest feedback related to reception and arrival experience and identify improvement opportunities.
- Oversee reservation systems and booking strategies across RDG venues to ensure optimal table allocation and guest flow.
- Review reservation books regularly with venue leadership to maximize revenue opportunities while protecting service standards.
- Ensure proper management of VIP reservations, large parties, and special events within the reservation system.
- Maintain accurate guest profiles, preferences, and visit history to support personalized guest experiences.
- Collaborate with marketing and membership teams regarding guest access, priority bookings, and strategic allocations.
- Ensure reservation systems (Resy, OpenTable, SevenRooms, or equivalent) are used effectively and consistently across all locations.
- Lead the training, development, and performance standards of host teams across RDG venues.
- Develop and implement host training programs, certification standards, and service guidelines.
- Support venue management in coaching and developing reception teams to ensure professionalism, efficiency, and hospitality excellence.
- Ensure grooming, uniform, and presentation standards are consistently maintained across host teams.
- Foster a culture of hospitality, accountability, and teamwork within reception teams.
- Collaborate with venue leadership to optimize seating flow and coordination between reception, service teams, and kitchen operations.
- Participate in operational meetings and provide insights related to reservations, guest flow, and arrival experience.
- Monitor wait times, seating efficiency, and guest throughput to support smooth service execution.
- Ensure reception areas remain organized, welcoming, and aligned with brand presentation standards.
- Track and maintain records related to seating delays and guest recoveries.
- Travel between RDG locations to evaluate reception operations, reservation management, and guest arrival experiences.
- Ensure all venues adhere to RDG reception standards, procedures, and hospitality expectations.
- Identify operational gaps and work with venue leadership to implement improvements.
- Support the opening of new venues by establishing reception procedures, reservation strategies, and host training programs.
- Experience: Minimum 5 years of experience in luxury hospitality, fine dining, or hotel environments, with leadership experience required.
- Multi-Unit Exposure: Experience supporting or overseeing multiple venues preferred.
- Reservation Systems: Strong proficiency with reservation platforms such as Resy, SevenRooms, or OpenTable.
- Leadership: Proven ability to train, mentor, and lead hospitality teams.
- Operational Awareness: Strong understanding of restaurant flow, guest experience management, and seating strategies.
- Communication: Excellent interpersonal and organizational skills.
- Professional Presence: Polished demeanor with a strong guest-focused mindset.
- Flexibility: Must be available to work all shifts, including AM, PM, weekends, and holidays, and have reliable transportation to travel between venues.
- Ability to stand, walk, and move throughout restaurant environments for extended periods.
- Ability to work in fast-paced hospitality environments.
- Occasional office-based work including scheduling, reporting, and reservation management.