What are the responsibilities and job description for the Runner Busser position at Santa Monica Proper Hotel?
Essential Job Duties and Responsibilities
- Food & Beverage Delivery:
- Transport food and beverages from the kitchen to the dining area in a timely and efficient manner, ensuring the accuracy of orders.
- Double-check orders to ensure that all items are delivered correctly and meet guest specifications, including special requests or dietary preferences.
- Serve food with attention to detail, ensuring proper plating and garnish as required by restaurant standards.
- Assist servers in delivering additional items such as drinks, side dishes, and condiments to the table as needed.
- Communicate with the kitchen and front-of-house staff to ensure smooth service, particularly during busy meal periods.
- Table Maintenance & Cleanliness:
- Clear tables promptly after guests finish their meals, removing all used dishes, glassware, and utensils.
- Reset tables efficiently, ensuring each table is equipped with clean silverware, plates, glassware, napkins, and condiments.
- Maintain cleanliness in the dining area, including wiping down tables, chairs, and booths between seatings.
- Regularly clean and sanitize high-touch areas like menus, condiment holders, and service stations.
- Assist with maintaining the overall cleanliness of the restaurant, including the floor, restrooms, and dining areas.
- Collaboration & Team Support:
- Work closely with servers, kitchen staff, and other team members to ensure smooth and efficient service throughout the shift.
- Assist in the opening and closing duties of the restaurant, ensuring tasks are completed properly and the restaurant is fully prepared for service.
- Help train new busser/runners by sharing knowledge of procedures, guest service expectations, and restaurant standards.
- Safety & Sanitation Standards:
- Follow all health and safety guidelines for food handling and cleanliness, ensuring a safe environment for guests and staff.
- Clean trays, carts, and equipment as needed to ensure sanitation standards are maintained.
- Assist with restocking supplies and managing inventory, including napkins, silverware, and glassware.
Education and/or Experience
- High school diploma or equivalent preferred.
- Previous experience in a food service or hospitality role, such as a busser or runner, is a plus but not required.
- Knowledge of basic food safety procedures is preferred.
Skills/Specialized Knowledge
- Strong communication skills to interact with guests and team members in a friendly and professional manner.
- Ability to multitask effectively in a fast-paced environment while maintaining high standards of service.
- Strong attention to detail, particularly when ensuring the accuracy of orders and maintaining cleanliness.
- Team-oriented with the ability to support colleagues in a collaborative and efficient manner.
Physical Demands
- Ability to stand, walk, and move around the restaurant for extended periods of time.
- Ability to lift and carry food, trays, and beverage items weighing up to 25 pounds.
- Ability to bend, stoop, and reach to deliver food and restock supplies when necessary.
- Ability to work in a high-energy, fast-paced environment during peak times.
Why Join Proper Hospitality
At Proper, we build experiences that move people — and that begins with the team behind them. As a best-in-class employer, we’re committed to creating one of the Best Places to Work in hospitality by nurturing a culture where creativity, excellence, and humanity thrive together.
Everything we do is grounded in the belief that hospitality is more than a profession - it’s an opportunity to care for others and make lives better. Guided by the Pillars of Proper, we show up with warmth and authenticity (Care Proper), strive for excellence in everything we do (Achieve Proper), think creatively and resourcefully (Imagine Proper), and take pride in the style and culture that make us who we are (Present Proper).
We believe our people are our greatest strength, and we invest deeply in their wellbeing, growth, and sense of belonging. From comprehensive benefits to meaningful development programs, Proper is designed to help you build a career, and a life, that feels as inspiring as the experiences we create for our guests.
Our Commitment: Building the Best Place to Work
Our Best Place to Work initiative is a living commitment — a continuous investment in our people, our culture, and our purpose. We listen, learn, and evolve together to create an environment where everyone feels empowered to imagine boldly, achieve confidently, care deeply, and present themselves authentically.
At Proper, joining the team means more than finding a job — it means joining a community that believes in building beautiful experiences together, for our guests and for one another.
Proper Hospitality is an equal-opportunity employer. We provide employment opportunities to all individuals regardless of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, gender identity or expression, genetics, or any other federally or state-protected category.
We also consider qualified applicants with criminal histories in accordance with local Fair Chance Hiring Ordinances.