Host Policies and Procedures

The Salty Pig

Host Policies and Procedures

Hosts are extremely instrumental in having guests enjoy their experiences at TSP.  You are the very first people they interact with when coming through the door.  Remember to be engaging and enthusiastic!

Menu Changes

Be aware of which menu items are available at what time of day and give the appropriate menus to the guests.  When switching out menus from lunch/brunch to dinner at the host stand, make sure you are also doing this for the bar.  The menu schedule goes as follows:

Mon-Fri: 

Lunch @ 11am

Pig Boards/Pizzas/Salads @ 3pm

Dinner @ 5pm

Pig Boards/Pizzas @ 11pm-12am

Bar open til 1am

 

Sat & Sun:

Brunch @ 10:30am

Pig Boards/Salads @ 3pm

Pig Boards/Salads/Pizzas @ 4pm

Dinner @ 5pm

Pig Boards/Pizzas @ 11pm-12am

Bar open til 1am

 

Reservation Policy

We take reservations for parties of 6 or more.  Any party of 8 or more requires a manager’s approval.  When taking a reservation inquiry for a large party, be sure to take down the following information:

• number of guests in party
• name and phone number of person booking the party
• email address if it is a very large party (20 or more) that the manager may need to contact about preordering food and payment options
• is this meal a special event?
• will they be having a full meal or drinks and appetizers?
• the date of the inquiry and your initials

There are always exceptions to the reservation policy.  Any extenuating circumstance should be noted.  If the guest informs us that there are children in the party or that a guest will be using a wheelchair, please take the reservation.  Special occasions such as birthdays, anniversaries, or press meals should be taken as a reservation even if the party is under 6 guests.  Be aware of VIPs and likewise name droppers.

If you are ever in doubt, please take a message and a manager will get back to the guest.

Both the AM and PM hosts should go through the reservation book and make the MOD aware of anything that needs confirmation on a daily basis.

Tardiness

If a party is late for a reservation, we can only hold their table for 15 minutes after the reservation time before seating it with another party.   Also, at least half of a party must be present before we are able to seat them.  If the party ends up being smaller then the original reservation, seat the party in a way that takes up less tables and allows us to seat the remaining table(s) with other parties.

Once a table is ready for someone on the wait list, we can only hold the table open for 5 minutes before seating it with another party.  This means that anyone who has left the restaurant while on the wait list has 5 minutes after we have called them to return and be seated.  It is important that we inform guests of this policy when we see them leaving the restaurant.

Phone Etiquette

“Thank you for phoning The Salty Pig. How may I help you?” is the universal way that we answer the phone at TSP.

When fielding calls, it is important to always pay attention to the guests that are physically in the restaurant.  They are our top priority.  If the phone is ringing and you cannot pick it up, don’t.  If you have the opportunity to answer the phone and place the guest on hold, please do so.

Guests calling to request a reservation for a party under 6 may inquire about wait list times.  A good way to deal with this is to mention that, “Our peak hours are from about 7 to about 9:30.  There is really no way to predict what the wait will be like on that evening.  Typically the wait can range anywhere from 20 minutes to over an hour.”

Managing the Wait List

Managing the wait list is the most difficult duty of the host.  Accurately quoting wait times can be difficult on very busy nights.  Quoting waits by using a 15 minute window will help give you some wiggle room (i.e. 30-45 minutes).  We do not accept call-aheads.  The guests that are physically in the restaurant are our top priority.

When we are about to go on a wait list, take a walk around the room.  What tables have paid?  They will probably leave within 5-10 minutes.  What tables are on dessert?  They will probably leave in 15-20 minutes.  Tables finishing up entrees will probably be gone within a half an hour.  Knowing what will be immediately available will help you accurately quote your wait times.  If you are about to go on a wait and you do not have any tables finishing entrees, on dessert, or with their checks, quote 45 minutes to 1 hour.  You are better off over quoting than under quoting, although we strive to quote accurately.

If a guest is irritated or their wait time has gone over by more than a few minutes, involve a manager immediately.

Communicating with Guests

Every guest who enters The Salty Pig must be greeted even if it seems obvious they are heading straight for the bar.  Make  your presence known by offering a warm “Hello” and finding out if they would like to sit at the bar or in the restaurant. 

There is very limited standing room in the restaurant for guests who are waiting for a table.  The bar area can fill up very quickly, and guests may begin to stand in high traffic areas, such as the food pass, drink pass, in front of the entrance to the kitchen, etc.  It is important to guide them to an area where they will feel comfortable without impeding the operation of the restaurant floor.  After greeting a guest and taking down their info for the wait list, politely inform them of where a comfortable place for them to stand would be.  By steering them away from the high traffic areas, you are preventing the need for a server or bartender to have to ask the guests to move and possibly making them feel awkward.