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Hard Rock Cafe
Hard Rock Cafe
Ponce, Puerto Rico
Host & Server
November 2020 - Present
Current Responsibilities:
● Assign server sections for lunch and dinner shifts.
● Assist servers, bussers and managers whenever needed.
● Manage 400+ guest flow by using OpenTable & WaitWhile.
● Use MICROS POS System to process 50+ orders for guests on a day to day basis.
● Maintain a clean and organized environment for employees and guests at all times.
● Answer 60+ customer calls daily and answered questions over the phone and in person.
● Provide training for new hosts covering the essentials of providing excellent service and the history of the Hard Rock company.
● Prepare schedule for the team of Hosts and supervised shift changes to ensure every shift is covered.
Training
Training
I was fortunate enough to be a part of the opening staff of Hard Rock Cafe Ponce since it opened in November 2020. Whenever a new Hard Rock location opens, Franchise Directors assemble a team of trainers and provide an intense month long training for all the new team members. In this case, the process of opening the new Hard Rock Cafe was lead by two franchise directors, Gilberto "Gilly" Ghisoli and Omar García, with the help of staff trainers from different Hard Rock locations. Training for the staff began on November 2, 2020, where Franchise Directors taught all the employees about Hard Rock as a brand and its history in what they called the "School of Rock". In addition to learning the company's backstory, we were also taught how to deliver the best service possible, which Hard Rock likes to call "amplified service".
The following days, the employees were divided into separate classrooms based on the restaurant's departments (hosts, retail, servers, kitchen, bar, etc.) I took my training with Natalia Castillo Díaz, who previously worked as a Host and Operations Supervisor at the, now closed, Hard Rock Cafe in San Juan. She, along with all the trainers from the other departments, taught us how to do practically everything we know today like handle difficult customers, work with all the computer software we use to take order and make sales, how to work simultaneously with every department, and so much more. The trainers even made sure to teach all the employees how to perform Hard Rock's signature dance by making us dance at every opportunity we got.
After about a week and a half of learning all the theory we had to know, like where the company was founded, its values, its mottos, etc, we began to set up every part of the restaurant from the tables to even the Rock Shop. Around mid-November, the trainers organized Staff on Staff roleplays where the kitchen could start practicing all the recipes, we could practice serving each other and familiarize ourselves with the menu in the process. Before officially opening, we even had to train by serving our friends & family on two occasions. Once the franchise directors officially approved all the operations, we were open for business on November 24, 2020.
Overall Experience
Throughout the twelve months I have been able to work at the Hard Rock Cafe, I have learned more than I ever though possible. Working in a restaurant has truly been a learning experience I never thought I would go through because I previously never had any interest in working in the food industry. However, it has been something that I am extremely grateful to have experienced.
A restaurant is an extremely diverse working environment. As a host, I get to interact and work hand-in-hand with employees with many different roles like servers, retail store associates, bartenders, chefs, bussers and all the managers for each role. For example, every morning a host is required to assign the sections for all the servers and make sure each table within the restaurant is assigned in a fair manner. Also, whenever a host takes a to-go order over the phone or in person, they have to follow up with the kitchen (and the bar if the order includes drinks) to check when its going to be ready for the guest. Hosts also have to work side by side with managers to successfully handle guests complaints and assure customer satisfaction.
In conclusion, this job opportunity is something I am very thankful for because it has allowed me to grow not just professionally, but also personally. I have been able to continuously learn from the current and former managers and supervisors about how to handle numerous situations and how to be a professional in the tourism industry. Not only that, but I have also been able to make incredible connections with guests and professionals within the tourism Industry. Finally, what I am most grateful for is the amazing connections I was able to make with all the incredible employees of the Hard Rock Cafe Ponce Family.
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