The Warbler Hotel - Food Runner
Role Details
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Department: Food & Beverage
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Reports To: Restaurant Manager / Executive Chef or Sous Chef for expo direction
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FLSA/Status: Hourly non-exempt; tipped and tip-pool-eligible status to be determined by the property
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Outlets: Fine-dining Spanish restaurant; support to café, pool bar, and in-room dining as assigned
Position Summary
The Food Runner carries the kitchen's work into the guest experience with precision and pride. At The Warbler's Spanish restaurant, this role is accountable for correct plate identification, seat placement, temperature, garnish integrity, and intelligent coordination with the expo line. The runner is the final quality check between pass and guest, combining urgency with the quiet composure of luxury dining.
Key Responsibilities
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Attend lineups and tastings to learn every current dish, garnish, vessel, allergen designation, cooking temperature, and intended verbal description.
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Read tickets and expo calls accurately; confirm table number, seat number, course sequence, modifications, and allergy markers before leaving the pass.
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Inspect each plate for presentation, cleanliness, temperature, correct garnish, and completeness; return any item that does not meet standard rather than delivering a compromised plate.
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Deliver food using the restaurant's seat-number system and service sequence, placing plates from the appropriate side whenever possible and avoiding reaching across guests.
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Announce dishes succinctly and accurately, identifying key components, cautions, and shared formats without interrupting the table's conversation.
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Coordinate with servers, captains, bussers, and expediters so full tables are delivered together and tasting-menu courses arrive at the intended pace.
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Carry paella, plancha, parrilla, and hot shareable items using approved tools and heat-safe practices; explain required rest or tableside timing to the server when relevant.
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Maintain the expo area with clean trays, polished cloches or covers, share plates, allergy tools, side towels, backup cutlery, and orderly ticket rails.
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Support café and pool-bar food runs during peak periods, preserving temperature and presentation while adapting to outdoor stairs, elevators, wind, and serviceware requirements.
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Assist with in-room dining runs only after training on tray/cart presentation, room-entry protocol, and guest-privacy procedures.
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Communicate delays, refires, missing items, special requests, and guest comments immediately to the appropriate chef and manager.
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Complete closing station sanitation, runner-side polishing, and accurate handoff notes for the next service.
Guest Experience & Service Standards
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Approach every table with poised, unhurried movement-even when working against a short pickup window.
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Never call across the dining room, use ticket shorthand with guests, or place a plate without confidently identifying it.
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Respect privacy and conversation; use minimal, informative language and respond to questions only within training, bringing a server or chef when deeper detail is needed.
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Keep uniform, hands, trays, and side towels pristine; a runner's presentation is part of the plate's presentation.
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Notice missing share plates, utensils, wine, or water and quietly alert the service team before the guest experiences a gap.
Qualifications & Experience
Required
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High school diploma or equivalent.
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Six months of restaurant, banquet, catering, or fast-paced hospitality experience.
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Ability to learn detailed menus, handle hot plates safely, and retain seat-number and table-map information.
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Strong communication and teamwork under time-sensitive conditions.
Preferred
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Fine-dining, open-kitchen, chef-driven, or luxury-hotel experience.
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Familiarity with Spanish ingredients and service styles.
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Food-handler and allergen-awareness credentials.
Knowledge & Skills
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Plate identification, expo systems, coursing, seat numbers, safe tray carrying, and timing across multiple simultaneous tickets.
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Working vocabulary for Spanish preparations such as pintxos, conservas, croquetas, plancha, parrilla, sofrito, and paella.
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Food-allergen and modification protocol; runners must recognize alerts but never improvise an answer about safety.
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Ability to distinguish fragile hot and cold presentations and adjust transport methods for indoor, rooftop, and guest-room delivery.
Physical Requirements
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Stand and walk for up to 8-10 hours; make frequent rapid trips between kitchen, dining room, café, rooftop, and service elevators.
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Lift and carry up to 35 pounds, including trays, large share plates, and service equipment.
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Work near hot equipment, open flame, steam, wet floors, stairs, outdoor weather, and breakable dishware.
Schedule & Availability
Availability is required for lunch, dinner, weekends, holidays, and peak hotel occupancy. Shifts may include split support for restaurant, pool bar, and in-room dining.
Compensation & Benefits
Compensation: $12.00 to $15.00 per hour, plus tip-pool participation where applicable. Team Members are eligible to receive benefits based on average hours worked and advancement opportunities.
Certifications
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[State/local food-handler certification]
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[Allergen-awareness training]
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[Safe hot-plate and tray-carrying training]
Equal Opportunity Employment & Accommodations
The Warbler Hotel is an equal opportunity employer. We are committed to providing a workplace free of discrimination and harassment and to making employment decisions based on legitimate business needs, job-related qualifications, and individual merit. The Warbler Hotel considers qualified applicants and team members without regard to race, color, religion, creed, sex, pregnancy, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, national origin, ancestry, citizenship or immigration status as permitted by law, age, disability, genetic information, marital or familial status, veteran or military status, lawful off-duty conduct, or any other status protected by applicable federal, state, or local law.
The Warbler Hotel provides reasonable accommodations to qualified individuals with disabilities and for sincerely held religious beliefs, observances, and practices, unless doing so would create an undue hardship or direct threat as defined by applicable law. The essential functions and physical requirements listed in each description are provided to inform candidates of the role's core duties and are not intended to exclude individuals who can perform those functions with or without reasonable accommodation. Applicants who need an accommodation during the application or interview process may contact HR at [email protected].
