How to Use the Maître D' One-to-One Template

Why structured maître d' one-to-ones matter

Your maître d' sets the tone for every guest experience. They orchestrate the floor, manage the team, handle VIPs, and bridge the gap between kitchen and dining room. When they're thriving, service flows, guests return, and waiters perform at their best. When they're struggling, you see reservation chaos, team friction, and a floor that loses its rhythm.

The challenge is that a maître d' operates at the intersection of everything — guest relationships, team management, kitchen coordination, and operational logistics. Without intentional one-to-ones, you'll only hear about problems when they escalate into visible failures — a lost regular, a walkout, or a resignation from the floor team.

This template structures your conversations around the areas that matter most for a maître d's effectiveness and retention. Each section builds on the last: preparation gives you context, their agenda shows you what's on their mind, the discussion sections cover role performance, team dynamics, growth, and wellbeing, and the engagement indicators give you an early-warning system for disengagement.

Preparation

Complete these steps before each meeting to ensure a focused and productive conversation. Arriving prepared shows your maître d' that you take this time seriously.

Review notes from previous one-to-one — Pull up the notes from your last session. What actions did you commit to? What did they commit to? If you promised to address kitchen timing or review the reservation system, check whether you followed through. Walking in without knowing what was agreed last time undermines the entire process.

Check recent performance data or feedback — Glance at reservation conversion rates, guest feedback scores, and any notable incidents from the past fortnight. Check for guest comments mentioning service flow, wait times, or specific praise. This takes a few minutes and gives you specific talking points instead of vague impressions.

Note any observations from the past week — Think about what you've noticed during service. Did the floor run smoothly during Saturday's full house? Were there pinch points during the sitting changeover? Did they handle a difficult VIP situation with confidence? Write down two or three specific observations before the meeting.

Send agenda prompt to employee ahead of time — Message them that morning: "We're catching up at 3 — anything from the last few services I should know about?" This gives them time to think. A maître d' spends shifts reacting to everything simultaneously; asking them to suddenly reflect requires mental preparation. If they reply "all good," try: "What was the trickiest moment from Saturday evening?" Everyone has one.

Customisation tips:

• Schedule fortnightly at the same time — 3pm works well, after lunch service has settled and before evening prep begins
• 20 minutes is typically enough. Don't let it stretch into an hour unless something significant has emerged
• Meet away from the floor but not in a formal office — a quiet corner table during the closed period keeps it conversational
• For a new maître d' in their first 90 days, keep these weekly without exception. After that, fortnightly is appropriate if things are stable

Their Agenda

Start every one-to-one by asking: "What's been on your mind?" Record whatever they raise before covering your own items.

If they say "nothing really," don't fill the silence immediately. Count to five. A maître d' is used to being the one who fills silences — give them the unusual experience of having space to think. If they still don't volunteer anything, offer a specific opener: "Walk me through the last couple of services — what felt right and what didn't?" The specific framing works because "How's everything going?" is too vague for someone managing a dozen variables simultaneously.

Once they're talking, ask "What else?" until they run out. Don't jump to solutions or share your perspective yet. This section is about understanding their world, not managing it.

If you have items to cover — menu changes, staffing decisions, budget updates — mention them at the start so they know it's coming, then let them go first: "I want to talk about the new covers target before we finish, but first — what's been on your mind since we last spoke?"

What to record: Their exact concerns in their own words. Don't paraphrase into management language — "the sitting changeover is creating chaos at 8:15" captures reality better than "discussed table turn efficiency."

Role Performance

These four questions are designed to uncover how the front-of-house operation is genuinely running from your maître d's perspective. Work through each one during the conversation and tick it off as you cover it.

"How's the reservation flow working right now? Are we pacing correctly, or are we creating pinch points?"

This reveals whether the booking strategy matches operational reality. A maître d' knows exactly where the pressure builds — whether it's too many covers arriving at 7:30, insufficient gaps between sittings, or walk-in demand that the book doesn't account for. If they're consistently having to firefight reservation timing, the problem isn't their floor management — it's the booking structure.

What good answers sound like:

• Identifies specific time windows where pacing breaks down, with data to support it
• Distinguishes between predictable pressure (Saturday at 8pm) and avoidable pressure (poor spacing)
• Suggests concrete adjustments rather than just flagging the problem

What to do with the answer: If pacing is genuinely wrong, change it. If they're adjusting on the fly every service, the system needs fixing at source. Review the reservation settings together and agree on changes to test over the next fortnight.

"Walk me through how you brief the floor team before service. What are they responding to, and what falls flat?"

Pre-service briefings set the tone for everything that follows. This question reveals how your maître d' leads — whether they're communicating effectively, whether the team respects the information they share, and whether the briefing actually translates into better service.

What good answers sound like:

• Specific about what they cover and how long it takes
• Honest about which elements the team engages with and which get ignored
• Reflects on their own delivery, not just the team's reception

What to do with the answer: If briefings aren't landing, explore whether it's content, delivery, or team engagement. Sit in on a briefing to observe. If specific information isn't getting through, discuss format changes — maybe written notes for specials alongside the verbal briefing.

"Which tables or sections are causing the most problems right now? Sight lines, acoustics, guest complaints about location?"

Every dining room has problem spots — the table by the kitchen door, the corner with poor lighting, the section that's too close to the bar. Your maître d' knows exactly which tables generate complaints and which ones guests request. This intelligence helps you make physical improvements and informs how you manage guest expectations.

What good answers sound like:

• Names specific tables and the recurring issues associated with them
• Distinguishes between fixable problems (lighting, draught) and inherent limitations (proximity to kitchen)
• Has strategies for managing guest placement around known issues

What to do with the answer: Fix what you can — lighting, acoustics, furniture. For inherent limitations, agree on a seating strategy that minimises complaints. If a table consistently creates problems, consider whether it should be used differently or removed from peak-service rotation.

"How's the handover between sittings working? Are we getting tables turned properly, or is there friction?"

Sitting turnovers reveal coordination between front-of-house, support staff, and the kitchen. A smooth handover means the first sitting leaves comfortably, tables are reset quickly, and the second sitting is seated without pressure. Friction here creates a cascade — guests from the first sitting feel rushed, the second sitting waits, and your maître d' absorbs frustration from both sides.

What good answers sound like:

• Identifies exactly where the handover breaks down — is it guests lingering, slow clearing, or kitchen timing?
• Specific about how long turnovers actually take versus how long they should take
• Suggests practical fixes rather than just describing the problem

What to do with the answer: If turnovers are slow, identify the bottleneck. If it's guests lingering, discuss how to manage departure timing gracefully. If it's clearing speed, talk to the support team. If it's kitchen pacing, address it with the chef. This is a system problem that needs a system fix.

Record the key points from your discussion, focusing on recurring operational themes and anything that needs action. Note specific examples they gave — these are valuable evidence for performance reviews. If they described a particular service where the reservation flow broke down or a sitting handover that went perfectly, capture that detail.

Team and Relationships

These questions surface the leadership dynamics and relationships that affect service quality — team response, kitchen partnership, VIP retention, and host team effectiveness.

"How's the floor team responding to your leadership right now? Anyone you're worried about?"

A maître d's effectiveness depends entirely on whether the floor team follows their lead. This question reveals whether they have genuine authority, whether there are team members who undermine them, and whether they're carrying concerns about individuals that need your attention.

What good answers sound like:

• Honest about who's performing well and who isn't, with specific examples
• Identifies whether issues are performance-based, attitude-based, or personal
• Shows they've tried to address problems directly before escalating

What to do with the answer: If they're worried about someone, take it seriously. Ask what they've already tried and what support they need from you. If a team member is undermining their authority, address it directly — your maître d' needs to know you'll back them up.

"How's the relationship with the kitchen? Are you getting what you need from them on timing and communication?"

The kitchen-floor relationship is one of the most critical partnerships in any restaurant. This question surfaces whether your maître d' can get accurate timing calls, whether special requests are handled properly, and whether the chef respects their judgement on pacing and guest needs.

What good answers sound like:

• Specific about what's working and what isn't, rather than general complaints
• Shows understanding of kitchen pressures alongside their own frustrations
• Identifies concrete communication gaps rather than personality clashes

What to do with the answer: Don't take sides. If communication is genuinely breaking down, facilitate a conversation between your maître d' and the head chef. Consider a brief pre-service alignment meeting if timing issues are recurring.

"Are there any regulars or VIPs whose relationship concerns you? Anyone we're at risk of losing?"

Your maître d' is often the primary relationship holder with your most valuable guests. This question surfaces retention risks you might not see — a regular who's been seated poorly twice running, a VIP whose requests aren't being met, or a loyal guest who seems to be visiting less frequently.

What good answers sound like:

• Names specific guests and explains what's concerning them
• Distinguishes between guests who are unhappy and guests who are simply visiting less
• Has ideas for recovering or strengthening the relationship

What to do with the answer: If there's a genuine retention risk, act on it. A personal call, a complimentary experience, or simply ensuring their next visit is exceptional can recover a relationship. Your maître d' shouldn't be managing VIP recovery alone — this is a joint effort.

"How's the host team working out? Are they supporting you properly, or creating issues?"

The host team is the maître d's front line. If hosts are greeting guests incorrectly, managing the waitlist poorly, or failing to communicate seating information, the maître d' absorbs the consequences. This question reveals whether the support structure is actually supporting them.

What good answers sound like:

• Specific about individual host performance rather than blanket assessments
• Identifies training gaps versus attitude problems
• Shows they're actively managing the host team, not just working around them

What to do with the answer: If host performance is genuinely problematic, discuss whether it's a training issue or a hiring issue. Support your maître d' in setting clear standards and holding the host team accountable. If they need to have a difficult conversation with a specific host, help them prepare for it.

Capture the leadership dynamics discussed, any VIP retention risks, and concerns that need follow-up. Note kitchen relationship issues carefully — these often recur and are important context for operational decisions.

Growth and Development

These questions explore career aspirations and development needs. The answers shape how you invest in your maître d's growth.

"Do you see yourself staying in maître d' roles, or moving toward general management? There's no wrong answer."

There's genuinely no wrong answer, but the answer changes everything about how you develop them. A career maître d' needs mastery goals — wine programme development, guest experience innovation, mentoring excellence. An aspiring GM needs broader operational exposure — P&L understanding, people management at scale, commercial decision-making. Understanding their direction lets you invest appropriately.

What good answers sound like:

• Honest about their trajectory without feeling they need to perform loyalty
• Specific about what interests them, whether it's deepening FOH expertise or broadening into general management
• Shows they've thought about it rather than just responding reflexively

What to do with the answer: If they want to stay in maître d' roles, focus on making them the best in the city — industry events, wine qualifications, guest experience benchmarking. If they want GM, start delegating operational decisions and expose them to commercial planning. If it's a stepping stone, make their time valuable anyway.

"What would make this restaurant the best front-of-house operation you've ever run?"

This is a powerful question because it invites them to think like an owner rather than an employee. Their answer reveals their standards, their ambitions for the operation, and what they believe is holding the restaurant back. It also tells you whether they're still passionate about improving things or have settled into maintenance mode.

What good answers sound like:

• Specific and ambitious rather than vague or modest
• Covers multiple dimensions — team quality, guest experience, systems, environment
• Shows they're still thinking about how to make things better, not just keeping things running

What to do with the answer: Take their vision seriously. Even if you can't implement everything, pick one element and commit to working on it together. A maître d' who feels their ideas are heard and acted on will stay engaged far longer than one who feels they're just executing your vision.

"Are there any industry skills you want to develop — wine, management, operations — that we could support?"

This surfaces concrete development opportunities you can act on. A maître d' who wants to deepen their wine knowledge might benefit from WSET courses or sommelier shadowing. One who wants management skills might need exposure to budgeting, scheduling, or HR processes. Whatever they name, it's an opportunity to invest in them.

What good answers sound like:

• Names specific skills or qualifications rather than vague aspirations
• Connects development to their role or career path
• Shows initiative in identifying their own gaps

What to do with the answer: Create a plan to build the skill they name. If it's wine, arrange WSET training or supplier tastings. If it's management, involve them in operational planning meetings. If it's something outside your expertise, find a mentor or course. The key is to act on it — don't let development conversations become empty promises.

"Where do you see yourself in three years? Here, somewhere else, doing something different?"

The honest answer to this question is the most valuable piece of information in the entire one-to-one. If they're planning to leave, you can make their remaining time positive and plan for succession. If they want to stay, you can build a path. If they're uncertain, you have an opportunity to influence their decision.

What good answers sound like:

• Genuine honesty rather than what they think you want to hear
• Specific enough to be actionable ("I'd like to be running a flagship restaurant" or "I'm thinking about opening my own place")
• Willing to have the conversation rather than deflecting

What to do with the answer: Don't react emotionally to any answer. If they want to leave, ask what would make them stay. If they want to progress, show them the path. If they don't know, help them think through it. Three years is a long time in hospitality — a lot can change if the right opportunities are there.

Record their career direction, development interests, and any specific skills they want to build. This feeds directly into performance review objectives and helps you plan succession and development investment.

Wellbeing and Support

These questions catch frustration, authority gaps, and unmet needs before they cause disengagement or resignation. Ask them genuinely, not as a box-ticking exercise.

"What's the single most frustrating thing about running this floor right now? If you could fix one thing by next fortnight, what would it be?"

This cuts through politeness to their top priority. Whatever they name is the thing most likely to drive them away if it's not addressed. The "single most" framing forces them to prioritise rather than list everything. The "by next fortnight" framing tells them you're looking for something actionable, not a philosophical complaint.

What good answers sound like:

• Names something specific and fixable rather than vague dissatisfaction
• Trusts you enough to be honest about genuine operational frustrations
• Differentiates between temporary annoyances and persistent problems

What to do with the answer: Fix it if you can. If you can't, explain why and offer alternatives. Either way, respond within a week — speed of response matters more than the outcome.

"Do you have enough authority to do your job? Are there decisions you should be making but can't?"

Authority gaps are one of the biggest sources of frustration for a maître d'. If they need to check with you before comping a bottle or moving a VIP table, they can't respond to situations in real time. This question reveals whether you've given them enough autonomy to run the floor effectively.

What good answers sound like:

• Clear about where they feel empowered and where they feel restricted
• Gives examples of situations where they wished they could act independently
• Shows good judgement about when to act and when to escalate

What to do with the answer: Clarify their authority explicitly. Give them more where appropriate — "You can comp up to £100 without asking me. You can move any reservation for operational reasons. Call me if a VIP is unhappy." Clear boundaries are better than vague expectations.

"How's the technology working for you? Reservation system, POS, any tools that help or hinder?"

A maître d' depends on technology more than almost any other FOH role — reservation platforms, POS systems, floor planning tools, and communication apps. If the technology is fighting them, it's costing you efficiency and causing daily frustration. This question surfaces practical problems you can actually solve.

What good answers sound like:

• Specific about which tools work well and which create problems
• Identifies workarounds they've developed, which usually indicate system failures
• Suggests improvements based on experience rather than just complaining

What to do with the answer: Technology problems are usually fixable. If the reservation system needs reconfiguring, do it. If they need training on features they're not using, arrange it. If the system itself is the problem, consider alternatives. Don't let your maître d' fight technology every service.

"Is there anything you need from me that you're not getting?"

This is the most important question in the section. It directly asks whether you're doing your job as their manager. Whatever they say, write it down. Then do it or explain why you can't — within 48 hours, not at the next one-to-one.

What good answers sound like:

• Specific and actionable ("I need you to back me up when I make seating decisions" rather than "more support")
• Trusts you enough to ask for something
• Acknowledges what you're already doing well alongside the gap

What to do with the answer: Deliver on it. Fast. If you make commitments and don't follow through, trust disappears and future one-to-ones become surface-level exercises.

Record frustrations, authority gaps, and support requests. Flag anything that suggests disengagement or flight risk — these notes are critical early-warning signs that need action, not just documentation.

Engagement Indicators

These are observational indicators you assess based on what you've seen during the week, not questions you ask directly. Tick each indicator that's genuinely present. Anything you can't tick is worth exploring — either in this meeting or through closer observation before the next one.

Maintaining personal warmth with regulars and genuine welcome — Is your maître d' still greeting guests with genuine warmth, or has it become mechanical? A maître d' who used to remember every regular's name and preference but now just processes arrivals is showing disengagement. Pay attention to whether they're still building relationships or just managing traffic.

Actively advocating for floor team needs and standards — Are they still pushing for their team's development and wellbeing, or have they stopped fighting for improvements? A maître d' who advocates for their team — better equipment, fairer scheduling, training opportunities — is still invested. One who's stopped asking has often stopped caring.

Spending time on the floor, not hiding in reservations — Is your maître d' visible during service, or do they spend most of their time behind the reservation desk or in the office? The best maître d's are on the floor reading the room, supporting the team, and engaging with guests. Retreat to the desk is often a sign of overwhelm or disengagement.

Developing and challenging the waiter team — Are they still investing in the floor team's development — coaching during service, giving feedback after shifts, pushing waiters to improve? A maître d' who's stopped developing their team has either given up on improvement or is mentally preparing to leave.

Engaging positively about the restaurant's direction — Do they talk about the restaurant's future with enthusiasm, or have their comments become cynical or detached? Listen to how they discuss upcoming changes, new menus, or business goals. Positive engagement indicates investment; cynicism indicates they're checking out.

Taking ownership of decisions rather than deferring — Are they making calls confidently, or are they checking everything with you? A confident maître d' who suddenly starts deferring decisions they used to handle independently is either losing confidence or losing interest. Either way, it needs attention.

Note which indicators you couldn't tick and what you've observed. If multiple indicators are absent, your maître d' needs urgent attention — increase frequency to weekly and focus on understanding what's changed.

Actions and Follow-Up

At the end of every one-to-one, summarise what you've both agreed to do. Say it out loud before you finish:

"So by next fortnight I'm going to: [your actions]. And you're going to: [their actions]. Is that right?"

Then send a brief message confirming: "From today: I'm sorting [X] + [Y]. You're working on [Z]. Chat next [day] at [time]."

What to record:

• Your commitments with deadlines (e.g., "Review reservation pacing by Friday")
• Their commitments with deadlines (e.g., "Trial new briefing format for Saturday service")
• Any items to escalate to ownership or other departments
• Topics to revisit next time

Follow-through matters more than anything else in this template. If you promise something, tell them when you've done it — don't wait for the next meeting. Message: "Adjusted the reservation spacing for Saturday — let me know how it runs." A maître d' is used to making things happen for others; being on the receiving end of genuine follow-through sets you apart as a manager. If you can't do something you promised, tell them immediately and offer an alternative.

Session Notes

Record your overall impressions from the conversation: patterns you're noticing, changes in their engagement or mood, anything you want to revisit in future sessions.

This is also where you note how your approach should adapt:

• First 90 days: 60% listening, 40% aligning. Focus on understanding their standards and how they compare to yours.
• Established relationship: Push into strategic territory. Operational vision, team development plans, guest experience innovation.
• When things are going well: Share business context, involve them in commercial decisions, acknowledge their impact on the business.
• When things are struggling: Increase frequency, ask diagnostic questions, focus on removing obstacles rather than adding pressure.

Over time, these session notes create a narrative of your working relationship — invaluable for performance reviews and progression decisions.

What's next

Once you've established regular one-to-ones, the conversations you have will feed directly into formal performance reviews. See our guide on Maître D' performance reviews for how to use the evidence you gather in these sessions to write a thorough, fair assessment.

• Read our Maître D' interview guide for hiring the right person in the first place
• Check out our Maître D' onboarding guide if you're supporting someone in their first 90 days