How to Use the Restaurant Host Performance Review Template
Recording your performance reviews in Pilla means every assessment, objective, and development conversation is captured in one place. Instead of paper forms that get filed and forgotten, you build a continuous record that connects to one-to-one notes, tracks progress against objectives, and gives both you and your host a clear reference point. When pay or progression decisions come up, the evidence is already documented.
Key Takeaways
- Metrics to Review checklist ensures you gather average wait time, seating efficiency, reservation accuracy, and walk-in conversion data before writing anything
- Previous Objectives Review documents what was achieved, partially achieved, not achieved, or blocked since the last review
- Technical Competencies assessment covers guest greeting, reservation management, seating efficiency, waitlist management, and floor awareness with Exceeds/Meets/Below descriptors
- Behavioural Competencies assessment covers communication, composure under pressure, teamwork, and reliability
- Compliance and Standards confirms fire safety, accessibility, data protection, and allergy communication
- Key Achievements and Development Areas use specific evidence, dates, and measurable outcomes
- Objectives for Next Period sets SMART targets covering operational performance and career development
- Overall Assessment selects Exceeds, Meets, or Below expectations as a holistic rating
- Meeting Notes and Review Summary capture the review conversation and agreed next steps
Article Content
Why structured restaurant host performance reviews matter
Your host is the first face guests see and the last impression before they leave. A well-written performance review helps them understand where they stand, what they're doing well, and what they need to work on. Unlike casual feedback during service, a formal review creates a record, sets clear expectations, and connects their performance at the door to career progression.
This template walks you through a complete performance review: gathering evidence, assessing competencies, documenting achievements and development areas, setting objectives, and recording the review meeting. Each section is designed to produce a fair, evidence-based assessment that both you and your host can reference throughout the next review period.
Metrics to Review
Metrics to Review
Review objectives set at the last performance review. Note which were achieved, partially achieved, not achieved, or blocked.
Before writing any assessment, gather data on each of these metrics. Tick each one as you collect the information. Having the numbers in front of you prevents vague feedback and ensures your assessment is grounded in evidence.
Average wait time — Pull this from your reservation system or waitlist data. Compare average wait times during their shifts against the restaurant average and against other hosts if applicable. A skilled host manages the waitlist to keep waits accurate and minimised. If wait times are consistently high on their shifts, understand whether it's demand, table turn speed, or their management of the process.
Seating efficiency — Review how effectively they utilise the dining room during peak periods. Are tables sitting empty while guests wait? Are sections filled evenly, or does one side of the restaurant get overloaded? Seating efficiency directly affects revenue — every empty table during a full waitlist is lost money. Look at covers per service during their shifts compared to the restaurant's capacity.
Reservation accuracy — Check error rates in the reservation system. Missed reservations, wrong times, incorrect party sizes, lost special requests — these all create guest friction that starts before they even sit down. A host who maintains accurate records prevents a cascade of problems for the floor team.
Walk-in conversion — Of the walk-ins who arrive when the restaurant is busy, what percentage does your host convert into seated guests versus turning away? A skilled host finds solutions — bar seating, adjusted table timing, realistic wait offers — that capture revenue. Track this against overall walk-in demand to understand their conversion skill.
Customisation tips:
- For restaurants with significant no-show problems, add no-show rate and reconfirmation effectiveness
- For high-volume casual restaurants, weight seating efficiency most heavily — speed of turn matters more than individual guest experience
- For fine dining, add VIP recognition rate and special request handling accuracy
- Don't rely on a single metric — a host with excellent seating efficiency but high walk-in loss might be rushing guests rather than managing the flow
Previous Objectives Review
Review objectives set at the last performance review. Note which were achieved, partially achieved, not achieved, or blocked.
Pull up the objectives from the last performance review. For each one, document whether it was:
- Achieved: They met or exceeded the target — note the evidence
- Partially achieved: Progress made but not complete — note what was done and what remains
- Not achieved: No meaningful progress — understand why before judging
- Blocked: External factors prevented progress — system limitations, training not provided, staffing changes
Be honest about blocked objectives. If you promised to update the reservation system or provide training on waitlist management that never happened, that's not their failure. Acknowledging your own gaps builds trust and makes the review feel fair.
If this is their first review and no previous objectives exist, note that and use this section to document the baseline you're measuring from going forward.
Technical Competencies
Technical Competencies
Record your rating and evidence for each technical competency. Use specific examples and data.
Assess each competency based on observed behaviour over the full review period — not just the last two weeks. Tick each competency as you assess it.
| Competency | Exceeds expectations | Meets expectations | Below expectations |
|---|---|---|---|
| Guest greeting | Every guest feels genuinely welcomed, remembers regulars by name, reads the mood of arriving guests and adapts approach, sets the tone for an excellent experience | Greets guests warmly and professionally, friendly and polite, follows greeting standards | Greeting feels mechanical or rushed, doesn't make eye contact, guests feel processed rather than welcomed |
| Reservation management | Maintains flawless reservation records, catches errors before they cause problems, manages the book proactively to optimise covers, handles special requests seamlessly | Manages reservations accurately, records details correctly, handles standard bookings and modifications | Frequent errors in the book, missed reservations, lost special requests, inaccurate party sizes create floor problems |
| Seating efficiency | Maximises dining room utilisation, fills sections evenly, balances waiter workload through smart placement, revenue-per-service consistently high | Seats guests appropriately, fills sections reasonably, makes adequate use of available tables | Sections unbalanced, tables left empty while guests wait, poor use of floor plan, revenue lost through inefficient seating |
| Waitlist management | Manages long waits without walkouts, communicates timing honestly, keeps guests engaged, converts high percentage of waitlist guests into seated diners | Manages waitlist adequately, provides reasonable time estimates, handles standard wait situations | Loses guests from the waitlist, inaccurate time estimates create frustration, doesn't manage guest expectations |
| Floor awareness | Reads the entire dining room constantly, knows which tables are at which stage, anticipates turns and departures, adjusts seating plan in real time | Aware of general floor status, checks with waiters on table progress, responds to changes when alerted | Lacks floor awareness, seats tables without checking readiness, doesn't know which sections are available, creates seating problems |
Avoiding common rating errors:
- Recency bias: Check your one-to-one notes from three months ago. Were their greetings warmer then?
- Halo effect: A brilliant greeting doesn't mean excellent reservation management. Rate each competency separately.
- Central tendency: Not everyone "meets expectations." If they're exceptional at waitlist management, say so. If seating efficiency is poor, name it.
Customisation tips:
- For fine dining, add VIP recognition and preference management as a separate competency
- For high-volume restaurants, weight seating efficiency and floor awareness most heavily
- For restaurants with complex reservation systems, consider reservation management as the key competency
Record your rating and evidence for each technical competency. Use specific examples and data.
For each competency, record your rating (Exceeds, Meets, or Below) with specific evidence. Use dates, numbers, and examples rather than general impressions.
Example phrases:
"[Name] reduced average wait time from 22 minutes to 14 minutes during peak Saturday service through improved floor awareness and proactive table turn management."
"[Name]'s reservation accuracy needs improvement — four booking errors during March resulted in double-bookings that required manager intervention."
"[Name] converted 78% of walk-ins during the review period into seated guests, compared to the team average of 60%, through creative use of bar seating and accurate wait time communication."
"[Name] struggled with floor awareness during the December peak — observed three services where empty tables went unseated for over 10 minutes while guests waited at the door."
Behavioural Competencies
Behavioural Competencies
Record your rating and evidence for each behavioural competency. Use specific examples.
Assess each behavioural competency across the full review period.
| Competency | Exceeds expectations | Meets expectations | Below expectations |
|---|---|---|---|
| Communication | Clear and confident with guests, team, and management in every situation, adapts style to different guests, communicates proactively about floor status | Communicates adequately with guests and team, passes on information, polite and professional | Miscommunicates reservation details, unclear with guests about wait times, doesn't share floor information |
| Composure under pressure | Thrives during the busiest periods, remains calm and warm when the waitlist is long and guests are impatient, never lets stress reach the guest | Maintains composure during most situations, handles standard pressure periods, occasional stress visible | Visibly stressed during busy periods, stress affects greeting quality, guests sense anxiety at the door |
| Teamwork | Proactively supports the floor team, communicates table status clearly, adjusts seating to help waiters manage sections, positive presence | Cooperates with the team, shares information when asked, adjusts seating when requested | Works in isolation from the floor team, doesn't communicate table status, creates friction with waiters over seating |
| Reliability | Never late, always ready before the first guest arrives, covers shifts at short notice, maintains energy throughout every shift | Punctual and prepared, reliable for scheduled shifts, maintains adequate energy | Frequently late, unprepared for service, energy drops during shifts, unreliable for coverage |
Record your rating and evidence for each behavioural competency. Use specific examples.
Record your rating and evidence for each behavioural competency using specific examples.
Example phrases:
"[Name] handled the 45-minute wait on Valentine's Day with exceptional composure — kept every waiting guest informed, offered complimentary drinks, and received three positive comments about the experience despite the delay."
"[Name] tends to work in isolation from the floor team — observed four occasions where tables were ready but [Name] wasn't aware because they hadn't checked with the waiters."
"[Name] achieved 100% punctuality during the review period and was consistently ready to greet the first guest at every shift."
Compliance and Standards
Compliance and Standards
Record any compliance concerns, training needs, or positive observations.
Confirm each compliance area has been assessed. Any gaps must be addressed immediately — compliance is pass/fail, not a development area to work on gradually.
Fire safety — Do they know the evacuation procedure? Can they manage guest flow toward exits during an evacuation? Do they keep the entrance clear of obstructions? Are they aware of assembly point locations?
Accessibility — Do they accommodate guests with mobility needs, wheelchair users, and those with assistance dogs appropriately? Do they know which tables are accessible? Do they ask about access needs when taking bookings?
Data protection — Do they handle guest data (phone numbers, email addresses, dietary information) in compliance with GDPR? Do they know what guest information can be shared and with whom? Are reservation records stored securely?
Allergy communication — When guests mention allergies at arrival, do they communicate this to the waiter and kitchen team immediately? Do they flag allergy information on the reservation? Do they understand the importance of accurate allergy communication in preventing serious incidents?
Record any compliance concerns, training needs, or positive observations.
Record any compliance concerns, training gaps, or positive observations. If any area is below standard, document the required action and timeline for resolution. Note any compliance training completed during the review period.
Key Achievements
Document 3-5 specific achievements with evidence, dates, and measurable outcomes.
Document 3-5 specific achievements with evidence, dates, and measurable outcomes. Achievements should be things that went beyond basic job requirements — moments where this host created particular value.
How to write strong achievement statements:
- Be specific: dates, numbers, names, outcomes
- Show impact: guests retained, revenue captured, problems prevented, team supported
- Use their contribution, not the team's: what did they do?
Example phrases:
"[Name] reduced average wait time from 22 minutes to 14 minutes during peak Saturday service by implementing a personal floor-checking routine every 10 minutes."
"[Name] converted 78% of walk-in guests during the review period into seated diners, compared to the team average of 60%, capturing an estimated additional 15 covers per weekend."
"[Name] handled a VIP reservation error on 20th January with exceptional recovery — contacted the guest personally, arranged a complimentary drinks package, and the guest left a 5-star review mentioning the host by name."
"[Name] trained two new hosts during the review period, both of whom passed their probation and cited [Name] as their most helpful colleague."
"[Name] identified a recurring no-show pattern on Thursday evenings and proposed a confirmation call system that reduced no-shows by 40%."
Customisation tips:
- For fine dining, achievements might include VIP relationship building, bespoke greeting experiences, or flawless event arrivals
- For high-volume casual, focus on walk-in conversion, seating speed, and waitlist management excellence
- For new hosts in their first review, acknowledge the learning curve and highlight improvement trajectory
Development Areas
Document 2-3 development areas with specific evidence and improvement actions.
Document 2-3 development areas with specific evidence. Each development area should link to a concrete improvement action — not just a label.
How to write constructive development feedback:
- Focus on behaviour and outcomes, not personality
- Use specific evidence: dates, observations, data
- Connect each area to an action or opportunity
- Be direct but fair — vague feedback helps nobody
Example phrases:
"[Name]'s reservation accuracy needs improvement — four booking errors during March resulted in double-bookings that required manager intervention and guest disappointment."
"[Name] struggled with floor awareness during the December peak — three services where empty tables went unseated for over 10 minutes while guests waited."
"[Name] tends to give optimistic wait time estimates — observed five occasions where quoted wait was under 15 minutes but actual wait exceeded 25 minutes, creating guest frustration."
"[Name]'s communication with the floor team needs development — observed reliance on the reservation system rather than direct communication with waiters about table status."
"[Name] received two guest complaints during the period regarding a perceived lack of warmth in their greeting during busy periods."
Objectives for Next Period
Write SMART objectives for the next review period. Include both operational targets and development goals.
Set 3-5 SMART objectives (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, Time-bound) that connect to both the development areas above and their career interests.
Operational target examples:
"Reduce average peak wait time from 18 minutes to 14 minutes by end of Q2 through improved floor awareness and proactive table turn management."
"Achieve zero reservation errors during the next review period through implementation of a double-check routine before confirming bookings."
"Increase walk-in conversion rate from 55% to 70% during the review period by developing bar seating and creative timing solutions."
Development goal examples:
"Complete the reservation system advanced features training by end of March to improve booking management efficiency."
"Shadow a waiter for at least 4 shifts during the review period to develop understanding of floor service and table timing."
"Handle at least 3 guest complaint situations independently during the review period, with debrief after each one."
Connecting objectives to career progression:
| Current role | Typical next step | What to assess |
|---|---|---|
| Restaurant Host | Senior Host / Waiter / Restaurant Supervisor | Guest relationship skills, floor management understanding, multitasking capability, leadership potential, service knowledge |
If they want to progress to serving, include objectives that build floor awareness and service knowledge. If they want management, focus on leadership and operational decision-making. If they want to stay as a skilled host, focus on mastery goals — guest experience excellence, reservation system expertise, waitlist management innovation. Set targets that stretch but don't break — if current walk-in conversion is 55%, aiming for 90% in three months is unrealistic; 70% is challenging but achievable.
Overall Assessment
Select the overall performance rating based on the full assessment.
Record the discussion from the review meeting, including their response and any context they provide.
Select the overall performance rating based on the full assessment. This is a holistic judgement, not a simple average of individual competency ratings.
Exceeds expectations — Consistently performs above the standard required. Guests feel genuinely welcomed, the dining room is managed efficiently, and they contribute positively beyond their core role. This host is a genuine asset who creates value from the first moment of every guest experience.
Meets expectations — Reliably performs the role to the required standard. Guests are greeted warmly, reservations are managed accurately, and the door runs smoothly. Development areas exist but don't undermine overall effectiveness. This is solid, dependable performance.
Below expectations — Performance falls short of the required standard in one or more significant areas. Guest greeting quality, reservation accuracy, or floor management is affecting the guest experience. Improvement is needed with clear support and timelines.
Be honest. Rating everyone as "Meets expectations" helps nobody. If they're exceptional, recognise it. If they're struggling, name it — with the support plan to address it.
Meeting Notes
Record the discussion from the review meeting, including their response and any context they provide.
Schedule at least 45 minutes for the review conversation — 30 for discussion, 15 for buffer. Meet outside service hours in a private space.
How to conduct the meeting:
Give them the written review to read for 5-10 minutes. Don't hover — get them a drink and let them absorb it privately. When they've read it, ask: "What are your thoughts? Does this feel fair?" Then listen. Don't defend immediately — understand their perspective first.
If they raise valid points, amend the document. If you noted "poor floor awareness" but they explain the reservation system was down on those shifts and they had no visibility of table status, that context matters — add it. If you disagree, explain your reasoning calmly with data.
The goal is a document both parties consider fair and accurate — not necessarily one they're delighted about.
What to record: Their response to each section, any context they provided that changes your assessment, points of agreement and disagreement, and their reaction to the objectives set.
Review Summary
Summarise agreed actions, amendments made during the meeting, and next steps.
Summarise the agreed outcome: amendments made during the meeting, final objectives confirmed, next steps, and when objective check-ins will happen.
Both parties should sign and date the final document. Give them a copy. The signature means "I have read and understood this review" — not necessarily "I agree with everything."
Follow-through matters: Schedule brief objective check-ins in your regular one-to-ones. "How's the floor-checking routine working?" and "I noticed wait times are down — what's changed?" keep objectives alive rather than letting them gather dust until the next formal review.
Be transparent about how this review connects to pay and progression decisions. If performance reviews influence pay rises, say so — now, not at the next review.
What's next
Performance reviews are most effective when they connect to ongoing one-to-one conversations. The evidence you need for a fair review should already exist in your one-to-one notes.
- Read our Restaurant Host one-to-one guide for how to run the weekly conversations that feed into this review
- Check out our Restaurant Host interview guide for hiring the right person in the first place
- See our Restaurant Host onboarding guide if you're reviewing someone still in their first 90 days