Service Manager

Job Title: Service Manager

Date: May 01, 2025

Place of Work: The Lexington, Geppetto, 100 North First Street, Cambridge MA 02141

A staple of the Cambridge culinary scene since 2012, Cambridge Street Hospitality Group (CSHG) currently comprises eight unique hospitality concepts. Led by Chef and owner Will Gilson, our team brings an award-winning mix of culinary and beverage acumen that affords our guests the opportunity to enjoy high-quality, thoughtfully prepared food, local and eclectic beers, and unique, globally-sourced wines. Our spaces are spacious and lively. Our teams are down to earth. We aim to share our excitement about our food and wine throughout each concept. Our guests and their friends feel comfortable in our warm and friendly environment.

Located in the heart of Cambridge Crossing, our building is a collection of three distinctive restaurants—The Lexington Bar + Restaurant, Geppetto, and cafe Beatrice—all under one beautifully designed roof. Each concept offers its own unique space, curated menu, and dining experience.

The Lexington Bar + Restaurant is the namesake restaurant located upstairs, featuring a 17-seat bar and one of the only roof decks in Cambridge. The menu takes American bar food to the next level with approachable items, savvy drinks, and a unique twist on flavors. It’s an ideal spot for casual drinks with friends, a full dinner, and even business meetings!

One of Eater’s “hottest restaurant openings of 2021,” Geppetto is located inside The Lexington at Cambridge Crossing, a growing new neighborhood and innovation hub at the intersection of Cambridge, Somerville, and Boston. Geppetto draws from Will’s love of Northern Italian food, bringing the flavors and feasts from Italy to our modern yet cozy dining room. Ingredients of the dishes highlight the farms, fishers, and foragers of New England. Housemade pastas, local seafood, and fresh butchered meats will be the highlight of an evening at Geppetto, concluded with desserts from one of the city’s leading pastry chefs, Brian Mercury.

Scope & General Purpose:

To ensure excellence in service and hospitality, financial success for the business, and compliance with company policies, the Service Manager plays a key role in the success of the front of house (FOH) team. In this role, candidates will gain a sophisticated, service focused skill set that includes exposure to restaurant personnel, guest relations, product education and operations. This person acts as a cultural and brand ambassador for our Cambridge Crossing spaces, as well as the hospitality group at large, and actively cultivates and maintains strong, caring relationships with guests, vendors, staff, and neighboring businesses.

The Service Manager is responsible for the FOH hourly staff, and oversees daily service periods at The Lexington and Geppetto in collaboration with other members of the management team – anticipating issues, offering proactive solutions, and guiding staff to achieve excellent hospitality outcomes. This person acts as a coach and mentor for the FOH team, including developing and instituting hospitality-focused steps of service, implementing regular and frequent education to give staff confidence in guiding guests through food and beverage offerings, and attracting and growing goal-oriented hourly staff.

Schedule:

5 scheduled shifts per week, split between active service and administrative time as dictated by specific projects or assignments. This role begins in three phases over 90 days, to allow for growth and development into the restaurant space and integration with the team.

Reports to:

General Manager, The Lexington, Geppetto, Cafe Beatrice

Growth Opportunities:

The Service Manager position offers a springboard for growth company wide. Personal and professional goals, both quarterly and longer-term, are set early and honest and candid feedback is provided on a regular basis, resulting in a valuable professional skill set.

Key Areas of Responsibility:

• Service Management
• Lead daily service periods on-site at The Lexington and Geppetto as scheduled.
• Review guest notes and prepare relevant pre-service notes for FOH staff.
• Liaise with the BOH team to communicate changes to menus for FOH staff.
• Ensure a stellar guest experience with in-the-moment coaching of staff as well as direct action.
• Be directly involved in guest satisfaction issues, providing solutions that appropriately balance guest satisfaction with the health and safety of our restaurant and staff.
• Financially close service periods, balancing revenues in, tips paid, and handling cash appropriately.
• Write detailed accounts of service periods for shareout on nightly Manager Logs.

• Scheduling
• Write schedule for FOH staff to appropriately cover The Lexington and Geppetto’s daily service periods.
• Coordinate FOH staff’s general availability and requests for time off.
• Work with management colleagues to schedule staff who are cross-utilized in our other concepts in the building.

• Hiring
• Attract, hire, and retain stellar FOH employees: backservers, servers, apprentice bartenders, and bartenders.
• Assist with drafting job descriptions and posting on relevant job boards.
• Review resumes and determine appropriate next steps.
• Interview candidates for FOH positions, scheduling and overseeing the “stage” process for evaluating candidates and demonstrating our culture and hospitality to them.
• Assist with onboarding hired candidates to our company using established systems.

• Training and Education
• Provide detailed training plans to new employees with regular check-ins to measure progress.
• Coordinate and execute ongoing education and training initiatives for staff, collaborating with kitchen leadership, beverage teams, and outside vendors.

• Administrative
• Assist with updates to printed food and beverage menus for both regular service and private events.
• Attend weekly management meetings and contribute to discussion.
• Review and respond to online reviews and other means of guest feedback.
• Assist with responding to general inquiries about The Lexington both in-person at our front desk and over email / phone.

Qualifications:

• Ability to work a variable schedule, including nights, weekends, and certain holidays per business needs.
• Some restaurant management experience in an ‘upscale’ restaurant preferred.
• Fluent in both written and spoken English. Ability to also speak Spanish is a plus.
• Ability to stand for extended periods of time
• Ability to reach, bend, stoop and frequently lift up to 40+ pounds

Compensation & Benefits:

• Base salary of $60,000 - $70,000 per year, based on prior experience
• Medical and Dental Insurance subsidized
• Paid Time Off
• 401(k)
• Dining discounts at our restaurants