Front of house job descriptions at Greene King

The secret sauce of our 2,700 pubs up and down the country isn’t just our award-winning beers (although they’re certainly a key ingredient!) The real magic is in the friendly faces who make every visit memorable. That’s where front of house jobs at Greene King come in. 

From greeting guests and dishing out tasty meals with a smile, to leading a team, front of house roles in hospitality can be the reason why a first-time visitor becomes a regular. If you’re a social butterfly with a knack for creating excellent customer experiences, a front of house job could be exactly what you’re looking for.

Here, we’ll break down our front of house job descriptions, from bar and waiting staff to front of house manager jobs, so you know the skills you need and why Greene King is the perfect place to grow a career in hospitality.

What does a front of house job involve?

In a front of house job role, you’re the face of the pub. These are the friendly customer-facing team members that make each visit memorable. At Greene King, this usually means bar and waiting staff, or team leaders and managers. Customer-facing roles make up the majority of the UK’s hospitality workforce, and they contribute to the welcoming atmosphere our visitors love. 

The goal of a pub front of house job is simple. You’ll be making guests feel at home, keeping service ticking over smoothly, and making sure everyone leaves happier than when they arrived. It’s a rewarding role that’s made all the better by working in a culture that’s rooted in friendships and camaraderie.

Front of house roles are a great fit if you:

• Enjoy working with people and making connections 
• Love working in a place where no two shifts are the same
• Work well in a team and thrive under pressure
• Fancy a job where skills grow quickly and progression is real

Front of house job descriptions 

Now that the stage is set, let’s take a closer look at life as a front of house team member. These are roles where you can learn skills that you’ll carry throughout your career and build relationships that last just as long. Whether you’re considering bar and waiting roles, or looking to run the show in a team leader role, here’s what you can expect in our front of house team. 

Bar and waiting staff job description

If you’ve got pints of personality and love a good chinwag, there’s a place for you in our bar and waiting jobs. These roles are all about serving regulars and brand new faces with a smile. In this front of house role, you’ll be the person who remembers a regular’s usual and knows who ordered what meal.

Bar and waiting roles are often where Greene King journeys begin. Many of our managers started right here. A shift behind the bar and on the floor teaches more than you might expect, and with our culture of internal mobility, it can be the launchpad you’ve been looking for. 

A typical bar and waiting shift might include:

• Serving drinks with speed and precision
• Keeping the bar spotless and stocked 
• Knowing the menu inside out and offering recommendations that take a night out from a 7 to a 10
• Creating a customer-first atmosphere that turns visitors into regulars 
• Greeting and seating customers
• Taking orders and handling any requests
• Serving meals and drinks with care 
• Checking in to make sure everything’s spot on

Top bar and waiting skills:

• Teamwork under pressure 
• Organisation when keeping track of orders, stock, and service all at once
• Confidence when talking to everyone from students to regulars who’ve been coming for years
• Being adaptable and working at speed
• Patience and empathy
• Organisation with timings, requests and balancing orders
• Communication across bar and kitchen teams
• A flair for making people feel welcome and at ease

To find out more about life behind the bar, check out our guide to the roles and responsibilities of bar staff and our waiting staff job description blog. 

Front of house team leader job description

Team leaders steady the ship no matter how busy things get. In this front of house position, you’re still part of the service while also orchestrating others and maintaining our sky-high standards. It’s a role where you have a direct influence on the experiences of our guests and keep every shift running like clockwork.

What you’ll be doing:

• Leading shifts and supporting managers and the wider team
• Mentoring bar and waiting staff and helping them develop
• Handling challenges on the fly 
• Maintaining service and safety standards 

Skills of a team leader:

• Leadership and motivation
• Organisation and quick problem-solving 
• Clear communication under pressure
• A positive can-do attitude

Read more to dig deeper into what a team leader does at Greene King.

Front of house pub manager jobs

Pub managers oversee the whole operation. They set the pace and make sure guests are getting the warm service we pride ourselves on. Motivated teams are 13% more productive, and managers are key to bringing this motivation to the front of house team.

What pub managers do:

• Managing staff rotas, training and development 
• Overseeing customer service across the pub
• Driving sales and community events
• Leading by example on the floor

The skills you need:

• Strong leadership and people management
• Strategic thinking alongside day-to-day organisation
• Confidence in decision making
• Commitment to great customer experiences

Learn more about a day in the life of a pub manager.

Career progression in front of house jobs

One of the best parts of working front of house at Greene King is the progression opportunities. You could start out as a bar and waiting staff and end up leading a team of your own. From there, a clear route into management opens up, supported by apprenticeships and nationally recognised training.

How this could look:

• Start as bar and waiting staff
• Step up to team leader
• Progress into a front of house manager job
• Move into general management or multi-site leadership

We don’t believe in sitting still and opportunities are never far away. We’re committed to untapping potential, and we’ll help you get to wherever you want to go. 

Start your journey in a front of house job

Every front of house job description at Greene King revolves around creating unforgettable experiences. Whether you’re behind the bar, dishing out tasty meals, or managing teams, you can be part of a team that pulls together and pours happiness into lives each and every shift. 

Explore our front of house jobs today.