Job Description
Pasta Louise Restaurant is looking for an experienced, organized, and highly communicative Expeditor to help manage the flow of service in our busy kitchen.
The Expeditor is the central point of communication between the kitchen and front-of-house teams. This person is responsible for reading and calling tickets, coordinating timing with the line, identifying allergies and modifications, checking the quality and accuracy of every dish, and making sure orders leave the kitchen complete and on time.
This is a hands-on, fast-paced role for someone who can see the bigger picture during service while also paying close attention to every plate and ticket. The right person will be calm under pressure, comfortable giving clear direction, and able to communicate respectfully with both cooks and front-of-house staff.
Responsibilities Manage Ticket Flow and Service Timing
- Read, organize, prioritize, and clearly call tickets from the kitchen’s central Square printer
- Track the progress of multiple dine-in, takeout, and delivery orders at the same time
- Coordinate with each station to ensure dishes are prepared in the correct order and within appropriate ticket times
- Pace orders so that all dishes for a table are completed and ready to leave the kitchen together
- Anticipate busy periods, identify potential delays, and communicate with the kitchen and front-of-house teams before problems affect the guest experience
- Make sure no tickets are lost, overlooked, duplicated, or unnecessarily delayed
- Clearly communicate when orders should be fired, held, completed, or sent
Communication and Coordination
- Serve as the primary connection between the kitchen line and the front-of-house team during service
- Communicate clearly, calmly, and respectfully in a loud and fast-moving kitchen environment
- Clearly identify and call all allergies, dietary restrictions, modifications, and special requests
- Confirm that allergy and modified dishes are prepared and handled correctly before leaving the kitchen
- Communicate delays, unavailable items, menu changes, and other important service information to managers and front-of-house staff
- Ask questions and resolve ticket discrepancies before food is prepared or sent
- Work closely with chefs, cooks, servers, runners, managers, and delivery staff to keep service organized
Quality Control and Plate Presentation
- Serve as the final quality-control checkpoint before any food leaves the kitchen
- Check every dish for accuracy, presentation, portion size, temperature, and overall quality
- Confirm that each plate matches the ticket and includes the correct sides, sauces, garnishes, and modifications
- Identify dishes that do not meet Pasta Louise standards and communicate concerns to the chef or appropriate kitchen team member
- Set up, stock, and maintain all garnishes and finishing ingredients needed during service
- Occasionally garnish, sauce, wipe, or otherwise finish plates before they leave the pass
- Maintain a strong working knowledge of the menu, including ingredients, preparation, allergens, presentation standards, and appropriate serving pieces
Takeout and Third-Party Delivery Orders
- Assemble, organize, pack, and verify all takeout and third-party delivery orders, including DoorDash and Grubhub
- Confirm that each order contains the correct food, sides, sauces, utensils, napkins, and requested additions
- Match completed orders carefully to the correct customer name, ticket, or delivery driver
- Package food neatly and securely so it travels well and arrives in good condition
- Monitor delivery orders throughout service and follow up with the kitchen when items are delayed
- Help resolve missing, incorrect, or incomplete delivery orders before they leave the restaurant
Station Setup, Cleanliness, and Support
- Set up the expo station before service with the necessary garnishes, plates, containers, utensils, towels, labels, and other supplies
- Keep the pass, printer area, service surfaces, plate storage, and surrounding kitchen areas clean and organized throughout the shift
- Restock supplies proactively so service is not interrupted
- Complete opening, closing, and assigned side-work responsibilities
- Follow all food-safety, allergy, sanitation, and Department of Health guidelines
- Assist with light prep, garnish preparation, restocking, cleaning, and other kitchen tasks during slower periods
- Occasionally assist with running food when service requires additional support
- Perform other reasonable duties as directed by the chef or management team
Qualifications
- At least two years of experience working in a restaurant kitchen or high-volume food-service environment
- Previous experience as an Expeditor or in a role with significant expediting responsibilities is strongly preferred
- Strong understanding of restaurant service flow, ticket timing, kitchen terminology, and order coordination
- Excellent communication, organizational, multitasking, and problem-solving skills
- Ability to read tickets carefully and manage multiple orders and priorities simultaneously
- Strong attention to detail and a genuine commitment to food quality and accuracy
- Ability to remain composed, focused, and respectful during busy or stressful service
- Comfortable taking direction, giving clear instructions, and communicating concerns when necessary
- Dependable, punctual, and committed to supporting the entire team
- Comfortable using a POS system and working with printed kitchen tickets
- Bilingual English and Spanish is strongly preferred, as many members of our kitchen team speak Spanish
- NYC Food Protection Certificate is a plus, but not required
- Availability to work evenings, weekends, and holidays as needed
Physical Requirements
- Ability to stand and move throughout the kitchen for the duration of the shift
- Ability to work in a hot, loud, and fast-paced kitchen environment
- Ability to bend, reach, carry plates and containers, and lift up to 25 pounds
- Ability to read printed tickets and communicate clearly over normal kitchen noise
What We’re Looking For
The ideal candidate has a strong sense of urgency without creating unnecessary stress. They understand that the Expeditor sets the rhythm of service and takes pride in making sure that every plate and delivery order leaving the kitchen is correct, complete, well presented, and ready on time.
They are organized, observant, reliable, and comfortable taking ownership of the pass. Most importantly, they are a team player who communicates respectfully and helps both the kitchen and front-of-house teams do their best work.
Job Tags
Part time, Shift work, Weekend work, Afternoon shift