Job Information
- Location: Haftt Cafe & Hookah Lounge, 980 N. La Cienega Blvd., West Hollywood, CA 90069
- Schedule: [Full-time/Part-time]; evening, late-night, weekend, and holiday availability required
- Reports to: Manager on Duty during shifts; Kitchen Lead for dish and kitchen utility duties; General Manager (or ownership, until a General Manager is in place) for overall performance
- Classification: Hourly, non-exempt (overtime eligible)
- Base Pay: Starting at $18.47 per hour, plus tips, with more offered based on experience
About Haftt
Haftt Cafe & Hookah Lounge is a social dining and lounge destination offering Persian kabobs, pizzas, appetizers, salads, desserts, Persian tea, nonalcoholic beverages, and hookah. Haftt does not serve alcohol.
Our goal is to provide a comfortable, welcoming experience supported by attentive service, consistently prepared food and hookahs, safe handling practices, cleanliness, and genuine hospitality.
The Role
Bussers keep the entire operation moving. This is a cross-trained position covering dishwashing and kitchen utility, bussing and table resetting, food running, restocking, and charcoal support.
During regular service you will move between these duties based on immediate priorities. During peak periods you will be given one primary assignment - Dish/Utility, Food Runner, or Busser/Charcoal Support - so that no one is trying to cover all of them at once.
This is a physical, fast-moving position and one of the most important on the floor: when tables reset quickly, food reaches guests hot, dishes stay ahead, and charcoal arrives on time, every other role can do their job.
Boundary you should know before applying: you may deliver, replace, and dispose of charcoal, but you may not prepare or modify hookahs unless you are separately trained and authorized. Food and charcoal are never transported together or with the same equipment.
Bussers who perform well may be trained into additional roles as the team grows.
What You'll Do
Bussing and table resets
- Clear tables promptly and completely after guests leave, including dishes, glassware, hookah components, and trash.
- Clean, sanitize, and reset tables, chairs, booths, and seating areas to Haftt's standards.
- Reset place settings, condiments, and table items so tables are guest-ready.
- Pre-bus during service by clearing finished plates, glassware, and debris without interrupting guests.
- Communicate open and ready tables to the server assigned to hosting and the Manager on Duty quickly so seating flow is not delayed.
- Report spills, damage, broken furniture, and cleanliness problems immediately.
Food running
- Deliver food from the kitchen to the correct table and correct seat promptly, while the food is still hot.
- Verify each order against the ticket before leaving the kitchen, including modifications and special requests.
- Handle allergen orders according to Haftt's procedures and confirm delivery with the server or Manager on Duty.
- Carry trays and plates safely and professionally through the dining and lounge areas.
- Bring sauces, garnishes, utensils, and requested items to tables promptly.
- Report to the kitchen and Manager on Duty when an order appears incomplete, incorrect, or delayed.
Dishwashing and kitchen utility
- Scrape, load, wash, sanitize, dry, and properly store dishes, glassware, utensils, cookware, and equipment.
- Keep the dish area organized and keep the backlog under control so service is never held up waiting for product.
- Operate the dish machine correctly, including chemical levels, temperatures, and cleaning cycles.
- Clean and sanitize sinks, dish racks, tables, floors, drains, and dish-area equipment.
- Break down, clean, and reassemble kitchen equipment as assigned.
- Remove trash and recycling, change liners, and keep trash areas clean.
Charcoal support
- Light, transport, deliver, replace, and dispose of charcoal using approved tools and safety procedures.
- Respond promptly to charcoal requests from hookah attendants, servers, and the Manager on Duty.
- Keep charcoal burners and heat-management equipment clean and operating safely.
- Never transport charcoal with food or with equipment used for food.
- Never leave lit charcoal unattended or place hot charcoal in an unapproved container or disposal area.
- Report burner problems, damaged equipment, or unsafe conditions immediately.
- Do not prepare, pack, or modify hookahs unless separately trained and authorized to do so.
Restocking and setup
- Restock dishes, glassware, silverware, linens, condiments, cleaning supplies, and service-station items.
- Restock charcoal, foil, and hookah support supplies as assigned.
- Keep service stations, bus stations, and support areas clean, organized, and fully stocked.
- Assist with receiving deliveries and putting stock away when assigned.
Cleaning and facility support
- Maintain guest areas, service stations, the entrance, furniture, floors, and restrooms as assigned.
- Sweep, mop, wipe, and sanitize assigned areas throughout the shift, not only at closing.
- Complete all assigned opening, closing, cleaning, restocking, and side-work responsibilities.
Safety and teamwork
- Follow handwashing and apron or glove-change procedures every time you change assignments, especially when moving between charcoal, trash, dishes, and food.
- Prevent cross-contamination between raw product, cooked food, ready-to-eat items, and soiled equipment.
- Follow all fire-prevention, burn-prevention, chemical-handling, lifting, and workplace-safety procedures.
- Handle broken glass, hot equipment, and cleaning chemicals according to procedure and report incidents immediately.
- Notify management immediately of injuries, spills, fire hazards, pest activity, or unsafe conditions.
- Participate in pre-shift meetings, safety training, charcoal-safety training, and performance coaching.
- Follow instructions from the Manager on Duty, Kitchen Lead, and management consistently.
What You'll Bring
- Prior restaurant experience as a busser, food runner, dishwasher, or support employee is preferred; strong candidates without experience will be considered.
- Physical stamina and the ability to stay in motion through a full shift.
- A sense of urgency - this position is measured largely on speed.
- Working knowledge of sanitation, cross-contamination prevention, and safe chemical handling.
- Ability to switch between assignments quickly without dropping the one you were on.
- Willingness to be assigned a single primary duty during peak periods and stay focused on it.
- Attention to detail on table cleanliness, order accuracy, and station organization.
- Strong teamwork and respectful communication with servers, baristas, hookah attendants, cooks, and management.
- Comfort working around hot charcoal, open flames, hot surfaces, glass equipment, food, and cleaning products.
- Comfort working in an environment where hookah smoking occurs.
- Reliability, punctuality, and willingness to complete the entire assigned shift.
- Dependable evening, late-night, weekend, and holiday availability.
- Ability to accept feedback, correct mistakes, and consistently apply corrected procedures.
How Success Is Measured
Performance in this role is evaluated on dish backlog, food-running time, table-reset time, cleanliness of assigned areas, charcoal response time, and safety compliance.
Practical Skills Evaluation
Selected candidates may be asked to complete a paid working interview or practical skills assessment, as permitted by applicable law. The evaluation may include:
- Clearing, cleaning, sanitizing, and resetting a table to standard, timed
- Carrying trays and plates safely
- Verifying an order against a ticket and delivering it to the correct seat
- Operating the dish machine and working through a dish backlog
- Lighting, transporting, and disposing of charcoal safely
- Demonstrating handwashing and glove or apron changes between assignments
- Restocking and organizing a service station
- Communicating with servers, hookah attendants, and the kitchen during service
Prior job titles alone will not replace the need to demonstrate the practical skills required for the position.
Certifications and Requirements
- California Food Handler Card required within 30 days of hire.
- Completion of Haftt's charcoal-safety training before performing charcoal duties.
- Completion of Haftt's sanitation, chemical-handling, and emergency-procedure training.
- Must meet all legal and company age requirements applicable to working on the premises and handling charcoal in a tobacco-service environment.
- Ability to stand, walk, and move continuously for extended periods.
- Ability to bend, reach, twist, push, pull, and perform repetitive cleaning and carrying tasks.
- Ability to safely lift and carry approximately 40 pounds, including bus tubs, dish racks, and trash.
- Ability to work safely around open flames, burners, hot charcoal, hot surfaces, hot water, glass equipment, and cleaning chemicals.
- Ability to work in an environment where hookah smoking occurs.
- Evening, late-night, weekend, and holiday availability as required.
Schedule and Work Environment
This position regularly includes evening, late-night, weekend, and holiday shifts. Cleaning, restocking, and closing responsibilities may continue after published guest-service hours.
The workplace may be busy, social, noisy, smoky, hot, and fast-paced. This position works around food, tea, hookah smoke, tobacco products, hot charcoal, dish chemicals, and wet floors.
Because Haftt operates with a relatively small team, employees may be assigned to dishwashing, bussing, food running, restocking, charcoal support, receiving deliveries, cleaning, or closing based on business needs. During peak periods, separate primary assignments are given so that one employee is not covering dishwashing, food running, bussing, and charcoal at the same time.
Haftt provides training on its sanitation procedures, charcoal safety, service sequence, equipment, and guest-service expectations. Employees are expected to retain and consistently apply that training.
Pay and Benefits
- Base pay: Starting at $18.47 per hour, plus tips, with more offered based on experience
- Tips distributed according to Haftt's applicable tip-distribution policy
- Complimentary staff meal during eligible shifts
- Employee dining discount
- Paid sick leave and other benefits as required by applicable law
- Training and opportunities to cross-train into additional roles as the team grows
Tips are not guaranteed. Actual tips vary based on hours, shift assignments, sales, guest volume, seasonality, and the applicable tip-distribution arrangement.
How to Apply
Please apply directly through the job platform where you found this posting.
Questions about the role, or a request for a reasonable accommodation during the application or interview process, may be sent to careers@hafttcafe.com.
Equal Opportunity and Fair Chance Employment
Haftt Cafe & Hookah Lounge is an Equal Opportunity Employer. Employment decisions are based on qualifications, demonstrated skills, experience, performance, availability, and legitimate business needs. Haftt does not discriminate based on any characteristic protected by applicable law.
Haftt will consider qualified applicants with criminal histories in accordance with applicable California and local fair-chance requirements.
Salary
Starting at $18.47 per hour
Benefits
Tips
Job Type
Full time, Part time
Schedule
8 hour shift, 10 hour shift, Weekend availability, Night shift