Keyholder

About Giostra

Fabio Viviani grew up poor on the west side of Florence. Often, the only entertainment his family could afford was a visit to the Giostra – a magical old carousel in Piazza della Repubblica. This town square was a gathering place for people from all walks of life, where everyone felt welcome.

In that spirit, Fabio Viviani Hospitality is pleased to bring South Barrington Giostra – an old-school Italian restaurant featuring the simple, classic dishes Fabio grew up on. With recipes passed down from his mother and grandmother.

Step inside our doors and experience the welcoming atmosphere of Old Florence. Enjoy a glass of wine from our extensive wine list, many procured through Fabio's lifelong connections. Have some pasta. Eat!

For Giostra is not just close to Fabio's home here in South Barrington. It's close to his heart.

Position Summary

The Keyholder is a hands-on leadership position responsible for helping ensure smooth restaurant operations during scheduled shifts. This role serves as a trusted point person on the restaurant floor and should be comfortable working independently, taking ownership of the shift, and providing direction and support to team members as needed. 

The Keyholder may be responsible for opening or closing the restaurant, overseeing the flow of service, addressing routine guest and operational concerns, and helping guide the team when a manager is not immediately available. 

This is an ideal position for someone with strong restaurant or hospitality experience who is dependable, confident working independently, and interested in developing their leadership skills. Training will be provided on restaurant procedures, keyholder responsibilities, and expectations for leading the floor.

Key Responsibilities

• Serve as a keyholder and independently open and/or close the restaurant as assigned.
• Take ownership of restaurant floor operations during scheduled shifts and help ensure service runs smoothly.
• Provide day-to-day direction, guidance, and support to restaurant team members as needed during the shift.
• Help coordinate front-of-house activities and maintain an organized and efficient flow of service.
• Maintain an active presence on the restaurant floor and help ensure a welcoming, high- quality guest experience.
• Welcome guests and assist with seating, reservations, wait times, and general guest needs.
• Monitor the dining room for cleanliness, organization, presentation, and readiness.
• Help manage the flow of service during busy periods and identify areas where additional support is needed.
• Communicate effectively with front-of-house and back-of-house team members regarding guest, service, and operational needs.
• Step in where needed with tasks such as running food, clearing and resetting tables, and assisting guests.
• Handle routine guest questions, concerns, or service issues and escalate significant matters to restaurant management when appropriate.
• Assist with POS transactions, payments, cash-handling procedures, and end-of-shift responsibilities as needed.
• Complete and verify assigned opening and closing checklists.
• Secure the restaurant at closing and follow established keyholder and security procedures.
• Identify and communicate maintenance, supply, safety, staffing, or operational concerns to management.
• Help reinforce restaurant procedures, sanitation standards, food safety practices, and service expectations.
• Make sound day-to-day operational decisions within the scope of the role and contact restaurant management when a situation requires additional authority or support.
• Participate in training related to restaurant operations, leadership expectations, opening and closing procedures, and keyholder responsibilities.
• Perform other restaurant support and leadership duties as needed.

Qualifications

• Previous restaurant or hospitality experience required; prior lead, keyholder, shift lead, or supervisory experience preferred.
• Dependable, responsible, and comfortable being entrusted with restaurant keys and opening/closing responsibilities.
• Comfortable working independently and taking ownership of restaurant operations during assigned shifts.
• Ability to provide clear direction and support to team members while maintaining a collaborative, hands-on approach.
• Strong guest service, communication, and problem-solving skills.
• Ability to remain calm, use good judgment, and make sound decisions in a fast-paced restaurant environment.
• Strong attention to detail and awareness of restaurant operations.
• Ability to identify issues and take appropriate action without requiring constant direction from management.
• Comfortable using restaurant POS and reservation systems or willing to learn.
• Willingness to participate in training and develop leadership and operational skills.
• Availability to work evenings, weekends, and holidays as needed.

Role Scope

The Keyholder is expected to work independently and may provide day-to-day direction and oversight to restaurant team members during assigned shifts. This position serves as an on-floor leadership resource and may coordinate employees, delegate routine shift responsibilities, help maintain service standards, and address routine operational or guest concerns.

Unless specifically authorized by restaurant management, the Keyholder is not responsible for hiring, termination, formal disciplinary action, performance evaluations, approving time off, or other formal employment decisions. Matters requiring higher-level managerial authority should be escalated to restaurant management.

Compensation & Schedule

• Pay: $25.00–$30.00 per hour, based on experience
• Employment Type: Part-Time
• Expected Hours: Approximately 20–30 hours per week
• Location: Giostra in Barrington, IL

The schedule may include evenings, weekends, and holidays based on restaurant needs. Training will be provided to ensure the Keyholder is prepared to independently handle assigned responsibilities and effectively support the restaurant team.

We strive to embrace what makes each one of us unique; we each have our own story, and there is only one YOU. We believe that celebrating and embracing this philosophy makes for a better world! Whether looking at our current staff or future team members, we believe that everyone has something to offer, and our employment practices reflect that. Whether by mandate or not, we never have and never will make our employment decision based upon race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin, disability status, genetics, protected veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state, or local laws. If you are passionate about food and hospitality, we may be the place for you!