Salary CA$72,000 - CA$95,000.00 per year
Job description:
Compensation: This position is a combination of tip pool averaging $23,000, salary $72,000 (commensurate with experience), with additional performance-based bonus opportunities reflecting guest experience results, sales leadership, and team development.
Experience: You need at least 5 years of prior managing experience in hospitality. We will train you to understand all about the craft world and how we operate our diversified operation, but it is desirable that you have prior experience in the craft alcohol industry and understand retail.
At Merridale Cidery & Distillery, we don’t just make cider and spirits, we create a destination people return to, season after season.
Set on a working farm in the Cowichan Valley, Merridale is a year-round gathering place where connection matters. Guests come to slow down, share a meal, learn something new, and feel grounded in the simple magic of rural farm life.
We’re looking for a floor-forward leader (part host, part guide, part brand ambassador) who wants to own the guest experience and shape how people feel the moment they arrive.
We follow a European style service. Order at the counter followed by engagement at the table - additional orders, and closing at the table.
If you love being on the floor, reading the room, guiding energy, and creating moments guests remember and talk about later, this role will feel like home.
The Role
You are the visible leader on the floor, guiding guest flow across our eatery, lounge, outdoor seating, retail space, tastings, and tours. You anticipate needs, support your team in real time, and ensure every guest leaves feeling welcomed, informed, and invited into their next Merridale experience.
Benefits & Perks
· Extended medical & dental benefits, with Merridale covering 50%
· Monthly growler
· 50% off food
· Team gatherings and outings throughout the year
· No formal dress code
· A supportive, people-first team that genuinely cares about the work, and each other
What You’ll Do and learn to do
Lead the Guest Experience
· Be present, warm, and observant on the floor
· Read guest energy and guide the experience accordingly
· Table-touch, answer questions, and help guests discover what Merridale offers
Lead Through Education & Selling
· Engage guests naturally around tastings, retail products, tours, and future visits
· Model how to educate without pressure and recommend without pushing
· Help guests see Merridale as more than a one-time stop
Lead the Front-of-House Team
· Train and motivate the team to sell through storytelling and confidence
· Ensure retail and tasting areas are always supported
· Adjust staffing and coverage in real time as guest flow changes
· Anticipate busy periods and pull trained backup staff when needed
Collaborate Across the Farm
· Communicate closely with kitchen and back-of-house teams
· Manage timing, quality, and wait times with care and clarity
· Learn and share the basics of cider, spirits, fermentation, and distillation
· See every guest as more than a one-time diner
· Introduce tastings, retail products, tours, and future experiences naturally
· Educate without pressure and recommend without pushing
· Build long-term relationships through trust and care
We measure success not just by smooth service, but by guest engagement, product discovery, and return visits.
Who You Are
· A natural host who loves being guest-facing
· Comfortable guiding conversations toward discovery and purchase
· Curious about craft beverages and eager to learn
· Calm, observant, and proactive in fast-paced environments
· Experienced leading hospitality teams on the floor
· Motivated by both experience quality and results
About Merridale
Merridale is a for-profit social enterprise, biosphere-certified, and deeply rooted in land, craft, and community.
How we farm, ferment, distill, cook, serve, and welcome people all matter. Our eatery, retail space, tastings, and tours exist to invite guests deeper into our story, not just to serve them a meal.
Hospitality here is human, educational, and relationship-driven.
How to Apply
If you’re excited by the idea of leading from the floor, creating memorable guest moments, and being part of a place people genuinely love, we’d love to hear from you.
Submit your resume and a short note telling us why Merridale (and this role) speaks to you.
Cheers!
Job Types: Full-time, Permanent
Benefits:
- Casual dress
- Company events
- Dental care
- Discounted or free food
- Extended health care
- Life insurance
- On-site parking
- Store discount
- Vision care
Work Location: In person
Job Type: Full-time
Pay: $72,000.00-$95,000.00 per year
Benefits:
- Dental care
- Discounted or free food
- Extended health care
- Life insurance
- On-site parking
- Store discount
- Vision care
Work Location: In person
