The St. James Tearoom is above all about an experience - an experience of excellence, relaxation, quality, refinement, and being valued. Therefore, our servers excel in creating an experience where the people they serve ultimately feel valued, and they understand the motto - "People will often forget what you say, they will often forget what you do, but they will NEVER forget how you make them feel." Since people never forget how they are made to feel, our servers' goal is to make sure that every guest's memory of the tearoom is of feeling valued, important, and at peace, and they work very hard to achieve this.
Our servers are passionate about tea, the ceremony of tea, and our 'symphonies in single bites.' They are enthusiastic about people, and would probably describe themselves as a 'people person.' They are painstakingly careful about the details, because they understand that those little personal touches are what make an experience. They are very courteous and polite, but this doesn't make them weak; on the contrary, they can handle pressure when it comes, with grace and integrity. In fact, grace is a chief characteristic of many of our servers, regardless of their background or age, and it is this grace that contributes to a truly memorable tea experience here at The St. James Tearoom.
Finally, if we had to choose between two characteristics in our servers - "Professional" or "Genuine" - we would always choose the latter, because our world today is filled with 'professionals' who often seem to make us feel less valued and less important, despite being technically proficient.
Floor Manager
The vast majority of our floor managers come directly from our server staff, because one cannot manage something that one does not know. Our managers exhibit all the qualities of an excellent server, but with the addition of leadership qualities vital to the position, such as: customer service ability, time management expertise, delegation, organization of resources and people, and finding creative solutions to problems that might arise.
(Please see the job description for "Server" to understand the other characteristics we hire for in a manager. Although most of our floor managers do come directly from the server staff, it does not mean we would not look seriously at a qualified candidate who might be able to easily fit in and learn the tearoom ways, while still bringing the leadership skills that are needed.)
Dishwasher
Ah, the unsung heroes of food service! Our dishwashers deserve a medal more than even other food service establishments, because of the high volume of fine (breakable) china that must be handled carefully, while still keeping a good pace and paying attention to the timing of the day! We are always looking for dishwashers who are willing to make a commitment to us, who enjoy working hard and seeing the results of their labor, and who desire to work in a fun, fast-paced, but generally relaxed work environment in our kitchen. We appreciate our hard-working dishwashers, without whom this business cannot operate.
Reservationist/Office and Clerical
(please check back for description)
Assistant Chef/Food Preparation
A great fine dining establishment does not just consist of a single "great chef" slaving away in the kitchen, but rather a team of qualified and highly motivated individuals working together in harmony to create food that stirs the mind and excites the senses. We are always taking applications from assistant chefs or soux chefs with education in baking and pastries, or even those without a formal education in food, but who have a great passion for it and the desire to work to create an excellent culinary product. We normally have a crew of 4 in our kitchen, all of whom work hard to create the fresh-made food that is our pride and joy here at the tearoom.
Chef
The food at The St. James Tearoom can most accurately be referred to as 'amuse bouche,' which is a french term that means 'to amuse the mouth.' Our chef's focus is on creating menus filled with "symphonies in single bites," adhering to the highest standards of freshness, creativity, and quality, not just in taste but in presentation as well. Another focus we have for our food is that it transport our guests to a different place or time, taking them away from their current problems and stresses. We create twelve menus a year, one a month, constantly keeping our guests' expectations high as to what wonders the next month might bring.
We are always taking applications from qualified chefs who might have a desire to create a world-class tearoom set apart by the quality of its food and its tea, who read a statement like the above paragraph and get excited, their creative juices beginning to flow. Some specific characteristics about our chefs are: an uncompromising attitude toward getting fresh product, a passion for food that goes beyond 'the job,' a desire to expand their culinary creativity to new levels, especially with tea-infused food, and a passion for teaching and training others about food, even in their own kitchen.
