HMSHost is a large national food service corporation. They franchise chain restaurants and place them in airports, providing food service for employees and travelers all over North America.
The original company, Van Noy Railway News and Hotel Company, was founded in 1897 in Kansas City, MO, by the Van Noy brothers. Through many acquisitions throughout the years, they eventually became Host Marriott Services Corporation.
HMSHost is currently a subsidiary of Autogrill S.p.A., based in Milan, Italy. They operate in over 100 airports, nearly that many motorway travel plazas, and several malls. They have franchises with 65+ companies, so it’s nearly impossible to count the number of people they employ.
Medical benefits are available to full-time employees, as well as 401K and vacation. All employees get food discounts and money added to your check for meals. Optional investment opportunities may be offered.
They offer flexible hours, so it’s great for people who are still in school. There are many locations so you probably wouldn’t need to travel far to get to work. Reviewers say they enjoy being with their coworkers.
How Old Do You Have to be to Work At HMSHost?
How old you have to be to work there at HMSHost depends on the location and franchise. A lot of the food places will hire you if you’re 16, but some of the coffee shops prefer applicants that are over 18.
HMSHost Careers
HMSHost has a very wide variety of franchises and locations. There are many different positions available at each one. No matter what your level of experience, there should be something available for you.
Cook: The Cook for this position handles all aspects of preparing, cooking, and serving food. They practice food safety standards, rotates food, and check temperature. They also clean and sanitize the workstations. They keep records so that inventory can be ordered accurately.
Warehouse Clerk: The Warehouse Clerk is responsible for the merchandise that moves in and out of the warehouse. They check in the orders, ticket the merchandise, and reports to the manager if anything is missing. They update all information in the warehouse database.
Host/Hostess: The Host’s main responsibility is to greet customers as they come in, and seat them at a table. They record reservations and keep the seating charts updated. They may also be responsible for ringing up the customer’s bill.
Utility Associate: The Utility Associate has a wide variety of duties in the kitchen. They clean the work areas and equipment, load and unload the dishwashing machine, and scrub & buff floors. They also load and unload supply trucks as needed.
Server: The Server takes the customer’s orders after they are seated, and brings the order when it’s ready. They make sure the customers have everything they need, and that their beverages remain filled. Afterward they present the check and make change.
Barista: The Barista works at the Starbucks locations. They greet customers, answer questions about the different products, and take the orders. They prepare the drinks and take payment from the customer. They keep the area cleaned and stocked.
Cashier: The Cashier completes the sales transactions at the register. They will maintain knowledge of all the products available in order to answer customer’s questions. They are also responsible for keeping the register area cleaned and stocked.
Retail Associate: The Retail Associate is assigned to the sales floor. They greet customers, answer questions, and handle complaints. They ring up the sales at the register and accept payment. They also maintain the displays and takes inventory when required.
Crew Member: The Crew Member works in the fast food locations. They greet customers and ring up sales. When the food is ready, they assemble the order and deliver to customer. They clean and stock the area, retrieving inventory from storage as necessary.
Bartender: The Bartender greets all customers when they come in, takes drink orders. They follow the company recipes for consistent quality. They’ll collect payment from the guests, and secures the cash at the end of the night. Maintains a clean bar area.
Supervisor: The Supervisor assists the Manager in day-to-day store operations. They train all new employees. They ensure cash handling compliance by doing such tasks as balancing the cash drawer at the end of the cashier’s shift.
HMSHost Application
To apply at HMSHost, you search online for job postings. Even the listing on job search websites, though, will link back to the career portal at the official website. The other sites are good for reviews and other information about the company before you apply.
Applicants need to apply online; there are no print applications. Before you apply, you need to register on the website. You can use your LinkedIn profile, or click “Register”. You then have the option to fill out an application profile with or without a resume.
Part of your profile is your default job search. You can choose more than one location, city, job type, and more. After you fill out the Build Resume portion of the profile during your first job posting application, the next ones will be faster and easier.
If you don’t yet have any work experience, look up how to create a “skills” resume. This tells the company all about why you would be a good fit for the position and the company. There are a lot of examples online, and resume services that can help.
After you’ve scheduled your interview, be prepared for some of the questions they may ask. Think of some challenges that you’ve faced, at other jobs or in school, that you were able to handle and overcome. Think about the company and what it is that makes you want to work there.
Facts About HMSHost
The culture at HMSHost promotes working as a team to create the best customer service possible. Working as a team is important, since the pace of most of the locations is very fast.
HMSHost has been recognized by the Airports Council International-North America (ACI-NA) with their Best New Local Concept in 2017. It was the Kapnos Taverna in Washington DC that won it for them. The P.F. Chang’s in the Tampa airport won Best New National Brand the same year.
The company is known for their many innovations. One of them is the “green initiative”, the Urban Garden inside of Chicago’s O’Hare Airport. It serves two functions; to supply fresh ingredients for their restaurants, and a nice place for customers to relax, and even order food there.
HMSHost works with local communities through their startsomewhere® initiative. They want to “lead by example” in the areas of nutrition, environment, and community alliances. The largest parts of it are the amount of materials that they recycle, and donating food to local food banks.