What Is a Maitre D’? Interview with Brittany Copeland
What is a Maître D’? While most people have at least heard this funny French-sounding title, few are actually clear on what the job..
WHAT IS A MAITRE D’? INTERVIEW WITH BRITTANY COPELAND
What is a Maître D’? While most people have at least heard this funny French-sounding title, few are actually clear on what the job entails.
Maître D’ is short for for the French title Maître D’hôtel, which translates as “master of the house”. In a restaurant setting, the ultimate duty of the Maître D’ is to ensure the comfort and satisfaction of the establishment’s guests. However, to do this, the Maître D’ must wear many hats: he or she works closely with the front and the back of the house staff as well as dealing directly with customers. Here, in a revealing interview with Lionfish Modern Coastal Cuisine’s resident Maître D’, Brittany Copeland, you’ll learn a lot more about this fascinating profession!
While anyone can look up the technical definition of a Maitre D’, can you explain what the job entails in your own words?
Brittany Copeland: I truly believe this job demands becoming a master of making people feel at home. Providing a place, a meal, a person or even a conversation where people feel safe and truly at home is what I strive for on a daily basis in my job and throughout my day.
How did you get into this line of work?
BC: I was actually born into it–in the parking lot of my family owned restaurant, Nepenthe in Big Sur, CA! My family lived in a small, window-filled apartment above the restaurant, where my father was a supervisor and my mother was a server. As a toddler, it wasn’t unusual to see me in diaper playing server. The restaurant was my playground, my comfort zone, my oasis.
Once I was actually old enough to retain a work permit I worked as a Hostess at Nepenthe every summer and on the weekends until I went to college. Growing up in Big Sur, CA may seem like a dream come true but by the time I was 17 it seemed very far away from everything else. The moment I had the chance to leave I took it; I actually was the first one to get into college in my senior class accepting a scholarship to FIDM for fashion design.
I lived in LA for a year and a half as a naive small-town dimwit, and experimented with many professions. I did the retail thing, I was a personal assistant, I even worked at Abercrombie and Fitch at The Grove mall. School-wise, it didn’t take long for me to realize I was not as passionate as the future Tommy Hilfiger sitting next to me in my fashion sketching class. Although I was good at sewing, I wasn’t as driven or inspired by the competitiveness of it all. I was lost and lonely. I missed the restaurant world and the sense of family that came along with it. would host dinner parties with my roommates and try to make extravagant feasts out of the little money my we had. I realized that the hospitality “common sense’ was not as common as I thought. In fact, it was more of a gift I could not ignore and needed to share So;I hit the ground running.
I went by way of Santa Barbara City College to San Francisco State University to obtain my degree in Hospitality Management: Hotel & Tourism. San Francisco is a magical city. If you have never been I advise you to go immediately. The inspiration and tastefulness of this city was exactly what I needed to move forward. I gained even more knowledge than I could have hoped for working under incredible chefs like Elizabeth Faulkner at Citizen Cake and learning about the nightlife industry, and the importance of hospitality in Japanese culture while being a Host supervisor at Tsunami in the NOPA for the Dajani Group.
Living in San Francisco, I was exposed to one of the most incredible eating cultures. Everyone there is either trying to be the next Alice Waters, Thomas Keller, or Anthony Bourdain. While I knew I belonged in this city, I also knew that there were other cities that were just starting to figure it out and I needed to be part of this movement. Having heard that
San Diego was on the brink of this movement, I decided to go south.
While I am thankful for my education, I think it’s really my experience that has brought me where I am now. From my childhood at a restaurant in Big Sur to my current life in San Diego, providing a place where people feel at home as been my divine purpose; I am proud to also call it my profession.
Being a Maitre d’ is not just about seating and greeting; it is so much more than that. It’s organizing one’s life so they don’t stress anymore; it’s providing an experience; it’s having the ability to take someone somewhere they have never been before. I am just so lucky I have figured out how to get paid to do so.
(Source: Lionfish Modern Coastal Cuisine Facebook page)
You’ve been working with the Chef of Lionfish for quite some time. How has this relationship affected your service as Maitre D’?
Yes, Ohhh that guy (smiling). My relationship with Chef Jojo is a special one personally, but it is also one of the key ingredients to the success of the entire restaurant. With Lionfish being the first “closed kitchen” we have worked in together, I do not have the ability to communicate with him by even a look of reassurance. I simply rely on the complete confidence and support he has given me throughout the years which makes me never have to question my own ability to control the flow of the restaurant. I know he has my back, which is huge.
As Maitre D’, you have eyes on the front and the back of the house and must have “seen it all”. Do you have any funny stories you’ve experienced that you can share?
That’s the truth! I could go all day. There was the time the lobster guy decided to bring his 6 year old son to work one day and we later found him swimming in the lobster tank because he’d fallen in mid-service. Then, there was the time I walked in on someone going to the bathroom totally naked. For some real drama, I was once working at a restaurant on New Year’s Eve when there was an actual shooting! With screaming women and children, it was
Like what I imagine hosting on the titanic would be like. The guests ended up writing my boss thanking them for how I handled it. It’s interesting to observe that while at the time, none of these things seemed funny, but they do now. I am extremely thankful to have the ability to take a moment to laugh at them.
What characteristics do you think are vital to being a great Maitre D’?
Attention to detail, being 20 steps ahead, humility (because to have humility is to be human; no one likes a robot), trusting your own intuition, constant communication, and actually caring.
What is the most interesting part of being Maitre D’ at Lionfish?
Although we are part of the Hotel Pendry, Lionfish is one of the only venues which can only be entered from the street level, which gives it a stand-alone feel. Given our location right in the middle of the Gaslamp District, it makes us a distinct part of the community, which makes my job interesting and fun!
(Source: Lionfish Modern Coastal Cuisine Facebook page)
What are some of your personal favorite menu items at Lionfish?
This might change at any given moment, but right now, the Seared Diver Scallops (served with apple, endive, parsnip puree, and apple salsa verde). The balance and composition of savory and sweet in this dish is inimitable; my mouth is watering just thinking about it! And of course, our Peanut Caramel Tart (made with smoked sea salt meringue, peanut brittle, kettle corn, and vanilla bean ice cream). I have a huge sweet tooth!
How do you stay calm during a busy shift?
By always smiling, and reminding myself that every incident is situational and it’s all about what you make of the current situation. And candy.
What are you up to on your days off?
Days off? Pshaw, Maitre D’s don’t have days off. Joking aside, one of my biggest passions is decoration. My boyfriend Anthony tells me I have my own version of OCD, being an “Obsessive Compulsive Decorator”; when I am not at work I am redoing or redecorating every room or even piece of furniture in my home. I also try to do yoga every other morning. We love going out to eat as much as possible, since San Diego is continuously opening up killer new eateries. I also try to spend as much time as possible with our 4 year old Maltese-poodle mix, Henry.
(Source: Lionfish Modern Coastal Cuisine Facebook page)
What events, menu items, or developments at Lionfish have you most excited at the moment?
Every day is exciting here; I feel fortunate to be part of a team that wants to provide an awesome and genuine experience for our guests. That is exciting and not something you see often; the passion for hospitality that exudes out of this place leaves limitless possibilities. I can’t wait to see what Lionfish is going to bring to 2018!
Now that you’ve got a better idea of what it means to be a Maître D’, come see Brittany’s stellar service for yourself! At Lionfish Modern Coastal Cuisine, we are committed to delivering the best experience possible for you and your dining companions.
What do you think is the most interesting thing about a Maître D’?