How to Train a Host in Canada

In Canada’s fast-evolving hospitality industry, well-trained front-of-house staff are essential for delivering excellent guest experiences, reducing turnover, and boosting your bottom line.

In this guide, we’ll walk you through how to train restaurant hosts and hostesses, with tools and resources tailored to the Canadian market.

Why Host Training Matters

The host or hostess is often the first and last person a guest interacts with, which means they play a major role in shaping the guest experience.

And yet, according to the Toast Consumer Preferences Survey 2025, in which 200 Canadian hospitality workers were polled about restaurant HR, staffing and training in hospitality, 32.5% of Canadians believe conflict resolution is the most overlooked skill in host training. That’s a missed opportunity in an industry where people skills can make or break a visit.

With clear training and onboarding, restaurant owners can reduce stress, improve staff retention, and help employees grow into long-term team members.

What Canadian Diners Expect

In Canada, guests are more selective than ever. Only 30% of diners say they were satisfied with their most recent restaurant experience, according to the Voice of the Canadian Restaurant Industry.

To meet these rising expectations, operators must empower their front-of-house teams with training that combines service etiquette, tech fluency, and emotional intelligence.

Host Skills That Matter Most

According to the Toast Consumer Preferences Survey 2025, Canadians rank food safety, customer service, and team communication as the most important training areas. Meanwhile, 76.5% prefer in-person training, and on-the-job mentorship tops the list of preferred learning styles.

Must-have skills for Canadian hosts:

• Greeting guests and managing queues

• Conflict resolution and complaint handling

• Reservation and waitlist software usage

• Clear communication and problem-solving

• Knowledge of house policies and promotions

Training Formats for Canadian Restaurants

Most restaurants opt for on-the-job training, and that works well — but combining it with digital tools and manuals can significantly boost learning.

Top onboarding formats (ranked by helpfulness):

1. Formal orientation

2. Job shadowing

3. Peer mentoring

You can also supplement your internal process with training providers like:

• SC Training: Offers free hospitality microlearning

• The Waiter’s Academy: For fine dining skills

• Smart Serve Ontario: Required alcohol service certification

What the Data Says About Staff Expectations

Training isn’t just good for guests. According to our Consumer Preferences Survey 2025, it keeps your employees happy too.

• 57.5% of Canadian hospitality workers say ongoing training is extremely important

• 60.5% want structured employment agreements

• 34.5% say training and development directly impact loyalty

And if you skip onboarding? 31.5% of employees say they’ve left a job due to poor training.

Best Practices for Onboarding Hosts in Canada

Here’s how to create a positive, productive training process from Day One:

1. Meet face-to-face: Even if hiring virtually, make time for in-person onboarding to clearly set expectations.

2. Shadowing and mentorship: Pair new hires with experienced hosts for the first week.

3. Role play scenarios: Practice handling waitlist disputes, reservation mix-ups, or late arrivals.

4. Use tech wisely: Get your host comfortable with your reservation system, POS, and communication tools. Toast’s all-in-one POS system makes training easier.

5. Offer feedback early and often: Build a culture of feedback from day one — and highlight strengths as well as areas for improvement.

Build a Better Team

Whether you’re hiring your first host or training a team of five, a structured, Canadian-specific approach pays off.

And it’s what your team wants: 75% of respondents said clear communication during onboarding is extremely important, and 40.5% would prefer to work at restaurants with structured training and growth plans.

Final Thoughts

Training your hosts isn’t just about service — it’s about strategy. A confident, capable host sets the tone for the meal and drives operational flow from the door to the kitchen.

With Canadian diners expecting more and your team seeking structure, now is the perfect time to invest in smarter training that puts people first — both guests and staff.

Additional Resources

• Restaurants Canada: Labour Law Updates

• Bartender Training Program

• Barista Training Program