Chef Sommelier; Madison

About GHM's 550 Madison Project

Opening in 2026, Gracious Hospitality Management’s 550 Madison project is a multi-level, 15,000-square-foot dining destination inside the Sony building. The project will bring together three concepts — COTE Korean Steakhouse, Chimera, and Sushi Yoshitake — designed by Rockwell Group with Yoshio Itai collaborating on the sushi concept. 550 Madison aims to redefine immersive, transportive dining in Midtown Manhattan.

The Chef Sommelier is a dynamic hospitality professional responsible for assisting the Beverage and Management teams on all aspects of the wine program within 550 Madison: providing input into the restaurant’s wine list, managing wine and beverage sales, delivering graceful service, cultivating customer relationships, and coaching the sommelier team. The role requires expert understanding of regional wine laws, appellations, grape varieties, harvest times, elevation, climate, soil, and fermentation processes.

• Acts as a dining room captain while in service and assists other departments to ensure excellence.
• With the Wine Director, serves as point person for questions on wine service protocols and SOPs; provides feedback to the Wine Director on areas for improvement.
• Upholds steps of wine service and principles of customer interaction for the sommelier, bar, and server teams by providing coaching and direct feedback as appropriate.
• Develops, implements, and drives wine programs and promotions to build repeat customer business and grow word of mouth.
• Works with the Wine Director and management teams to set sales and revenue targets and helps drive topline sales with sommelier and line-level teams.
• Shares wine knowledge and encourages Front of House teams to develop their wine knowledge through regular training; assists the Wine Director in biannual wine service classes and contributes to COTE College sessions.
• Actively builds long-standing relationships with customers; acts as a cornerstone for Wine Lovers and Wine PXs.
• Ensures all wines are stored, presented, and served to the required standards.
• Recommends wines to customers based on price, personal taste, and food selection.
• Oversees the serving and storage of wine and maintains full knowledge of wine and food menu items to enhance business and customer experience.
• Accurately takes and enters orders and communicates flow with servers, management, and chefs; effectively uses POS and other restaurant technology.
• Grills steak cuts to specification with elegance and finesse.
• Addresses and resolves customer issues with a positive attitude and notifies management of resolutions.
• Adheres to high standards of cleanliness and maintenance; maintains all service tools for wine service.
• Reports to scheduled shifts on time, in uniform, and ready to work; assists other stations or areas as requested; trains new employees as assigned.
• Performs administrative duties as part of wine program operations and leads department in preparation, execution, and breakdown.
• Regularly reports to management on department performance including feedback and issues related to facilities, personnel, or product and hospitality.

• Under the direction of the Wine Director, acts as point person on administrative tasks for the sommelier team; assigns tasks and ensures completion.
• In coordination with the Wine Director, manages beverage programming for special events; confirms selections with customers and ensures timely ordering and setup.
• Oversees and delegates creation and upkeep of wine educational materials; oversees ordering of BTG, omakase pairing, and event wines with the Wine Director.
• Assists in creating, maintaining, and developing the wine program; assists with invoicing and financial accountability and analysis.
• Oversees inspection of incoming orders and invoices for accuracy; stocks and organizes wine inventory; updates the wine list and audits for accuracy.

• Display knowledge of GHM brands, culture, and product.
• Demonstrate the Company’s core values of people, learning, culture, relationships, sustainability and stewardship.
• Maintain professional and respectful behavior…