Job Description — F&B Service Captain
Rockholm at the Lighthouse Beach, Kovalam | Nattika Ayurveda Retreats
About Nattika Ayurveda Retreats
Nattika Ayurveda Retreats is a family-owned group of authentic Ayurveda wellness destinations, built on a single conviction: that classical Kerala Ayurveda, delivered without compromise, can transform lives anywhere in the world. What began with our first beach resort in Kerala has grown into an international portfolio — The Nattika Beach Ayurveda Resort in Thrissur, Rockholm at the Lighthouse Beach in Kovalam, Retreat Park am See Nattika in Germany, and Half Moon Cay Nattika in Honduras (opening 2027) — alongside Nattika Life, our range of classical Ayurvedic oils and preparations. With a team of around 400 across properties, we host guests from across Europe and the world for immersive treatment programs of two to four weeks. Quality is our differentiator: authentic doctors and therapists, doctor-prescribed diets, and genuine hospitality. Our people stay with us for years because we invest in them — and because the work matters.
About Rockholm at the Lighthouse Beach
Perched above Kovalam's iconic Lighthouse Beach, Rockholm is our boutique Ayurveda retreat in Trivandrum, serving a predominantly European clientele on multi-week healing programs. Dining at Rockholm is not incidental to the guest experience — it is part of the treatment. Every meal is aligned to each guest's doctor-prescribed diet plan, making the F&B team a core pillar of the therapeutic outcome.
Position: F&B Service Captain
Department: Food & Beverage Service
Reports to: Restaurant Manager / F&B Manager (functionally to the General Manager)
Location: Rockholm at the Lighthouse Beach, Kovalam, Trivandrum, Kerala
Employment type: Full-time, on-roll
Role Summary
The F&B Service Captain leads the restaurant floor on shift, ensuring every guest receives warm, precise, and knowledgeable service throughout their stay. Because our guests dine with us three times a day for two to four weeks on doctor-prescribed Ayurvedic diets, this role demands far more than conventional restaurant service: the Captain must know each in-house guest by name, understand their diet chart, build genuine rapport over their stay, and act as the daily link between the kitchen, the Ayurveda doctors, and the service team. The Captain is the standard-bearer of Nattika service quality on the floor.
Key Responsibilities
Service leadership
- Open and close meal periods: supervise mise en place, buffet/table setup, station readiness, and post-service closing checklists
- Allocate stations, conduct daily pre-service briefings covering occupancy, arrivals/departures, guest diet plans and restrictions, repeat guests, and special occasions
- Lead by example on the floor — greet, seat, serve, and personally attend to guests during peak periods
- Ensure sequence of service, grooming, and courtesy standards are met on every shift
Guest diet coordination (core to this role)
- Maintain a current working knowledge of every in-house guest's doctor-prescribed diet chart (pathya) and restrictions
- Coordinate daily with the kitchen and the Ayurveda doctors' team so meals are served exactly as prescribed — zero tolerance for diet errors
- Confidently explain the Ayurvedic menu, ingredients, preparations, and the rationale behind dietary restrictions to guests, most of whom are new to Ayurveda
- Flag guest feedback on food, appetite, or wellbeing to the doctors' team where relevant
Guest relations
- Build personal rapport with long-stay guests; anticipate preferences and remember them across the stay
- Resolve guest requests and complaints on the spot with ownership; escalate to the F&B Manager or GM where needed
- Support special setups: candlelight dinners, birthday/anniversary arrangements, group farewell dinners, in-room/in-villa dining
Team development
- Train stewards on service sequence, Ayurvedic menu knowledge, hygiene, and guest interaction
- Conduct on-the-job coaching and give input to the F&B Manager on team performance, scheduling, and appraisals
- Foster the calm, unhurried, caring service culture our wellness guests expect — no rushed fine-dining formality, no casual sloppiness
Operations & compliance
- Ensure KOT discipline, billing accuracy, and correct posting of any chargeable items
- Maintain hygiene and FSSAI standards in all service areas; participate in audits
- Monitor and report breakage, par stocks of service equipment and linen, and requisition needs
- Complete shift handover logs and communicate open items to the next shift
Candidate Profile
Required
- Degree or diploma in Hotel Management or equivalent
- 5–6 years of F&B service experience with at least 3 year as Captain/Senior Steward or equivalent supervisory role
- Fluent spoken English — essential, given our predominantly European guest base
- Working knowledge of Malayalam and/or Hindi
- Strong floor presence: well-groomed, composed under pressure, genuinely warm with guests
- Willingness to work rotating shifts, weekends, and holidays
Preferred
- Experience in a resort, wellness, spa, or Ayurveda property
- Exposure to international/European guests and long-stay formats
- Basic German or Russian
- Familiarity with Ayurvedic cuisine or willingness to be trained in depth (training provided)
What We Offer
- Competitive salary commensurate with experience, plus EPF, ESI, and service charge share as applicable
- Duty meals; accommodation support as per company policy
- Structured training in Ayurvedic cuisine and wellness hospitality — a genuine specialization in a growing global niche
- Career progression across a growing international group (India, Germany, Central America)
- A stable, family-owned employer with long employee tenures
Pay: ₹20,000.00 - ₹30,000.00 per month
Benefits:
- Flexible schedule
- Food provided
- Leave encashment
- Provident Fund
Ability to commute/relocate:
- Kovalam, Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala: Reliably commute or planning to relocate before starting work (Preferred)
Education:
Experience:
- Hospitality: 6 years (Preferred)
Language:
Work Location: In person
