Arabella's Manager

Huntington San Francisco • San Francisco, CA

8d

About The Position

Arabella’s is The Huntington Hotel’s jewel-box bar — a nightly salon and closed-door cocktail affair for just twenty-five guests, shaped as much by energy and chance encounters as by what’s in the glass. Curator of the Evening — Guest Relations — Cocktail Salonniere, Arabella's Manager is the living expression of that idea.

This is not a transactional or administrative leadership role. This role is center stage—the curator, connector, and main character of the room—bringing Arabella’s to life each evening with personality and panache. Every arrival is treated as a personal greeting into a chic cocktail party. Every seating shapes the chemistry of the night.

Inspired by the spirit and story of Arabella Huntington, Arabella's Manager embodies elegance, sophistication, and social fluency. Authority is felt, never announced. Timing is everything.

Arabella’s Manager is the creative, cultural, and operational owner of Arabella’s, The Huntington’s jewel-box cocktail salon. This role blends hosting as performance with bar leadership, people management, and financial accountability. The Manager owns the room, the bar program, and the team while protecting the intimacy and mystique that define Arabella’s.

Requirements

• 5+ years bar or hospitality management experience
• Advanced cocktail and spirits knowledge
• Proven leadership of small, elite teams
• High emotional intelligence and discretion
• Flexible schedule including nights, weekends, holidays

Responsibilities

• Personally welcome and farewell guests
• Shape nightly energy through arrivals, pacing, and seating
• Maintain Arabella’s invited-gathering atmosphere
• Serve as primary contact for VIPs, regulars, and ownership guests
• Maintain guest profiles, preferences, and visit history
• Manage access, waitlists, and expectations discreetly
• Serve as culture carrier for Arabella’s standards
• Lead cocktail curation and seasonal menu development
• Own spirit selection, rare allocations, and back-bar storytelling
• Partner with F&B leadership and vendors on sourcing and pricing
• Ensure compliance with Highgate beverage standards
• Train bartenders on technique, storytelling, and pacing
• Lead tastings, education, and ritual execution
• Collaborate with Executive Chef and Big 4 leadership on pairings
• Support Big 4 menu development and special events
• Contribute to hotel-wide activations and VIP programming
• Directly manage bartenders (scheduling, coaching, performance)
• Lead nightly pre-shifts
• Oversee opening/closing procedures and cash handling
• Maintain cleanliness, mise en place, and physical condition
• Partner on inventory control, pour cost, and waste reduction
• Act as Manager on Duty for Arabella’s during service
• Mentor emerging talent
• Drive revenue through pacing, premiumization, and retention
• Protect margins through disciplined purchasing and training
• Support budgeting, forecasting, and performance reviews

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Manager
• Education Level: No Education Listed