Beverage Director

City Winery Chicago • Chicago, IL

8h

About The Position

A rare opportunity to join the City Winery team as we reimagine the future of live music and hospitality. City Winery to deliver the highest end combined culinary and cultural experience to our customers who are passionate in sharing wine, music, and culinary arts. We are a unique facility, combining a fully functioning winery with intimate concerts, food & wine classes, private events in a variety of configurations, and fine dining. We have created a compelling mix for our sophisticated clientele of foodies, and active cultural patrons—bringing the wine country experience to the middle of a large city. Position Summary The National Beverage Director is a senior leadership role responsible for the strategic direction, execution, and performance of City Winery’s beverage programs across all national locations, including City Winery Core locations (Hudson Valley, Chicago, Boston, Atlanta, Nashville) and Pier 57 restaurants. This role oversees beverage service standards, inventory systems, ordering, vendor partnerships, winery relations, wine education in partnership with our team, and menu development. The National Beverage Director ensures best-in-class guest experience, operational excellence, financial performance, and brand consistency across all beverage programs spanning wine, spirits, beer, and non-alcoholic offerings. This leader partners closely with Operations, Culinary, Winery, Programming, and Finance to drive revenue, elevate service culture, and strengthen City Winery’s position as a premier food, wine, and entertainment destination.

Requirements

• 10+ years of progressive beverage leadership experience in high-volume, multi-unit hospitality
• Proven national or regional beverage leadership experience
• Advanced wine education (CMS, WSET, or equivalent strongly preferred)
• Deep expertise in inventory systems, forecasting, cost control, and financial management
• Proven experience leading beverage menu development across multiple concepts
• Strong vendor negotiation and portfolio management experience
• Exceptional leadership, training, and team development skills
• Passion for wine, hospitality, and guest experience
• Ability to travel nationally as required

Responsibilities

• Lead all beverage operations across City Winery’s national portfolio: City Winery Core, Hudson Valley (HV), Chicago (CV), Boston (RW), Rochester (ROC), Pier 57 Restaurants
• Set national beverage strategy aligned with brand, revenue goals, and guest experience standards
• Serve as the senior subject matter expert for all beverage programs
• Own all beverage service standards across locations including: Steps of Service (SOS), Beverage execution, Bar setup and organization, Service audits and quality control
• Develop, implement, and maintain SOPs for all beverage programs
• Conduct regular market and location audits to ensure brand consistency and service excellence
• Partner with Operations leadership on training, accountability, and performance management
• Lead all national beverage ordering and inventory systems
• Own Beverage Inventory in Full (BIF) execution across all locations
• Set pars, forecasting models, and revenue-aligned purchasing strategies
• Oversee invoice management, reconciliation, and vendor billing
• Drive cost controls, beverage margins, and inventory accuracy
• Partner with Finance on forecasting vs. actuals, variance analysis, and budgeting
• Lead all national beverage vendor partnerships
• Negotiate pricing, contracts, allocations, and national programs
• Manage City Winery relationships and portfolio strategy
• Collaborate on winery releases, featured programs, and reserve selections
• Curate and manage: Reserve CV List, Floater Somm Program
• Lead national wine education strategy across all locations
• Develop internal training programs for beverage teams, sommeliers, and service leadership
• Partner with Programming & Marketing on wine dinners, tastings, classes, and special events
• Act as a brand ambassador for City Winery wine and beverage culture
• Lead beverage menu development across: OFC, El Bar, Market, HV, CV, RW
• Partner with Culinary leadership on menu pairing strategy
• Develop seasonal, regional, and reserve beverage programs
• Ensure menu innovation while protecting brand DNA and operational scalability
• Build, mentor, and lead the national beverage leadership team
• Develop succession planning and career pathways for beverage leaders
• Establish a high-performance service culture rooted in hospitality, education, and accountability

Benefits

• Competitive pay
• Medical, Dental, Vision Insurance
• nDORFins program designed to promote a healthy and active lifestyle!
• 401K (and yes we match!)
• Flexible Savings Accounts, HSA and Dependent Care, Basic Life and AD&D Insurance
• Amazing discounts, 50% OFF all dining/retail wine
• Free Family Meal
• Tickets to available shows

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Senior
• Education Level: No Education Listed
• Number of Employees: 251-500 employees