Catering / Assistant Restaurant Manager – Grand Gardner Hotel

Urschel Laboratories, Inc. • Valparaiso, IN

11d

About The Position

Urschel, a 100% employee-owned company, is seeking a polished, service-driven sales and events professional to join the opening leadership team of the new Grand Gardner Hotel as Catering/Assistant Restaurant Manager. The Grand Gardner Hotel is an Urschel Development property located in Downtown Valparaiso, IN. Urschel Development is a fully owned subsidiary of Urschel Laboratories located in Chesterton, Indiana.
Opening in the second quarter of 2026, this independent, boutique hotel is uniquely positioned on a residential tree-lined street adjacent to vibrant downtown Valparaiso. Thoughtfully designed to provide an authentic sense of place, the property will feature 58 luxurious rooms and suites, a speakeasy, banquet spaces, a boutique spa, and multiple gathering areas throughout the hotel.
The Catering/Assistant Restaurant Manager is responsible for coordinating the selling, pricing, and planning of all social events, including weddings, banquets, conferences, receptions, hotel packages, and special programming. This role oversees the full lifecycle of each event from initial inquiry and contracting to menu planning and final execution while collaborating closely with culinary, banquet operations, sales, and external vendors to deliver seamless and memorable experiences.
The ideal candidate is an outgoing, highly organized hospitality professional with a passion for creating exceptional experiences. A minimum of three years of experience in catering sales, event planning, or banquet management within a hotel or similar venue is preferred. The candidate should have strong communication and negotiation skills, proficiency with Microsoft Office and sales or CRM systems, and the ability to manage multiple events simultaneously with precision and creativity. Success in this role requires a proactive sales mindset, exceptional client-service abilities, and the physical capacity to support event operations – including standing for extended periods, moving event furniture, navigating stairs, and lifting up to 50 pounds. Experience in boutique or full-service hotels is beneficial.

Requirements

• outgoing
• highly organized hospitality professional
• passion for creating exceptional experiences
• minimum of three years of experience in catering sales, event planning, or banquet management within a hotel or similar venue is preferred
• strong communication and negotiation skills
• proficiency with Microsoft Office and sales or CRM systems
• ability to manage multiple events simultaneously with precision and creativity
• proactive sales mindset
• exceptional client-service abilities
• physical capacity to support event operations – including standing for extended periods, moving event furniture, navigating stairs, and lifting up to 50 pounds

Nice To Haves

• Experience in boutique or full-service hotels is beneficial

Responsibilities

• coordinating the selling, pricing, and planning of all social events, including weddings, banquets, conferences, receptions, hotel packages, and special programming
• overseeing the full lifecycle of each event from initial inquiry and contracting to menu planning and final execution
• collaborating closely with culinary, banquet operations, sales, and external vendors to deliver seamless and memorable experiences

What This Job Offers

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