Director, Food & Beverage Operations

Harris Blitzer Sports & Entertainment•Newark, NJ

13d•Onsite

About The Position

The Prudential Center is seeking a dynamic and strategic Director, Food & Beverage Operations, to oversee the arena’s food and beverage operations across all events, including New Jersey Devils games, concerts, and other major entertainment events. This individual will serve as the primary liaison with the arena’s food and beverage operating partner, leading cross-functional collaboration to deliver a world-class guest experience while driving revenue growth. The ideal candidate will be a leader with a proven ability to develop and execute operational strategies that align with organizational goals. This role plays a critical part in fostering a culture of excellence, innovation, and collaboration across all food and beverage operations while supporting the broader business objectives of Prudential Center and Harris Blitzer Sports & Entertainment.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree or related years of experience, with 5-7 years’ proven experience in food and beverage operations, preferably within sports, entertainment, or hospitality venues.
Demonstrated success driving revenue growth and guest experience innovation in complex hospitality environments.
Experience working with third-party food service operators and managing large-scale venue partnerships.
Strong financial and analytical capabilities, including budget development and performance reporting.
Exceptional leadership, communication, and cross-functional collaboration skills.
Passion for hospitality, culinary innovation, and creating memorable guest experiences.
Motivated self-starter with a positive “team-first” attitude

Responsibilities

Serve as the primary operational liaison between Prudential Center and the arena’s food and beverage operating partner.
Develop and lead the long-term food and beverage vision for Prudential Center, ensuring alignment with the venue’s brand, fan experience goals, and business objectives.
Partner with marketing to develop storytelling around culinary offerings and elevate the arena’s food brand through digital, social, and in-venue promotion.
Collaborate with the corporate partnership team to maximize sponsorship and activation opportunities.
Provide strategic input into venue renovations, premium space development, and new hospitality concepts.
Drive food and beverage growth through pricing strategy, product mix optimization, and experiential offerings.
Identify new monetization opportunities across concessions, premium hospitality, clubs, suites, and special events.
Partner with the corporate partnerships team to integrate brand activations, sponsored food concepts, and experiential marketing opportunities.
Establish and monitor key performance metrics including per-caps, transaction time, average basket size, premium spend, and fan satisfaction metrics.
Ensure cooperative workplace environment by working side-by-side with the arena concessionaire; reinforce DAE initiatives, values and best practices; provide on-going constructive feedback.
Streamline communication between departments regarding F&B programming and execution.
Ensure alignment of concepts, pricing, and menu offerings with revenue and fan experience goals.
Benchmark Prudential Center against leading sports and entertainment venues to maintain a best-in-class food and beverage program.
Conduct comprehensive walk-throughs for every event with written documentation with areas that need to be corrected (maintenance / clean-up / branding) and follow up to make sure the work is complete.
Serve as the point person for special projects, strategic initiatives, and new partnerships.
Support premium departments to ensure elevated service and menu standards in premium spaces.
Research and implement industry best practices, including emerging technologies.
Develop culinary programs that highlight Newark and New Jersey’s diverse food culture.
Identify consumer trends and introduce new concepts to elevate offerings.