Director of Food and Beverage Systems

Lava Island•Denver, CO

36d•$110,000 - $120,000•Onsite

About The Position

At Lava Island, our cafés are high-energy, high-volume environments serving families in the middle of unforgettable days. While our menu is intentionally simple, executing it well, safely, and consistently across every park is anything but. The Director of Food & Beverage Operations exists to ensure our kitchens run fast, clean, compliant, and confident — no matter the park, the team, or the rush. This role is focused on systems and operations, not on menu development. This Director is equal parts systems architect, food safety leader, and hands-on coach. You won’t just set standards — you’ll show teams how to live them.

Requirements

5+ years of multi-location food & beverage operations leadership
Strong background in food safety, health inspections, and compliance
Current ServSafe Manager Certification or completion within 30 days of starting
Experience building SOPs, audits, and training programs
Comfortable working with young, developing teams
Willingness to travel 50-75% of the time to Lava Island parks
Willingness to be visible, present, and approachable in parks

Responsibilities

Design, implement, and continuously improve kitchen systems that increase: Speed of service Order accuracy Food quality and consistency
Standardize kitchen workflows, station setups, and equipment usage across all parks
Build processes that work in busy, family entertainment environments, not traditional restaurants
Ensure systems are simple enough to be executed by teenage and young adult team members — even on the busiest days
Serve as the corporate owner of food safety and health compliance across all Lava Island locations
Ensure adherence to: Local, state, and federal health regulations Food handling, storage, and sanitation laws in each market
Monitor regulatory changes across markets and proactively adjust standards
Partner with park leadership before, during, and after health inspections
Lead corrective action planning and follow-up when issues arise
Develop and conduct regular kitchen audits across all parks
Evaluate: Food safety practices Cleanliness and organization Speed and efficiency Compliance with Lava Island standards
Deliver clear, constructive audit feedback to park leadership
Use audits as a coaching and improvement tool, not just a scorecard
Identify trends and systemic issues, not just one-off mistakes
Actively step into kitchens during park visits to: Train café team members Coach park leadership Model best practices in real-time
Build practical training tools that support: New hire onboarding Leadership development Reinforcement after audits or compliance concerns
Partner with park leadership to strengthen kitchen leadership at the park level
Define what “great” looks like in a Lava Island café
Ensure food is consistently: Hot Fresh Accurate Guest-ready
Reduce guest complaints related to food quality, wait times, or consistency
Balance speed and safety without sacrificing either
Partner with approved vendors to ensure product consistency across markets
Define standards for equipment maintenance and cleaning
Help onsite leaders to troubleshoot equipment-related performance issues
Identify potential equipment additions or removals to improve cafe experience and quality
Serve as a trusted partner to: Onsite Management Teams Corporate Operations and Training teams
Support onsite at our kitchens across the nation
Help park leadership solve problems — not just point them out
Establish standards for portioning, waste reduction, and prep controls
Identify waste trends during audits
Coach park leaders on controlling costs without slowing service or hurting morale
Partner with Finance and Operations on café KPIs that actually matter
Analyze café performance and audit data to drive improvements
Build systems that scale cleanly as Lava Island opens new parks nationwide
Prepare kitchen standards, documentation, and training that grow with the company