Director of Food and Beverage
About The Position
La Bahia Hotel & Spa is seeking an experienced Director of Food & Beverage to lead food and beverage operations across its luxury beachfront resort in Santa Cruz. The role oversees multiple outlets, including the signature restaurant venues, lobby bar, pool operation, banquets, The Guesthouse, and in-room dining. The director is responsible for exceptional guest experiences, revenue performance, and building a high-performing, service-oriented team. The director leads F&B operations and leadership, manages budgets, labor forecasts, and profit-and-loss performance, and partners with Culinary leadership on menus, food costs, and quality. The role works with HR and other department heads on compliant scheduling and payroll, staffing, training, guest experience, and resort priorities. As an Executive Committee member, the director contributes to strategic planning, property budgeting, forecasting, business decisions, and capital projects. The position participates in manager-on-duty rotation and crisis or emergency response planning as needed. The stated annual salary range is $135,000–$150,000.
Requirements
- At least 5 years of progressive Food & Beverage leadership experience.
- Proven experience managing multi-outlet F&B operations, including budgeting, forecasting, and P&L accountability.
- Strong knowledge of California labor law as it applies to F&B operations, including tip pooling, service charges, and meal/rest break compliance.
- Exceptional leadership, coaching, and team-building skills.
- Excellent communication skills.
- Ability to work a flexible schedule, including evenings, weekends, and holidays, as business demands require.
- Bachelor's degree in Hospitality Management or a related field, or equivalent experience.
Nice To Haves
- Experience in a luxury or upscale resort or hotel environment.
- Prior experience at an Executive Committee or senior leadership level.
- Paylocity experience.
- Bilingual English/Spanish skills.
Responsibilities
- Lead, mentor, and develop F&B leadership across restaurants, lobby bar, pool operation, banquets, The Guesthouse, and in-room dining.
- Oversee daily operations and ensure consistent, high-quality guest service aligned with luxury brand standards.
- Develop and manage departmental budgets, labor forecasts, and P&L performance for all F&B outlets.
- Partner with Culinary leadership on menu development, food cost management, and quality control.
- Ensure compliance with health, safety, and California labor regulations, including tip pooling, service charge distribution, and wage-and-hour requirements.
- Partner with HR to ensure accurate scheduling and payroll and compliant use of scheduling and timekeeping systems.
- Manage vendor relationships, purchasing, and inventory controls to optimize cost efficiency.
- Plan and execute banquet, catering, and special-event service with Sales & Catering.
- Build and maintain recruitment and training pipelines to support seasonal staffing needs.
- Foster accountability, professionalism, and guest-first service across F&B teams.
- Monitor guest feedback and satisfaction scores and implement service recovery and continuous improvement initiatives.
- Participate in Executive Committee strategic planning, budgeting, and business decisions.
- Represent F&B priorities and performance in leadership meetings, ownership updates, and property-wide forecasting discussions.
- Partner with department heads to coordinate cross-departmental initiatives, guest experience standards, and operational priorities.
- Contribute to the hotel's business plan, capital projects, and annual budget.
- Uphold and champion company culture, values, and brand standards.
- Participate in manager-on-duty rotation and property-wide crisis and emergency response planning as needed.
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What This Job Offers
Job Type
Full-time
Career Level
Director
