Director of Food and Beverage
La Bahia Resort and Spa•Santa Cruz, CA
•Onsite
About The Position
La Bahia Hotel & Spa, a luxury beachfront property in the heart of Santa Cruz, is seeking an experienced and dynamic Director of Food & Beverage to lead all F&B operations across the resort. This role oversees multiple outlets — including in-room dining, banquets, bars, and signature restaurant venues — and is responsible for delivering exceptional guest experiences, driving revenue, and building a high-performing, service-oriented team.
Requirements
- 5+ years of progressive Food & Beverage leadership experience, ideally within a luxury or upscale resort/hotel environment
- Prior experience operating at an Executive Committee or senior leadership level strongly preferred
- Proven track record 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 (tip pooling, service charges, meal/rest break compliance)
- Experience with scheduling and payroll systems (Paylocity experience a plus)
- Exceptional leadership, coaching, and team-building skills
- Excellent communication skills; bilingual English/Spanish strongly preferred
- Ability to work a flexible schedule including evenings, weekends, and holidays as business demands require
- Bachelor's degree in Hospitality Management or related field preferred; equivalent experience considered
Nice To Haves
- Paylocity experience a plus
- bilingual English/Spanish strongly preferred
Responsibilities
- Lead, mentor, and develop F&B leadership across all outlets, including restaurants, lobby bar, pool operation, banquets, The Guesthouse, and in-room dining teams
- Oversee daily operations to 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 full compliance with health, safety, and California labor regulations, including tip pooling, service charge distribution, and wage and hour requirements
- Drive scheduling accuracy and payroll integrity in partnership with HR, ensuring timely 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 in coordination with Sales & Catering
- Build and maintain a strong recruitment and training pipeline to support seasonal staffing needs
- Foster a culture of accountability, professionalism, and guest-first service across all F&B teams
- Monitor guest feedback and satisfaction scores, implementing service recovery and continuous improvement initiatives
- Serve as an active member of the Executive Committee, contributing to property-wide strategic planning, budgeting, and business decisions
- Represent F&B priorities and performance in leadership meetings, ownership updates, and property-wide forecasting discussions
- Partner with fellow department heads (Front Office, Housekeeping, Engineering, Spa, Sales & Catering, HR) to align on cross-departmental initiatives, guest experience standards, and operational priorities
- Contribute to the development and execution of the hotel's overall business plan, capital projects, and annual budget
- Uphold and champion company culture, values, and brand standards at a leadership level
- Participate in manager-on-duty rotation and property-wide crisis/emergency response planning as needed
Benefits
- This role offers a dynamic work environment where your contributions directly impact the guest experience.
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What This Job Offers
Job Type
Full-time
Career Level
Manager
