Director of Food & Beverage
About The Position
The Director of Food & Beverage provides overall leadership, strategic direction, and operational oversight for all food and beverage outlets and services at Chaminade Resort & Spa in Santa Cruz, California. Areas of responsibility include restaurant, bar, banquet, catering, and special event operations. The Director is accountable for guest experience, revenue and profitability, food quality, service standards, regulatory compliance, and a positive, collaborative team culture. As a member of the resort leadership team, the Director works closely with Culinary, Sales, Conference Services, Rooms, and other departments to coordinate operations and deliver successful dining, meeting, wedding, social event, and group experiences. The role includes managing budgets and forecasts, controlling costs, developing revenue opportunities, monitoring guest feedback, hiring and developing associates, and setting operational priorities and standards. This position reports to the General Manager. The work week is 40–50 hours, with flexible scheduling that includes evenings, weekends, holidays, and special events as business needs require. The role involves extended periods of standing and walking, movement throughout restaurant, kitchen, banquet, and outdoor event spaces, and occasional lifting or moving of items up to 25 pounds.
Requirements
- At least 5 years of progressive Food & Beverage leadership experience in a full-service hotel, resort, or comparable hospitality environment.
- Previous experience overseeing multiple food and beverage outlets and/or restaurant and banquet operations.
- Demonstrated success managing departmental budgets, P&L statements, labor costs, food costs, and beverage costs.
- Ability to lead, develop, and motivate large, diverse teams.
- Strong understanding of restaurant operations, banquet execution, catering, and culinary coordination.
- Experience developing service standards and implementing operational improvements.
- Strong financial acumen, organizational skills, and business judgment.
- Excellent communication, interpersonal, and problem-solving skills.
- Ability to work flexible schedules, including evenings, weekends, and holidays, based on business needs.
- Ability to stand and walk for extended periods and navigate restaurant, kitchen, banquet, and outdoor event spaces.
- Ability to occasionally lift or move items weighing up to 25 pounds.
- Ability to work in a fast-paced hospitality environment and respond to changing operational demands.
Nice To Haves
- Bachelor's degree in Hospitality Management, Business Administration, or a related field; equivalent experience is also accepted.
Responsibilities
- Oversee daily restaurant, bar, banquet, catering, and special event operations.
- Ensure consistent execution of service standards, quality expectations, operating procedures, and applicable health, safety, sanitation, alcohol service, and regulatory requirements.
- Maintain an active presence in operations and engage with guests and associates.
- Evaluate operational processes and implement improvements to efficiency, productivity, and guest satisfaction.
- Collaborate with Culinary to maintain menu quality, presentation, consistency, and appropriate pricing.
- Develop and manage annual operating budgets, forecasts, and financial goals.
- Monitor revenue, labor costs, food and beverage costs, and departmental expenses against budget expectations.
- Identify opportunities to increase revenue, improve profitability, and maximize outlet performance.
- Review financial reports, P&L statements, labor productivity, and cost controls.
- Establish inventory management, purchasing, portion control, and waste-reduction practices.
- Develop strategies to increase restaurant covers, banquet revenue, average checks, and overall food and beverage capture.
- Champion exceptional guest service and dining and event experiences.
- Monitor guest feedback, online reviews, and satisfaction scores, and implement action plans.
- Build relationships with repeat guests, VIPs, meeting planners, and key clients; resolve guest concerns promptly and professionally.
- Partner with Sales and Conference Services to deliver successful meetings, weddings, social events, and group functions.
- Ensure restaurant and banquet experiences reflect the resort's brand, atmosphere, and service expectations.
- Recruit, hire, train, develop, and retain a high-performing Food & Beverage team.
- Provide direction, coaching, performance feedback, and accountability to department leaders and associates.
- Develop leadership within Restaurant, Banquets, and Culinary teams.
- Establish staffing plans and schedules aligned with business levels, forecasts, and operational needs.
- Promote teamwork, communication, recognition, and associate engagement; lead regular department meetings and communicate priorities, goals, and expectations.
- Identify cross-training, succession-planning, and professional-development opportunities.
- Foster a culture in which associates feel valued, supported, and empowered.
- Develop and implement food and beverage concepts, promotions, menus, and revenue-generating initiatives.
- Partner with the General Manager and resort leadership on business strategies and long-term departmental goals.
- Collaborate with Sales and Marketing to promote restaurant offerings, seasonal programming, and special events.
- Maintain communication and partnerships across resort departments and stay current on hospitality trends and industry best practices.
Benefits
- 401(k) with company match
- Recognition programs
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What This Job Offers
Job Type
Full-time
Career Level
Director
