Director of Food & Beverage

Crescent Careers•Denver, CO

About The Position

Populus Denver is seeking an accomplished, engaged, commercially driven Director of Food & Beverage to lead the hotel's food and beverage operations. This executive leadership role is accountable for financial performance, operational excellence, guest experience, culinary collaboration, and strategic development across the property's dining and beverage concepts. The Director will oversee Pasque, the rooftop dining and beverage experience at Stellar Jay, private dining, banquets, catering, and other food and beverage activations. The role is responsible for building a cohesive, high-performing division while preserving each venue's identity, positioning, and guest experience. This is a hands-on leadership position requiring strong financial acumen, an ongoing operational presence, exceptional people management, and a record of profitable revenue growth. The Director will set strategy, manage budgets and forecasts, oversee venue and event operations, develop talent, partner with culinary and hotel teams, and ensure compliance with applicable operational requirements. The role also focuses on strengthening local market presence, developing revenue-generating programs, and delivering elevated guest experiences.

Requirements

At least 7–10 years of progressive Food & Beverage management experience, including at least 3–5 years in a senior leadership or director-level role.
Proven experience managing multiple restaurant and beverage concepts, preferably in an upscale lifestyle, boutique, luxury, or full-service hotel environment.
Demonstrated responsibility for significant Food & Beverage revenue and departmental profitability.
Strong working knowledge of restaurant operations, beverage programs, banquets, catering, and event execution.
Proven ability to manage complex operating budgets, forecasts, financial statements, and labor productivity.
Experience developing managers, leading diverse teams, and establishing measurable performance standards.
Strong understanding of food safety, alcohol service regulations, and hospitality operating procedures.
Experience with hotel property management systems, point-of-sale platforms, labor management tools, and financial reporting systems.
Excellent communication, organizational, analytical, and problem-solving skills.
Ability to work a flexible schedule, including evenings, weekends, holidays, and major events.

Nice To Haves

Bachelor's degree in Hospitality Management, Business Administration, or a related field; equivalent relevant leadership experience is considered.
Ability to translate operating data into practical strategies that drive revenue, control expenses, and improve profitability.
Ability to establish expectations, develop leadership talent, make difficult decisions, and hold teams accountable for results.
Strong understanding of independent restaurant dynamics, beverage profitability, culinary trends, and competitive positioning.
Visible, engaged leadership that inspires authentic service, anticipates guest needs, and delivers exceptional experiences.
Entrepreneurial and strategic thinking, including the ability to develop revenue streams, adapt to changing business conditions, and maximize each venue's commercial potential.

Responsibilities

Provide executive oversight and strategic direction for all Food & Beverage operations, aligning them with hotel positioning, brand standards, ownership objectives, and the annual business plan.
Develop and execute a comprehensive Food & Beverage strategy that balances revenue, profitability, guest satisfaction, and market relevance.
Establish distinct operating and commercial strategies for each venue while maintaining consistent service standards, leadership accountability, and financial discipline.
Identify opportunities to increase local market penetration, non-hotel guest traffic, and the property's reputation as a dining and entertainment destination.
Collaborate with the General Manager, Director of Sales & Marketing, Revenue Management, and Executive Chef on business development initiatives.
Lead seasonal programming, culinary partnerships, special events, holiday activations, and other revenue-generating experiences.
Monitor the competitive restaurant, rooftop, bar, and hospitality landscape in Denver and participate in annual operating budget, business plan, and long-term positioning development.
Develop and manage annual operating budgets, monthly forecasts, and departmental business plans; own divisional revenue, expenses, labor productivity, and operating profit.
Monitor financial performance against budget, forecast, and prior-year results; establish cost controls and conduct profit-and-loss reviews with corrective action plans as needed.
Partner with the Executive Chef on menu engineering, food costs, purchasing, waste reduction, and production efficiency; develop beverage pricing, product mix, inventory, and purchasing strategies.
Align labor scheduling with forecasted business volumes, productivity standards, and service requirements, and monitor financial indicators such as average check, covers, revenue per available seat, outlet contribution, and banquet profitability.
Ensure compliance with purchasing procedures, invoice approvals, inventory controls, and financial reporting requirements; work with Finance on vendor relationships, accounts payable priorities, and purchasing decisions.
Provide visible, hands-on leadership across all venues while maintaining operational consistency and protecting each concept's character.
Oversee Pasque's dining operations, service execution, guest engagement, table management, dining-room efficiency, menu collaboration, local patronage, staffing models, and service standards.
Position and oversee Stellar Jay's rooftop dining and beverage experience, including beverage programming, service, reservations, guest flow, seasonal operations, pricing, event programming, space utilization, weather-related planning, and guest comfort.
Oversee private dining, in-room dining, event spaces, and other assigned food and beverage services, establishing revenue goals, expense controls, staffing expectations, and service standards.
Oversee the operational execution and profitability of banquet, catering, private dining, and special-event business in collaboration with Sales and Catering.
Ensure accurate event planning, staffing, setup, service delivery, and post-event reconciliation; review banquet event orders, event profitability, labor allocation, and operating requirements.
Develop event concepts and programming, improve beverage attachment and event check averages, and establish clear coordination among Sales, Culinary, Banquets, and Operations.
Establish elevated service standards and maintain an operational presence during peak periods, major events, weekends, and holidays.
Lead service training in hospitality, product knowledge, personalization, anticipation of guest needs, and service recovery.
Review guest feedback and online reviews, engage with guests, resolve escalated concerns, and implement measurable service improvements with clear ownership and deadlines.
Ensure consistent venue presentation, cleanliness, ambiance, music, lighting, and readiness; partner with hotel leadership to create seamless experiences across departments.
Lead, mentor, and develop managers, supervisors, and service teams; set clear responsibilities, performance expectations, and accountability.
Conduct leadership meetings, operational reviews, and performance discussions; recruit and retain qualified professionals, develop internal succession opportunities, and establish onboarding, training, and certification programs.
Promote professionalism, teamwork, ownership, and consistent execution; address performance deficiencies through coaching, development plans, and appropriate corrective action.
Ensure staffing and labor deployment support financial objectives and service expectations, foster productive cross-functional relationships, and maintain compliance with employment regulations, applicable collective bargaining agreements, and company policies.
Develop independent, accountable managers capable of sustaining daily operations without constant executive intervention.
Collaborate with the Executive Chef and culinary leadership on menu planning, seasonal concepts, tastings, pricing, promotions, menu contribution margins, responsible sourcing, waste reduction, and communication between kitchen and service teams.
Partner with Sales and Marketing on targeted campaigns, seasonal promotions, holiday programs, culinary experiences, beverage activations, and the venues' digital presence and market visibility.
Build relationships with local businesses, community partners, event organizers, and hospitality professionals; evaluate promotional effectiveness and pursue strategic partnerships that generate profitable business.
Ensure compliance with food safety, sanitation, liquor licensing, health, and workplace safety requirements.
Maintain inventory controls, receiving and storage practices, loss-prevention measures, operating supplies and equipment par levels, and proper opening, closing, cash-handling, and point-of-sale controls.
Inspect restaurants, bars, kitchens, storage areas, and event spaces; partner with Engineering on preventive maintenance and repairs.
Participate in capital expenditure planning and prioritize investments based on operational need, guest impact, and financial return.