Director of Food & Beverage

Position Overview

The Director of Food & Beverage is responsible for overseeing all food and beverage operations, ensuring exceptional guest experiences, strong financial performance, and consistent execution of service and quality standards. This individual provides strategic leadership across restaurant, bar, catering, banquet, and other dining operations while developing high-performing teams and driving revenue growth. The role requires a hands-on leader with strong business acumen, operational expertise, and a passion for hospitality.

Key Responsibilities

• Operational Leadership: Oversee daily food and beverage operations across all outlets, ensuring consistent service standards, product quality, operational efficiency, and guest satisfaction.
• Financial Performance: Manage departmental budgets, P&L statements, labor costs, food and beverage costs, and operating expenses to maximize profitability and achieve financial objectives.
• Revenue Growth: Develop and execute strategies to increase sales, improve average guest spend, drive repeat business, and identify new revenue opportunities.
• Team Development: Recruit, train, mentor, and lead food and beverage managers, chefs, supervisors, and hourly employees. Establish performance expectations and support leadership development and succession planning.
• Guest Experience: Monitor guest feedback, resolve escalated complaints, and implement service improvements that strengthen customer satisfaction, loyalty, and brand reputation.
• Menu and Beverage Strategy: Collaborate with culinary and operations teams on menu development, pricing, promotions, beverage programs, seasonal offerings, and product innovation.
• Cost and Inventory Control: Oversee purchasing, inventory management, vendor negotiations, waste reduction, portion control, and cost-of-goods management.
• Labor Management: Develop staffing models, schedules, and productivity initiatives that align labor deployment with business volume while maintaining service standards.
• Standards and Compliance: Ensure compliance with health department regulations, food safety requirements, alcohol service laws, sanitation standards, and company policies.
• Process Improvement: Establish and maintain standard operating procedures, service guidelines, reporting processes, and operational systems that improve consistency and efficiency.
• Cross-Functional Collaboration: Partner with executive leadership, culinary, finance, sales, marketing, and facilities teams to align food and beverage operations with broader business goals.
• Performance Management: Analyze sales trends, guest satisfaction metrics, labor productivity, food and beverage costs, and other KPIs to identify opportunities for improvement.
• Events and Catering: Oversee catering, banquets, private dining, and special events where applicable, ensuring effective execution and profitable business performance.
• Strategic Planning: Develop annual operating plans, departmental initiatives, capital expenditure recommendations, and long-term growth strategies.

Qualifications

• 5+ years of progressive food and beverage leadership experience, with experience overseeing multiple outlets, departments, or a high-volume operation preferred.
• Demonstrated success managing budgets, P&L performance, labor costs, inventory, and departmental profitability.
• Experience leading, developing, and retaining management teams and frontline employees.
• Strong knowledge of restaurant operations, beverage programs, food safety, hospitality standards, and service execution.
• Proven ability to improve revenue, control expenses, and implement operational improvements.
• Excellent leadership, communication, problem-solving, and organizational skills.
• Proficiency with POS systems, inventory management platforms, labor scheduling tools, and financial reporting systems.
• Ability to work flexible hours, including evenings, weekends, and holidays, as business needs require.

Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)

• Food and beverage revenue growth
• Departmental profitability and operating margins
• Food and beverage cost percentages
• Labor cost and productivity targets
• Guest satisfaction and online review scores
• Employee retention and management development
• Health, safety, and quality audit results
• Inventory accuracy, waste reduction, and purchasing efficiency

Core Competencies

• Strategic and operational leadership
• Financial analysis and P&L management
• Hospitality and guest experience excellence
• Team building and talent development
• Revenue optimization and cost control
• Vendor and stakeholder relationship management
• Process improvement and accountability