Director Of Food & Beverage

At Meadowood, gracious hospitality defines the style of service and timeless, natural beauty, the sense of place. A rich company culture inspires staff to achieve the highest service standards in hospitality. Join the Meadowood team and experience the pride and teamwork of working alongside a dedicated team of professionals in a truly beautiful setting.

Position Summary:

The Food and Beverage Director must want to be at the heart of this experience and further, have a passion for the product, service and the warmth of genuine hospitality that governs and permeates all actions, program, hiring and training efforts. Meadowood’s Food and Beverage Director is a leader who gives the most competent Food and Beverage staff members the sense that they have room to grow yet simultaneously coaches and encourages those with promise who are only just beginning a career.

The Food and Beverage Director is responsible for directing, implementing, and maintaining a service and management philosophy which serves as a guide to respective staff. Areas of responsibilities include all F&B staff and venues including Forum, The Pool Terrace Café, Private Dining, Catering & Banquets, Staff Cafeteria, and associated storerooms, kitchens, administrative offices, both on and off property.

Major Responsibilities & Work Activities

Guest Satisfaction

• Ensure guest satisfaction through continual monitoring and maintaining highest level of service and wine & cuisine offerings across all venues of the F&B division.
• Monitor guest reactions, conferring frequently with staff to ensure guest satisfaction.
• Correspond directly with guests having negative experiences with division.
• Ensure individualized attention to all guests by keeping current of daily house counts, arrivals/departures, VIPs and in-house group activities, locations and times.
• Facilitate individualized attention to all guests by maintenance of guest history in V1 database ensuring that F&B staff log individual guest preferences into guest records and utilize this information when interacting with guests.

Financial

• Oversee the development of annual F&B budget including average checks (food, liquor/beer and wine) and cover counts by outlet and meal period, labor (staffing guide) by department, cost of sale, percentages and other related expenses.
• Oversee all aspects of the division’s financial standing on a month-to-date, year-to-date standing.
• Review monthly financial information explaining variances between P&L, budget and historical performance.
• Review F&B sales daily, resolving discrepancies with accounting.
• Maintain labor and associated costs within budgeted parameters.
• Manage payroll through strict review of F&B manager and staff schedules on a weekly basis to ensure that they are in accordance with anticipated business demands.

Staff Management & Development

• Foster and promote a cooperative working climate, maximizing productivity and staff morale
• Oversee hiring of F&B staff, interviewing all candidates being considered for hire to ensure cultural and experiential fit into division.
• Directly supervise F&B managers of Forum, The Pool Terrace Café, and Banquets; Executive Chef; F&B Division staff.
• Develop and implement cross-training such that staff are knowledgeable, experienced and interchangeable across F&B venues.
• Develop and implement Banquets point system.
• Prioritize, organize and delegate work assignments for direct reports, following up as appropriate to achieve desired results.
• Manage performance of direct reports with consistent coaching, training and performance reviews
• Implement professional development plans for F&B staff
• Conduct weekly F&B manager meeting
• Handle disciplinary situations and counsel staff members according to Meadowood standards as established through Human Resources.

Standards Development & Maintenance

• Collaborate with Executive Chef on development, presentation, pricing, pre-implementation tasting and implementation of all menus to ensure adherence to the high, consistent standards.
• Maintain complete knowledge and strictly abide by local, state and federal liquor regulations, particularly those prohibiting service to minors, intoxicated persons and drunk driving.
• Monitor F&B staff performance in all phases of service standards and job functions, ensuring that all procedures are carried out to establish standards.
• Inspect all aspects of the F&B environment ensuring compliance with standards of cleanliness and order, directly respective personnel to rectify deficiencies as appropriate.
• Ensure all staff grooming and attire standards are adhered to at all times.
• Follow and teach all Meadowood and Forbes Standards.

Purchasing & Receiving

• Approve all F&B related invoices (food, beverage, non-food, non-beverage) ensuring that invoices are coded correctly and forwarded to accounting in a timely manner.
• Ensure that all expenditures are within budgeted parameters.
• Ensure that scheduled inventories for food, beverage, china, glass, silver and linen are performed consistently and accurately.
• Set and maintain pars for china, glass, silver and linen for all outlets as appropriate.

General

• Serve as active member of Executive Committee
• Maintain current knowledge of industry trends and competition
• Be familiar with all aspects of Meadowood services and features
• Maintain all policies and procedures as detailed in the Staff Handbook
• Ensure that all F&B staff have updated Food Handlers Permits and TIPs training.
• Track F&B trends and new concepts throughout Napa Valley.

Personal Characteristics Required

• Strong leadership skills
• Thorough, detail oriented, organized, and pro-active
• Independent thinker and doer
• Strong sense of style and taste
• Strong, intuitive ability to deliver exceptional customer service
• Team player
• Strong values and integrity
• Proven work ethic in pursuit of excellence
• Professional and positive attitude

Experience/Knowledge Required

• Minimum of ten years' experience in Food and Beverage management
• Two years' experience as a Food and Beverage Director, preferably at a Relais & Chateaux (or equivalent) hotel, Four Seasons, St. Regis.
• Food service experience, front and back of house.
• Knowledge of various food service styles (i.e., French service, Russian service, tableside flambé service, butler style service).
• Strong knowledge of wines, with focus on Napa Valley and California wineries.
• Familiarity with food, beverage and labor cost controls.
• Working knowledge of local, state and federal liquor regulations.
• Working knowledge of State of California Wage and Hour laws.
• Working knowledge of Forbes Travel Guide and their standards.

Physical Requirements

• Able to work in a variety of locations including sitting in office environment, standing in restaurant environment, walking in catering environment.
• Able to endure abundant physical movements in carrying out job duties of all functions in division.
• Able to exert physical effort in transporting equipment and wares.
• Able to ascend and descent stairs.

Working Conditions

• Variety of locations including office, restaurant and outdoor environments.
• Due to the nature of the hospitality industry, you may be required to work weekends and holidays.

Compensation: $140-165K annual salary + Bonus Plan