Cafe Food and Beverage Manager

Job Description

Job Description

About Us:

As Kansas City’s Botanical Garden, Powell Gardens plays a vital role in the community as a space for release, rejuvenation, and the celebration of the fleeting nature of nature itself. Visitors enjoy themed display gardens, nature trails, seasonal festivals, rotating exhibitions, and exceptional architecture. Established in 1988, Powell Gardens is a public garden, maintaining over 700 acres of lush, rolling hills and windswept meadows, with more than 175 acres and a large collection of plants open to the public for education, exploration, and recreation. With the addition of our second location, Colonial Farms, we offer a new way to advance our mission of education, community engagement and spreading our love for plants.

We at Powell believe that our team members are our most important asset. By building strong relationships with each other, we can ensure that our guests have the best possible experience. We are looking for someone passionate to help us connect with our visitors by offering great service and delicious food and beverages. If this sounds like you, we would love to speak with you!

Summary:

The Food & Beverage Manager leads and oversees all food and beverage operations in support of the nonprofit’s mission, programs, guest experience, and earned revenue goals. This position is responsible for planning, ordering, inventory management, food preparation oversight, and execution of food and beverage services across all on-site events and daily marketplace operations. This role is also unique, given the garden/farm setting, which allows use of onsite grown produce, local sourcing of products, and development of seasonal menus.

The role manages a wide range of service models, including concessions, grab-and-go retail, boxed meals, buffets, plated service, receptions, and seated dining events. The Food & Beverage Manager supervises staff, coordinates event execution, ensures quality and safety standards, controls costs, and delivers exceptional hospitality experiences for visitors, members, donors, and event guests across multiple locations.

This position understands and complies with the Missouri State and Jackson/Johnson County laws regarding the sale and consumption of alcohol at a non-profit level. This position maintains a professional, respectful relationship with vendors and suppliers, and upholds a high level of communication to elevate their experiences and that of Powell Gardens’ internal and external clients.

Essential Functions:

Food & Beverage Operations Management:

• Oversee all food and beverage operations for on-site events, programs, rentals, and marketplace offerings. Planning and managing food service execution for:

  • Coffee and Specialty Drink Service.
  • Concession-style service.
  • Grab-and-go marketplace offerings.
  • Boxed lunches and picnic offerings.
  • In house catering opportunities such as buffets and reception-style service.
  • Table service and plated meals.
• Develop and maintain service standards to ensure quality, consistency, and exceptional guest experiences.
• Oversee food preparation, presentation, portioning, and service delivery.
• Support menu planning and seasonal offerings aligned with guest demand and organizational goals.

Ordering, Inventory & Cost Control:

• Manage purchasing and ordering of food, beverages, supplies, and disposables for café.
• Manager purchasing, ordering, stocking of Retail Market with beverages and alcohol offerings.
• Maintain inventory systems and controls to ensure product availability while minimizing waste and shrink by utilizing best practices and onsite grown produce and preservation methods such as cider processing, jam and jelly making, holiday pie offerings, etc.
• Monitor food and beverage costs, margins, and budgets.
• Track usage trends and forecast product needs based on event calendars and marketplace demand.
• Establish par levels and inventory procedures.
• Build and manage vendor relationships; negotiate pricing and monitor product quality.
• Ensure compliance with nonprofit procurement practices and budget expectations.

Execution & Hospitality Leadership:

• Partner with internal teams to plan and execute food and beverage components for public and private events, donor functions, educational programs, and public programming.
• Lead onsite execution and troubleshoot operational needs during events.
• Ensure smooth coordination between kitchen/prep, event staff, and service teams.
• Deliver a high standard of hospitality for members, donors, visitors, and guests.

Team Leadership & Staff Management:

• Supervise, schedule, train, and develop food and beverage staff, including part-time and seasonal team members.
• Lead staff in execution of food service operations and event support.
• Set performance expectations and provide coaching, accountability, and ongoing development.
• Assist with hiring, onboarding, and workforce planning.
• Foster a collaborative, service-focused team culture.

Other Functions:

Compliance, Safety & Quality Assurance:

• Ensure compliance with all food safety, sanitation, health department, and licensing requirements.
• Maintain proper food handling procedures and certifications.
• Oversee cleanliness and organization of kitchen, storage, service areas, and marketplace.
• Implement and maintain SOPs for safety, quality, and operational consistency.
• Monitor equipment use and coordinate maintenance needs.

Financial & Administrative Responsibilities:

• Support annual budget development for food and beverage operations in café and market.
• Manage departmental spending in alignment with approved budgets.
• Track revenue, labor, food costs, and operational KPIs.
• Prepare reports related to sales performance, inventory, and event profitability.
• Identify opportunities to improve efficiency, guest satisfaction, and earned income.

Knowledge & Skills:

• Knowledge of food safety standards and applicable regulations.
• Catering and Special Event processes.
• POS and inventory software.
• Attention to detail with Problem-solving and adaptability.
• Financial acumen, Operational planning and organization.
• Mission alignment and collaborative mindset.
• Guest experience focus.

Experience/Education:

Required:

• 3–5+ years of progressive food and beverage management experience.
• Experience overseeing multiple service formats (retail, concessions, catering, events, dining service, coffee service).
• Barista and Food Prep experience.
• Ordering, inventory control, budgeting, and cost management.
• Prior staff supervision and team leadership.
• Knowledge of food safety standards and applicable regulations.
• Experience growing earned revenue through food and beverage programs.
• Manager ServSafe certification required.
• Liquor permit.

Physical Requirements/Work Environment:

• Work environment primarily within a café space, involving interactions with customers, staff, and vendors.
• Must be able to lift 40lbs (team lifting as necessary); Ability to stand, walk, and move around the café and garden center for extended periods. Must be able to bend, kneel, and reach as needed for content creation and setup.
• Comfortable working outdoors in different weather conditions, including sun, rain, and wind, during events or promotional activities.
• Working during peak hours, weekends, holidays, and outside regular business hours to support promotional events and marketing campaigns.
• Ability to adapt to varying indoor and outdoor conditions, including exposure to weather elements when participating in outdoor events and promotions.
• Forty hours (40) a week with availability Monday through Sunday, daytime, evenings, and holidays. Employee must be willing to work weekends and evenings during festivals, special events and longer hours as projects and deadlines require.
• To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential function satisfactorily.
• The requirements listed are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability required. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

Salary: Range from $50,000 to 60,000 per year

Benefits:

• Medical/Dental/Vision.
• HRA, HSA and FSA Plans.
• Supplemental Insurance Available.
• 403b Plan and Match.
• Employer Paid Life Insurance.
• Employer Paid Short-Term and Long-Term Disability Insurance.
• Generous PTO Plan.
• 11 Paid Holidays per year.

To Apply

Applicants interested in this position must submit the following to View email address on us.fitly.work.

Cover letter addressing the following:

• Discuss your experience as it related to this role.
• Why are you interested in this role and why you would be a great fit.

Resume:

Three references: professional, academic, and/or personal.

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Equal Employment Opportunity & Employment Disclaimer

Powell Gardens is an Equal Opportunity Employer and is committed to creating an inclusive workplace. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy, sexual orientation, and gender identity), national origin, age, disability, genetic information, veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by applicable federal, state, or local law.

Powell Gardens is committed to providing reasonable accommodations to qualified individuals with disabilities throughout the application and employment process. If you require an accommodation to complete an application, participate in the interview process, or perform the essential functions of the position, please contact Human Resources.

The duties, responsibilities, and qualifications described in this job posting are intended to describe the general nature and level of work being performed. They are not intended to be an exhaustive list of all responsibilities, duties, or skills required. Duties and responsibilities may change at any time to meet organizational needs.

Employment with Powell Gardens is contingent upon successful completion of all applicable pre-employment requirements, which may include reference checks, background screening, verification of work authorization, and other job-related requirements, as permitted by law.

This job posting does not constitute an employment contract or guarantee of employment. Employment with Powell Gardens is at-will, meaning either the employee or Powell Gardens may terminate the employment relationship at any time, with or without notice or cause, except as otherwise provided by applicable law.