Events Manager - Granger's Houston

EVENT & CATERING SALES MANAGER

Granger’s Restaurant & Bar – Houston, Texas

Reports To: General Manager / Director of Sales & Marketing

POSITION SUMMARY

The Event & Catering Sales Manager is responsible for generating and maximizing private dining, special event, and catering revenue for Granger’s Restaurant & Bar.

This position manages the complete sales and event-planning process from initial inquiry and prospecting through contracting, menu development, BEO preparation, event execution, post-event follow-up, and continued client relationship development.

The position is also responsible for maintaining the accuracy of event information across Granger’s reservation, scheduling, catering, calendar, marketing, and social media platforms.

The ideal candidate is highly organized, sales-driven, hospitality-focused, detail-oriented, and comfortable developing new business while maintaining strong relationships with corporate, social, medical, nonprofit, community, and private clients.

EVENT SALES & LEAD MANAGEMENT

• Respond promptly and professionally to incoming private dining, special event, and catering inquiries.
• Qualify prospective business by identifying the client’s event date, guest count, budget, food and beverage expectations, space requirements, AV needs, timeline, and additional event requirements.
• Recommend the appropriate private or semi-private dining space, menu, beverage program, and event structure based on the client’s needs.
• Prepare proposals, contracts, event agreements, invoices, and Banquet Event Orders (BEOs).
• Negotiate event details while protecting Granger’s pricing, food and beverage minimums, policies, standards, and profitability.
• Proactively identify opportunities to increase event revenue through cocktail receptions, passed hors d’oeuvres, premium menu selections, hosted beverage service, wine selections, AV services, customized menus, additional event spaces, and catering services.
• Secure signed agreements, required credit card authorizations, deposits, and other required documentation within established deadlines.
• Maintain consistent and timely follow-up with prospective clients until the business is booked, declined, or otherwise resolved.
• Maintain professional communication with clients throughout the entire sales and planning process.

BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT

• Actively prospect for new private dining, special event, and catering business in addition to managing incoming inquiries.
• Develop relationships with corporations, hotels, medical organizations, universities, law firms, event planners, destination management companies, pharmaceutical representatives, nonprofit organizations, neighborhood businesses, and other potential clients.
• Generate new business through phone and email outreach, outside sales calls, networking events, community involvement, trade shows, venue tours, supplier partnerships, and internet prospecting.
• Maintain relationships with previous clients and actively pursue repeat events, referrals, and additional business opportunities.
• Conduct professional venue tours and sales appointments with prospective clients.
• Identify opportunities to increase private dining and catering revenue during traditionally slower business periods.
• Develop relationships within the Houston business and hospitality communities that create new sales opportunities for Granger’s.
• Maintain an active pipeline of prospective, tentative, contracted, and repeat business.

EVENT PLANNING & EXECUTION

• Serve as the primary client contact throughout the event-planning process.
• Finalize all event details, including guest count, room setup, menu selections, dietary restrictions, beverage service, AV requirements, signage, décor, timeline, billing arrangements, and special requests.
• Prepare accurate and detailed BEOs and distribute event information to the appropriate restaurant departments.
• Present upcoming events during BEO and operations meetings and clearly communicate special requirements, changes, and potential challenges.
• Coordinate closely with culinary, management, service, bar, host, and catering teams to ensure successful event execution.
• Communicate client changes promptly to all affected departments.
• Confirm final guest counts, menu selections, room setups, AV needs, payment arrangements, and other critical event details within established deadlines.
• Maintain accurate event records, contracts, correspondence, payments, menus, BEOs, and client information.
• Be present for key events when required and assist the operations team in resolving client concerns quickly and professionally.
• Exercise appropriate judgment and take ownership of event-related challenges to protect the client experience and Granger’s standards.
• Conduct post-event follow-up to thank clients, obtain feedback, encourage repeat business, and identify future opportunities.

EVENT SYSTEMS, CALENDAR & MARKETING ACCURACY

• Maintain and regularly update  Resy, 7shifts, restaurant calendars, catering platforms, event management systems, and other internal scheduling platforms to ensure all event information is current and accurate.
• Ensure event dates, times, guest counts, room assignments, contact information, event status, and special requirements are accurately reflected across all applicable systems.
• Review event calendars regularly to identify and prevent scheduling conflicts, double bookings, incorrect dates, room conflicts, or missing event information.
• Maintain consistency between contracted events, BEOs, catering platforms, reservation systems, staffing information, operational calendars, and public-facing promotional information.
• Coordinate event information with restaurant management, culinary, service, catering, and marketing teams to ensure all departments are working from the most current event details.
• Maintain the accuracy of  social media platforms, website event information, promotional calendars, and marketing materials related to special events, holiday programming, promotions, private dining, and catering.
• Verify that all published event dates, times, pricing, menus, promotions, reservation information, and event details are accurate before being released or promoted to the public.
• Coordinate with management and marketing to ensure special events and promotions are published and promoted according to the approved timeline.
• Promptly update or correct event and promotional information whenever dates, times, menus, availability, pricing, or other event details change.
• Assist with the marketing and promotion of  private dining, catering, holiday events, special events, and restaurant programming through approved social media, digital marketing, email, and promotional platforms.
• Monitor upcoming special events and promotional deadlines to ensure information is communicated accurately and with sufficient lead time to support reservations, staffing, operations, and sales.
• Maintain a high standard of accuracy across all internal and public-facing event information.

SALES EXPECTATIONS

• Consistently pursue new private dining, event, and catering revenue.
• Maintain timely follow-up on all active leads and inquiries.
• Convert qualified inquiries into confirmed business.
• Maximize food and beverage revenue while maintaining appropriate event profitability.
• Proactively identify opportunities to upsell products, services, and event enhancements when appropriate.
• Maintain an organized and accurate sales pipeline.
• Develop repeat and referral business.
• Build and maintain strong relationships with existing and prospective accounts.
• Follow up with previous clients to identify future event opportunities.
• Provide management with regular updates regarding active leads, tentative events, confirmed events, lost business, future opportunities, and overall sales activity.
• Actively contribute to the continued growth of Granger’s private dining, special event, and catering business.

REQUIRED SKILLS

• Strong sales, negotiation, and closing abilities.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• Exceptional organization and attention to detail.
• Strong hospitality and client-service skills.
• Strong time-management and prioritization skills.
• Ability to manage multiple events, clients, priorities, and deadlines simultaneously.
• Strong problem-solving and decision-making abilities.
• Ability to accurately calculate pricing, food and beverage minimums, deposits, service charges, taxes, and event estimates.
• Ability to read and interpret contracts, event agreements, BEOs, and related documents.
• Professional presentation and confidence conducting client meetings, venue tours, networking activities, and sales presentations.
• Ability to communicate effectively with clients, management, culinary teams, service staff, vendors, and outside event partners.
• Strong attention to dates, deadlines, event details, and system accuracy.
• Ability to work independently while remaining highly collaborative with restaurant operations.

TECHNOLOGY

Candidates should be comfortable using or learning:

• Resy
• 7shifts
• Toast POS
• Catering and event management platforms
• CRM and lead-management systems
• Google Docs, Sheets, Drive, and Calendar
• Email and calendar platforms
• Social media platforms
• Digital marketing and promotional platforms
• Website and event-listing platforms as required

The Event & Catering Sales Manager is expected to maintain accurate and timely information across these systems and quickly learn additional platforms implemented by Granger’s.

EDUCATION & PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE

Candidates should possess a  Bachelor’s degree in Hospitality Management, Business, Marketing, Event Management, or a related field OR a minimum of four years of equivalent relevant professional experience in hospitality, catering, private dining, event sales, restaurant operations, hotel sales, business development, event planning, or a closely related field.

Candidates should demonstrate strong hospitality knowledge, sales ability, organizational skills, client relationship management, and the ability to successfully plan and execute events.

LICENSES & CERTIFICATIONS

• Valid driver’s license and reliable transportation for outside sales appointments, client meetings, networking activities, and off-site events.
• Current Texas Food Handler certification or ability to obtain certification as required.

IDEAL CANDIDATE

The successful candidate is more than an event coordinator. This is a  sales-focused hospitality position for an individual who can generate new business, develop relationships, close sales, organize complex event details, and partner with the restaurant operations team to deliver an elevated guest experience.

The ideal candidate is proactive, resourceful, detail-oriented, professional, and comfortable taking ownership of an event from the initial inquiry through final execution and post-event follow-up.

This individual understands that successful event sales require both  strong hospitality and strong attention to operational detail . Contracts, BEOs, reservation systems, calendars, staffing information, catering platforms, marketing, and public-facing event information must remain accurate and aligned.

Most importantly, this individual will actively seek opportunities to grow Granger’s private dining and catering business while developing lasting client relationships that generate repeat and referral business.

HTX Restaurant Group was established in 2005 with the opening of its first restaurant, The Park Grill in the Houston Museum District. Shortly after, the Park Grill began catering its American food fare like breakfast buffets, casseroles, wraps, panini’s, sandwiches, salads, and soups into the Texas Medical Center.
Since then the HTX RG’s culinary team has grown and created several new food concepts, Bodegas Taco Shop and Fia's Pizzeria. These are both brick and mortar restaurants that offer unique menus to our dine-in guests as well as our catering customers. The key to all these concepts is the variety now offered to our neighbors and catering clientele.
The HTX Restaurant Group is looking for great Leaders! This is an extremely exciting time. We are looking for team members who embody our vision of a dining experience and are ready to help write the next chapter on this journey as food service leaders in the Houston Museum District.