Director of Food and Beverage

Director of Food and Beverage

Union Square Events and Canyon Museum is seeking an accomplished and hospitality-driven Director of Food & Beverage to lead the museum's food and beverage operations across the restaurant, bar, events, and cafe. This is an opportunity to shape the food and beverage experience of a major cultural institution while working in partnership with a highly renowned James Beard Award winning chef.

The Director of Food & Beverage will lead the Front of House and Back of House operations and management team while working in close partnership with the Executive Chef and culinary leadership team, museum leadership, and key stakeholders. The role will help establish the operational foundation, service culture, and hospitality standards for Canyon Museum while ensuring that every aspect of the F&B program operates at the highest level.

Key Responsibilities:

• Leadership & Team Development: Lead and inspire the Food & Beverage management team and front-line staff to deliver exceptional guest experiences. Foster a culture of hospitality, accountability, inclusion, and continuous improvement. Recruit, hire, train, coach, and develop team members while creating clear growth opportunities. Partner with the Executive Chef and Assistant General Manager to align operations, service standards, and business objectives. Implement systems, processes, and training programs that support operational excellence and long-term success.
• Financial & Business Management: Own the Food & Beverage P&L and present financial results to clients and leadership. Oversee financial performance of the restaurant, bar, café, and event operations. Develop budgets, forecasts, and operating plans while managing revenue, labor, food cost, inventory, and expenses. Analyze business trends to improve profitability, productivity, and guest satisfaction. Ensure accurate payroll, invoice processing, cash handling, reporting, and policy compliance.
• Guest Experience & Operations: Oversee daily operations across all Food & Beverage outlets and experiences. Maintain luxury-level service standards and ensure quality in food, beverage, and hospitality delivery. Monitor guest feedback, reviews, and satisfaction metrics to drive continuous improvement. Build meaningful guest relationships and resolve concerns professionally and effectively. Maintain a visible leadership presence and actively support service execution.
• Technology, Events & CRM: Oversee reservation, POS, CRM, event, and reporting platforms to maximize operational effectiveness. Utilize guest data and CRM tools to enhance personalization, loyalty, and repeat visitation. Support event operations by partnering with event teams on bookings, BEO execution, and cross-functional communication. Ensure all team members are trained on data collection, guest preferences, and reservation management best practices.
• Compliance & Safety: Ensure compliance with all food safety, alcohol service, labor, licensing, and regulatory requirements. Maintain operational standards, preventative maintenance programs, sanitation procedures, and HACCP compliance. Partner with culinary and operations leaders to prepare for inspections and audits. Promote a culture of safety, cleanliness, and shared accountability.

Qualifications:

• 10+ years of progressive hospitality leadership experience.
• 7+ years leading multi-functional teams in restaurants, bars, events, or luxury hospitality environments.
• 2-3 years of Director-level and/or multi-unit management experience preferred.
• Strong background in fine dining, luxury hospitality, private clubs, cultural institutions, or upscale hotels.
• Experience opening, launching, or transforming hospitality operations is highly desirable.
• New York City hospitality experience preferred.
• Leadership & Business Acumen: Proven ability to lead, develop, and retain high-performing teams. Strong communication, relationship-building, and stakeholder management skills. Expertise in budgeting, forecasting, labor management, cost controls, inventory, and P&L oversight. Knowledge of restaurant technology, POS systems, reservations, CRM, inventory, and event management platforms. Ability to create scalable SOPs, training programs, and operational systems.
• Guest Focus: Passion for delivering exceptional hospitality and creating memorable guest experiences. Strong customer service, problem-solving, and decision-making abilities. Ability to thrive in a fast-paced, high-volume environment while maintaining attention to detail.
• Schedule: Flexible availability, including evenings, weekends, holidays, and special events.

Union Square Events maintains a drug-free workplace.

Req ID: 1578648