Director of Food & Beverage

United States·Denverexecutive

Food ServiceRestaurant Crew Member

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Overview

Position Overview Populus Denver is seeking an accomplished, highly engaged, and commercially driven Director of Food & Beverage to lead the hotel's comprehensive food and beverage operations.

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Food ServiceRestaurant Crew Member

Position Overview

Populus Denver is seeking an accomplished, highly engaged, and commercially driven Director of Food & Beverage to lead the hotel's comprehensive food and beverage operations. This executive leadership position is responsible for the financial performance, operational excellence, guest experience, culinary collaboration, and strategic development of the property's diverse dining and beverage concepts.

As a distinctive lifestyle hotel in downtown Denver, Populus requires a Food & Beverage Director who combines the operational discipline of a seasoned hotel executive with the entrepreneurial mindset, creativity, and commercial awareness of an independent restaurant operator.

The successful candidate will oversee multiple dining venues, including Pasque, the rooftop dining and beverage experience at Stellar Jay, private dining, banquets, catering, and other food and beverage activations throughout the property.

The Director will be accountable for building a cohesive, high-performing Food & Beverage division while preserving the individual identity, positioning, and guest experience of each venue.

This is a hands-on executive leadership position requiring strong financial acumen, consistent operational presence, exceptional people management, and demonstrated success in driving profitable revenue growth.

Key Responsibilities

1. Strategic Leadership & Business Development

Provide executive oversight and strategic direction for all Food & Beverage operations, ensuring alignment with the hotel's positioning, brand standards, ownership objectives, and annual business plan.
Develop and execute a comprehensive Food & Beverage strategy that balances revenue generation, profitability, guest satisfaction, and market relevance.
Establish distinct operating and commercial strategies for each venue while maintaining consistency in service standards, leadership accountability, and financial discipline.
Identify opportunities to expand local market penetration, increase non-hotel guest traffic, and strengthen the property's reputation as a dining and entertainment destination.
Collaborate closely with the General Manager, Director of Sales & Marketing, Revenue Management, and Executive Chef on business development initiatives.
Lead the development of seasonal programming, culinary partnerships, special events, holiday activations, and other revenue-generating experiences.
Monitor Denver's competitive restaurant, rooftop, bar, and hospitality landscape to identify market opportunities and evolving consumer preferences.
Take an active role in developing the annual operating budget, business plan, and long-term Food & Beverage positioning.

2. Financial Performance & Profitability

The Director of Food & Beverage carries direct accountability for the financial results of the entire division.

Develop, manage, and execute annual operating budgets, monthly forecasts, and departmental business plans.
Assume full ownership of Food & Beverage revenue, departmental expenses, labor productivity, and operating profit.
Monitor daily, weekly, and monthly financial performance against budget, forecast, and prior-year results.
Establish disciplined cost controls for food, beverage, labor, operating supplies, and controllable departmental expenses.
Partner with the Executive Chef to manage menu engineering, food costs, purchasing, waste reduction, and production efficiency.
Develop beverage pricing, product mix, inventory management, and purchasing strategies that optimize profitability.
Implement labor scheduling practices aligned with forecasted business volumes, productivity standards, and service requirements.
Conduct regular profit and loss reviews, identify performance gaps, and implement measurable corrective action plans.
Monitor average check, covers, revenue per available seat, outlet contribution, banquet profitability, and other relevant financial indicators.
Ensure compliance with purchasing procedures, invoice approvals, inventory controls, and financial reporting requirements.
Work closely with Finance to manage vendor relationships, accounts payable priorities, and cash-flow-sensitive purchasing decisions.

Expected outcome: Consistent achievement of budgeted revenue and departmental profitability, supported by accurate forecasting, disciplined expense management, and measurable operating improvements.

3. Restaurant, Rooftop & Beverage Operations

Provide visible, hands-on leadership across all Food & Beverage venues, ensuring operational consistency while protecting the unique character of each concept.

Pasque – Restaurant Operations

Oversee breakfast, brunch, lunch, dinner, and seasonal dining operations as applicable.
Drive consistent service execution, guest engagement, table management, and dining-room efficiency.
Collaborate with culinary leadership on menu development, pricing, and seasonal offerings.
Develop strategies to increase local patronage, repeat visits, and overall restaurant profitability.
Maintain effective staffing models and service standards across varying meal periods.

Stellar Jay – Rooftop Dining & Beverage

Position the rooftop as a compelling destination for hotel guests and the Denver local market.
Oversee beverage programming, service execution, reservations, guest flow, and seasonal operations.
Maximize revenue through strategic pricing, beverage mix, event programming, and utilization of available space.
Develop operating plans that address weather-related demand fluctuations, seasonal staffing, and outdoor guest comfort.
Maintain an elevated, energetic guest experience consistent with the venue's identity.

Additional Food & Beverage Operations

Provide oversight of private dining, in-room dining, event spaces, and other Food & Beverage services as assigned.
Ensure each operation has clearly established revenue goals, expense controls, staffing expectations, and service standards.
Coordinate operational support between venues without compromising individual concept integrity.

4. Banquets, Catering & Event Execution

Oversee the operational execution and profitability of all banquet, catering, private dining, and special event business.
Collaborate with Sales and Catering teams to maximize event conversion, revenue opportunities, and guest satisfaction.
Ensure accurate planning, staffing, setup, service delivery, and post-event reconciliation.
Review banquet event orders, event profitability, labor allocation, and operational requirements.
Develop innovative event concepts and programming to maximize underutilized spaces.
Establish clear communication and accountability between Sales, Culinary, Banquets, and Operations.
Identify opportunities to improve beverage attachment, event check averages, and overall catering contribution.

5. Guest Experience & Service Excellence

Establish and maintain elevated service standards consistent with Populus Denver's lifestyle positioning.
Maintain a strong operational presence during peak dining periods, major events, weekends, and holidays.
Lead service training focused on hospitality, product knowledge, personalization, anticipation of guest needs, and service recovery.
Review guest feedback, online reviews, satisfaction surveys, and direct guest comments to identify recurring service opportunities.
Personally engage with guests, resolve escalated concerns, and ensure timely follow-through.
Develop measurable service improvement initiatives with clear ownership and deadlines.
Ensure consistent presentation, cleanliness, ambiance, music, lighting, and overall venue readiness.
Partner with hotel leadership to create seamless experiences between Food & Beverage and other hotel departments.

6. Leadership, Talent Development & Accountability

Lead, mentor, and develop Food & Beverage managers, supervisors, and service teams.
Establish a structured leadership model with clear responsibilities, performance expectations, and accountability.
Conduct regular departmental leadership meetings, operational reviews, and individual performance discussions.
Recruit and retain qualified hospitality professionals while developing internal succession opportunities.
Establish onboarding, training, and certification programs for all Food & Beverage positions.
Promote a culture of professionalism, teamwork, ownership, and consistent execution.
Address performance deficiencies promptly through coaching, documented development plans, and appropriate corrective action.
Ensure scheduling, staffing, and labor deployment support both financial objectives and service expectations.
Foster productive relationships between Front of House, Culinary, Sales, Finance, and hotel operations.
Maintain compliance with applicable employment regulations, collective bargaining agreements where relevant, and company policies.

The Director must demonstrate the ability to develop independent, accountable managers rather than relying on constant executive intervention to sustain daily operations.

7. Culinary Partnership & Product Development

Maintain a collaborative working relationship with the Executive Chef and culinary leadership team.
Participate in menu planning, seasonal concept development, tastings, pricing reviews, and promotional initiatives.
Ensure culinary offerings align with each venue's positioning, target market, and financial objectives.
Collaborate on menu engineering to improve contribution margins without compromising quality.
Support responsible sourcing, waste reduction, and sustainability initiatives aligned with the property's environmental philosophy.
Ensure consistent communication between kitchen and service teams regarding menu changes, product availability, service pacing, and guest feedback.

8. Marketing, Revenue Generation & Community Engagement

Partner with Sales and Marketing to develop targeted campaigns for restaurants, rooftop experiences, and special events.
Build relationships with local businesses, community partners, event organizers, and hospitality professionals.
Develop a calendar of seasonal promotions, holidays, culinary experiences, and beverage activations.
Evaluate promotional effectiveness through incremental revenue, covers, average check, and profitability.
Strengthen each venue's digital presence, reputation, and market visibility.
Identify opportunities for strategic partnerships that increase brand awareness and generate profitable business.

9. Operational Controls, Compliance & Asset Management

Ensure compliance with all applicable food safety, sanitation, liquor licensing, health, and workplace safety requirements.
Maintain effective inventory controls, receiving procedures, storage practices, and loss-prevention measures.
Conduct regular inspections of restaurants, bars, kitchens, storage areas, and event spaces.
Partner with Engineering on preventive maintenance, equipment replacement, furniture conditions, and operational repairs.
Participate in capital expenditure planning and prioritize investments based on operational need, guest impact, and financial return.
Maintain appropriate operating supplies, glassware, china, silverware, and equipment par levels.
Ensure proper execution of opening and closing procedures, cash handling, and point-of-sale controls.

Performance Expectations & Key Performance Indicators

The Director of Food & Beverage will be evaluated on the following measurable outcomes. Specific targets will be established through the approved operating budget and annual performance objectives.

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Performance Area	Key Measurements
Revenue Growth	Total F&B revenue vs. budget, forecast, and prior year
Profitability	Departmental profit, flow-through, contribution margins
Cost Management	Food cost %, beverage cost %, labor cost %, operating expenses
Restaurant Performance	Covers, average check, revenue per available seat, revenue by meal period
Beverage Performance	Beverage revenue growth, beverage mix, inventory variance, beverage cost
Banquets & Events	Event revenue, profitability, beverage capture, labor efficiency
Guest Satisfaction	Guest feedback scores, online reputation, complaint resolution
People & Culture	Employee retention, training completion, leadership development
Operational Compliance	Health inspections, safety, inventory accuracy, audit results

Required Qualifications & Experience

Minimum 7–10 years of progressive Food & Beverage management experience, including at least 3–5 years in a senior leadership or director-level role.
Proven experience managing multiple restaurant and beverage concepts, preferably within an upscale lifestyle, boutique, luxury, or full-service hotel environment.
Demonstrated responsibility for significant Food & Beverage revenue and departmental profitability.
Strong working knowledge of restaurant operations, beverage programs, banquets, catering, and event execution.
Proven ability to manage complex operating budgets, forecasts, financial statements, and labor productivity.
Experience developing managers, leading diverse teams, and establishing measurable performance standards.
Strong understanding of food safety, alcohol service regulations, and hospitality operating procedures.
Experience working with hotel property management systems, point-of-sale platforms, labor management tools, and financial reporting systems.
Excellent communication, organizational, analytical, and problem-solving skills.
Ability to work a flexible schedule, including evenings, weekends, holidays, and major events.
Bachelor's degree in Hospitality Management, Business Administration, or a related field preferred; equivalent relevant leadership experience considered.