Senior Food and Beverage Manager

Celebrating its 20th anniversary this year, The Drake is a growing Canadian hospitality brand focused on lifestyle hotels, food + drink and special events. We’re more than a place to sleep, eat + drink; we believe culture and community matter and are committed to an exceptional hospitality experience delivered in our signature style; one that is genuine, personal, memorable and embraces the energy of discovery. We value honesty and spontaneity because that's the stuff of real connection and believe that hospitality is an act of care. The Drake Hotel (Toronto), Drake Devonshire Inn (Wellington, Prince Edward County), and Drake Motor Inn (Wellington, Prince Edward County) are each reflective of their respective neighbourhoods as inclusive hubs for unique and diverse experiences through art, culture and hospitality with great seasonal menus, a robust cocktail list, carefully curated curiosities, and genuine hospitality excellence for all. 

The Senior Food and Beverage Manager position requires a combination of skills and experience that include operational excellence in a high volume business, as well as a proven track record for outstanding food + beverage service, a solid understanding of events and reservation systems and team leadership. The ideal candidate will bring management experience from a similar environment, as well as best practices in guest service, staff management, operations, safety and compliance.

Responsibilities

In joining our F+B management team, you will be bringing experience in hiring, training and mentoring an exemplary front of house team. You will have a demonstrated track record in achieving set objectives in sales, labor cost management, employee retention, customer service and satisfaction, health + safety, AGCO/legal compliance and cleanliness standards. You are a genuine and natural leader, who believes in the art of hospitality and who takes great pride in the Drake and our offerings.

You will have a deep knowledge of service best practices, food and wine and will have demonstrated experience in sharing this knowledge effectively to build a consistent, service focused, efficient front of house team.

Operations Management/Safety/Compliance:

• Ensure seamless building operations by following and enforcing policies and standard operating procedures that are site specific and in adherence to Drake’s established standards
• Ensure exceptional safety practicesof employees and guests, assisting in the maintenance of proper food/liquor handling, storage, service, emergency, and security procedures
• Maintaining a strong focus on achieving and/or exceeding revenue targets, within acceptable labor cost and service standard parameters
• Understanding, adhering to and executing all F+B operational policies + procedures, standards and training programs
• Monitoring and managing service, quality, health + safety and cleanliness
• Ensuring that AGCO, municipal and provincial laws are being adhered to
• F+B projects, results analysis and inventory management as assigned
• Ensure maintenance of equipment, facility, and grounds through the use of a Preventative Maintenance Plan based on DHP standards.

Guest Satisfaction + Quality Control:

• Maintain product and service quality standards through ongoing evaluations, reviewing Key Performance Indictor, Secret Shopper and Guest Satisfaction Survey scores and investigating complaints.
• Ensuring a unique and genuine guest experience by empowering staff to resolve issues, while acting as a supportive and active leader who will manage situations as they evolve
• Working in tandem with the host team to ensure all reservations are input correctly and honored in a timely fashion
• Making sure that the reservation book is being utilized correctly to maximize sales whilst balancing guest satisfaction and comfort

Business Development + Community Relations:

• Attract guests by developing and implementing year-round marketing, programming, public and community relations programs; evaluating program results; identifying and tracking changing demands on F+B operations
• Utilize corporate marketing resources to develop and implement ongoing campaigns, both location and company specific.
• Work closely with the Director of Food + Beverage on supporting the culinary program, analyzing menu trends, responsible for seasonal and thematic menu development, researching current industry trends and analyzing pricing based on menu engineering data
• Work closely with the Corporate Bar manager to oversee the creation and execution of the Wine + Cocktail programs that support the continued success of the Drake Hotel bar program, with the goal of being named on industry “Best Of” lists

Budget + Expense Management:

• Create and share reporting on top level sales, labour and expense results, identifying trends, challenges and issues. Implement corrective action with input from the team.
• Control purchases and inventory and remain abreast of challenges with property operating expenses against the approved budget
• Maintain close oversight of labour and food costing, ensuring efficiency and reducing waste. Work closely with Chef to implement directives from Corporate Culinary and F+B leadership
• Review reports, prepare summaries, propose areas for improvement with action plans
• Prepare materials for Month End, Quarterly and Annual Reviews

Leadership / Staff Development:

• Cultivate a positive and engaged work environment, with a focus on accountability, training, mentoring and continuous feedback
• Support corporate led training initiatives and develop, along with management team, training programs specific to your location and business.
• Participate in hiring, onboarding and training as required
• Actively engaging in the performance management and development process, along with the other Food and Beverage Managers, of the full FOH hourly team
• Championing a culture of Service Excellence, developing, and educating Drake Service Standards

• 5-7 years of progressive experience in a fine or casual dining environment
• Strong preference given to candidates with a minimum ISG , WSET or comparable Level 1 wine training
• Awareness of current culinary trends in the marketplace
• Operations management experience in a high volume establishment with significant experience with reservation systems, event and large party bookings
• Experienced trainer and mentor to large staff teams
• Demonstrated patience, tact and diplomacy while leading a diverse team of industry professionals
• Ability to multi-task, remain cool and keep up in a fast paced environment.
• Excellent interpersonal and communication experience, both verbal & written
• Excellent organizational skills, with timely delivery of all required administrative work
• Experience with Silverware, Microsoft Office and Open table and Sevenrooms a strong asset
• Flexible to work evenings and weekends and holidays
• Smart serve certified

We pride ourselves in providing strong leadership and development opportunities for passionate hospitality professionals who are looking to build rewarding, long-term careers. Drake offers a competitive compensation and benefits package, employee discounts, training + development support and many other unique perks as a part of joining the Drake team.

The Drake Hotel is an equal opportunity employer. We are committed to fostering a positive, supportive, and creative environment at Drake Hotel Properties that promotes equity, inclusiveness and diversity. We welcome job applications from candidates of all backgrounds including, but not limited to, BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, People of Colour); refugees, newcomers and immigrant persons; two-spirit, LGBTQ+ and gender non-binary persons, and persons with disabilities. Please advise us of any accommodations needed to ensure you can access and complete the submissions process