Director of Food & Beverage

Food and beverage directors are responsible for the dining experience of guests at a given venue, and most positions require experience and formal education. Programs that lead to certificates or degrees can be of great help to the career development of these professionals.
• Alongside other members of a culinary management team, food and beverage directors create and maintain menus that satisfy guests. They are responsible for managing food costs, upholding menu standards, and controlling inventory. Food and beverage directors create event-specific menus for occasions such as banquets, conventions, and catered meetings.
• In addition to menu maintenance and event management, food and beverage directors are involved with all of a full-service hospitality establishments' day-to-day functions, including staff management, guest interactions, office administration duties, vendor communications, and labor costs. They oversee the management of staff and may address issues that lower levels of management are unable to resolve. They are required to ensure that operational standards are met in regards to sanitation codes and laws, food storage, and loss prevention.
• Since food and beverage directors work with a variety of staff members in a fast-paced environment, they must be excellent communicators with the ability to multitask and think quickly when under pressure. Just like many other positions in the hospitality industry, the job of food and beverage director requires working long and perhaps erratic hours, which may include nights, weekends, and holidays. Coupled with long hours, there is a great deal of physical exertion expected of a food and beverage director. They must be on their feet for a majority of the day, and there may be moderate to heavy lifting involved.