Director of Food & Beverage - The Springs Resort and Spa
1 day ago
Denver
Job DescriptionDescription: The Springs Resort & Spa is seeking an experienced and financially driven Director of Food & Beverage to lead all food and beverage operations in Pagosa Springs, Colorado. This leadership role is essential to maintaining the resort's reputation as the #1 hot springs resort in America while elevating the dining experience across all outlets following a significant expansion that introduced new restaurant concepts and service models. The Director of Food & Beverage will oversee all resort dining operations including Wild Finch (full-service restaurant), Barefoot Grill (outdoor grill), 1881 Poolside Provisions, Canteen (poolside bar), The Cafe (breakfast/brunch), poolside walker service across both pool areas, and all banquet, event, and private dining functions. The ideal candidate is a strategic, financially savvy F&B leader with proven experience operating multiple outlets within a hotel or resort environment. This individual must demonstrate a track record of growing revenue, controlling costs, developing high-performing teams, and delivering elevated guest experiences. Candidates with primarily golf course, country club, or casino F&B backgrounds — where food and beverage departments typically operate as loss centers — are not the ideal fit. We are seeking someone who has run F&B as a true profit center within a hotel or resort setting. Essential Duties and Responsibilities F&B Leadership & Strategy • Provide overall leadership, direction, and accountability for all food and beverage operations, reporting to the General Manager and leading a team of outlet managers, chefs, bartenders, servers, and support staff across all resort dining venues., • Develop and execute a strategic vision for the resort's F&B program, with a specific focus on expanding Wild Finch beyond its current dinner-only service to maximize revenue potential and guest utilization., • Drive revenue growth across all outlets while maintaining or improving profitability through menu engineering, pricing strategy, labor optimization, and cost controls., • Accountable for F&B revenue targets, food and beverage cost percentages, labor cost ratios, guest satisfaction scores, and per-guest capture rates across all outlets., • Lead menu development in partnership with culinary leadership, ensuring seasonal innovation, local sourcing alignment, and consistency across all outlets., • Ensure a cohesive dining identity across the resort — from fine dining at Wild Finch to grab-and-go at The Cafe — that reflects the resort's wellness-focused, guest-first brand., • Oversee daily operations of all five F&B outlets plus poolside service, ensuring consistent quality, service standards, and operational readiness from open to close., • Manage the unique operational demands of poolside food and beverage service across both the Original Pools and Wellness Pools, including walker service logistics, inventory management, and guest experience flow., • Ensure all outlets are appropriately staffed, trained, and equipped to deliver the expected guest experience during both peak and off-peak seasons., • Develop and maintain standard operating procedures for each outlet, adapting for seasonal menu changes, staffing fluctuations, and special event overlays., • Lead all banquet, event, and private dining operations, from proposal and menu planning through execution and post-event follow-up., • Partner with sales and marketing teams to develop competitive banquet and event packages that drive group business revenue., • Ensure seamless coordination between F&B, front office, spa, and engineering departments during events., • Develop and manage F&B operating budgets across all outlets, including revenue forecasts, cost of goods, labor budgets, and capital expenditure requests., • Monitor and analyze financial performance weekly and monthly — including food cost, beverage cost, labor percentages, covers, average check, and RevPASH (revenue per available seat hour)., • Implement inventory control systems, purchasing protocols, and waste reduction programs to maintain target cost percentages., • Negotiate vendor contracts, distributor agreements, and service partnerships., • Prepare and present financial reports, variance analyses, and strategic recommendations to the General Manager and ownership., • Recruit, hire, train, and develop F&B leadership and hourly team members across all outlets., • Build a culture of hospitality, accountability, and continuous improvement within the F&B department., • Implement structured training programs for service standards, product knowledge, upselling techniques, and safety protocols., • Conduct regular performance evaluations and provide coaching and mentorship to develop future leaders within the department., • Ensure every F&B touchpoint reflects the resort's identity as a wellness-focused, guest-first destination where dining is part of the overall experience — not separate from it., • Monitor guest feedback, online reviews, and satisfaction data to identify trends and implement service improvements., • Maintain a visible, hands-on presence across all outlets during service periods., • Ensure compliance with all applicable federal, state, and local regulations including Colorado liquor licensing, health department standards, food safety codes, and OSHA requirements., • Maintain all food handler certifications, liquor service permits, and health inspection records., • Minimum 7–10 years of progressive food and beverage leadership experience in a hotel, resort, or comparable multi-outlet hospitality environment., • Proven experience managing multiple F&B outlets simultaneously (restaurants, bars, poolside/casual, banquets)., • Demonstrated financial acumen — proven ability to manage P&L, control food and labor costs, and drive revenue growth in an F&B operation run as a profit center, not a loss leader., • Experience with banquet and event operations, including sales support, menu development, and execution., • Strong working knowledge of food cost management, inventory systems, menu engineering, and beverage program development., • Experience opening, expanding, or repositioning a restaurant concept (relevant to Wild Finch expansion)., • Budget development, forecasting, and financial reporting experience., • Proven team builder with a track record of recruiting, training, and retaining high-performing F&B teams in a competitive labor market., • Strong knowledge of food safety, health codes, and liquor licensing requirements., • Prior Director of F&B or equivalent experience in a resort environment with spa, wellness, or lifestyle positioning., • Experience in a seasonal or mountain resort market., • Culinary degree or formal hospitality management education., • Sommelier certification, Cicerone certification, or advanced beverage program knowledge., • ServSafe Manager certification., • Ability to stand, walk, and move between outlets for extended periods., • Ability to work in both indoor and outdoor environments in varying weather conditions., • Ability to lift up to 50 pounds., • Ability to respond to operational needs outside of standard business hours., • The Springs Resort & Spa is an Equal Opportunity Employer.