VP of Food and Beverage

Overview

The Vice President of Food and Beverage (F&B) is a results-driven executive responsible for the vision, growth, and operational excellence of the company’s diverse food and beverage portfolio, including taverns, fast food/quick service restaurant (QSR) brands, group dining operations across multiple states. This role blends strategic leadership with hands-on execution, overseeing new location construction, design, and technology integration to accelerate growth and maximize profitability. With full P&L responsibility and an emphasis on innovation and AI-driven decision-making, the VP of F&B drives EBITDA growth, operational efficiency, and exceptional guest satisfaction.

Key Responsibilities

Strategic Leadership & Growth

• Develop and execute a long-term roadmap to expand multi-unit, multi-state F&B operations, increasing revenue and market share.
• Oversee construction and design of new outlets and remodels, delivering projects on time and within the budget while ensuring operational functionality and brand compliance.
• Drive adoption of AI-powered labor scheduling, demand forecasting, and predictive inventory tools to reduce labor costs YOY and minimize waste.
• Implement POS integration, and data analytics platforms to enhance operational efficiency and guest personalization.

Operational Excellence (Multi-Concept Oversight)

• Lead operational teams for taverns, fast food/QSR, upscale casual dining, group dining, ensuring consistent guest experience ratings of 90%+ satisfaction across all venues.
• Standardize best practices for speed of service, food quality, and compliance, reducing operational variances YOY.
• Serve as a hands-on leader, frequently on-site to support frontline operations, resolve challenges, and personally drive strategic initiatives to completion—whatever it takes.

Financial & Business Performance

• Own full division P&L, delivering EBITDA growth annually through cost optimization, menu engineering, and revenue management strategies.
• Introduce dynamic pricing models and AI-driven menu optimization, increasing per-guest spend while maintaining food cost percentages within targeted thresholds.
• Champion digital transformation initiatives including AI-enhanced labor scheduling and automated guest feedback analysis to improve operational speed and data-driven decision making.
• Partner with IT and third-party vendors to integrate advanced analytics platforms, enabling real-time performance tracking across all outlets.
• Leverage data insights to identify new concept opportunities and optimize underperforming locations.
• Recruit, develop, and retain high-performing general managers, culinary leaders, and group dining managers, building leadership bench strength to sustain scalability.
• Foster a culture of accountability, innovation, and continuous improvement across all levels of the division.

Guest Experience & Brand Enhancement

• Ensure consistency of guest experience, maintaining NPS (Net Promoter Score) ≥ 70 across all brands.
• Lead new culinary and beverage program rollouts, catering packages, and event experiences that differentiate the company’s portfolio and expand client loyalty.
• Develop marketing and loyalty strategies in collaboration with internal teams to drive repeat visits and incremental sales.

Compliance & Risk Management

• Ensure compliance with all state, local, and federal food safety, liquor licensing, and labor regulations.
• Lead brand audits and compliance checks to maintain operational and brand integrity across all outlets.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Hospitality Management, Business Administration, or related field (MBA or culinary degree preferred).
• 7+ years of progressive executive leadership experience in multi-unit food and beverage operations (including QSR, upscale casual dining, group dining, and franchised concepts).
• Proven success in delivering measurable financial results (EBITDA, guest satisfaction, labor efficiency, and new unit growth).
• Experience leading construction and design projects for both new builds and remodels.
• Expertise in AI/automation adoption, data analytics, and technology integration within F&B operations.
• Strategic thinker with proven operational execution and change management experience.
• Hands-on leadership style focused on “whatever it takes” execution.
• Strong financial acumen and P&L ownership skills.
• Expertise in multi-state regulatory compliance, franchise management, and high-volume hospitality operations.
• Proficiency in data analytics platforms, AI solutions, labor optimization tools, and digital guest experience platforms.

Work Conditions