About the Role
The Guest Experience & Operations Manager oversees day-to-day front-of-house operations, including service, bar, merchandise, and event support, while developing the FOH team.
Responsibilities
- Lead, mentor, and develop FOH team members including servers, bartenders, and floor support staff.
- Set the tone for service and hospitality on every shift through visible, hands-on floor leadership.
- Issue performance feedback, corrective action, and recognition with consistency and fairness.
- Hold staff accountable to service standards, house policies, and guest experience expectations.
- Coach the GE&O Supervisor and build their capacity to lead independently.
- Participate in hiring, coaching, disciplinary action, and termination of FOH staff.
- Process weekly payroll for the FOH department, ensuring accuracy and timely submission.
- Oversee day-to-day FOH operations including floor service, bar, and guest flow management.
- Manage staff assignments, table management, and bar coverage on every shift.
- Execute opening and closing procedures and shift reporting.
- Manage cash drawers, server and bartender cash-outs, and daily reconciliations.
- Ensure compliance with NYS liquor service laws, health regulations, and safety protocols.
- Handle guest concerns and service recovery with professionalism and urgency.
- Manage bar inventory including ordering, receiving, and variance tracking.
- Manage merchandise inventory, display, and replenishment.
- Ensure all bar and merchandise items are entered and maintained in XtraChef.
- Identify and act on opportunities to reduce waste and improve product cost controls.
- Support private and public events at the assigned location in partnership with the Director of Events.
- Partner on event staffing, floor setup, and day-of service execution.
- Support off-site events and brand activations as needed.
- Drive sales performance through upsell training, suggestive selling culture, and product knowledge development.
- Partner with the Brewery & Sales team on beer releases, seasonal programming, and taproom promotions.
- Track and report on average spend per guest, cover counts, and service metrics to location leadership.
- Support hiring, onboarding, and training of FOH staff in coordination with location leadership.
- Develop and mentor the GE&O Supervisor, building a strong floor leadership pipeline.
- Create and manage the FOH hourly employee schedule, ensuring adequate coverage across all shifts and events.
- Identify individual and team training deficiencies, develop a plan to address them, and execute that training.
Requirements
- 3+ years of front-of-house hospitality experience.
- At least 1–2 years in a supervisory or management role.
- Strong floor presence with the ability to lead with calm authority in a fast-paced setting.
- Proven ability to hold people accountable while maintaining a positive, motivated team culture.
- Experience with bar inventory management, ordering, and cost controls.
- Familiarity with POS systems and scheduling tools.
- NYS Alcohol Training Awareness Program (ATAP) certification or equivalent (or ability to obtain).
- Availability to work evenings, weekends, and holidays.
- Genuine passion for craft beer, hospitality, and delivering an experience guests remember.
Skills
- Leadership
- Mentoring
- Team Development
- Performance Feedback
- Accountability
- Coaching
- Hiring
- Payroll Processing
- Floor Service Management
- Bar Operations Management
- Guest Flow Management
- Opening and Closing Procedures
- Cash Handling
- Reconciliation
- Bank Deposits
- NYS Liquor Law Compliance
- Health Regulations Compliance
- Safety Protocol Compliance
- Guest Complaint Resolution
- Service Recovery
- Bar Inventory Management
- Merchandise Inventory Management
- XtraChef
- Waste Reduction
- Cost Control
- Event Support
- Staffing
- Floor Setup
- Service Execution
- Sales Performance
- Upselling
- Suggestive Selling
- Product Knowledge
- Scheduling
- Onboarding
- Training
- Toast experience (a plus)
Experience Level
- 1-2 years in a supervisory or management role
