Silver Dollar City Resort - Director of Food & Beverage (Exempt)

Job Summary

Silver Dollar City is ushering in a new era of Ozarks hospitality with its first-ever landmark resort, a stunning six-story, craftsman-style, 262-room retreat overlooking sweeping, untouched vistas of the Ozark Mountains and Table Rock Lake. Thoughtfully designed to blur the lines between nature, craft, and comfort, Silver Dollar City Resort offers guests direct, priority access to the park and nearby attractions and serves as a focal point of a major multi-million-dollar investment redefining the Branson experience. From the theme park and White Water to Showboat cruises and the region’s most beloved adventures, the resort is the best way to experience it all.

Joining the Silver Dollar City Resort team is contributing to a legacy of service. Rooted in the Herschend family’s decades-long commitment to heartfelt hospitality, inspiring storytelling, and the preservation of regional craft, Herschend Family Entertainment has grown from a single cave tour in the 1950s into the world’s largest family-owned theme park, attractions, and hospitality company. If you’re passionate about creating meaningful, memory-making experiences and want to play a foundational role in shaping how thousands of families discover the Ozarks for generations to come, this is a rare opportunity to help build something extraordinary with a mission-driven team that truly cares.

Reporting to the General Manager, the Director of Food & Beverage provides strategic vision, leadership, and supervision to the Food and Beverage teams.  This leader is expected to monitor sales, cost of goods, labor, and inventory to identify trends and make business decisions that ensure profitability goals are achieved.  Furthermore, this role ensures that teams provide outstanding service, exceptional culinary and service experiences to our Guests and Hosts in full alignment with Herschend Family Entertainment, Silver Dollar City and Silver Dollar City Resort objectives. 

Summary of Essential Functions & Responsibilities

•  Responsible for directing and organizing the activities of the Food and Beverage departments of Silver Dollar City Resort to ensure brand standards and a safe, high-quality food and beverage product are consistently being met while achieving budgeted revenue, cost and profit goals.
• Build strong relationships and ability to collaborate with Property Support Center, Silver Dollar City and other Herschend Family Entertainment properties, vendors, sponsors and partner teams to ensure company expectations are achieved.
• Responsible for menu concept, development/engineering process alongside key stakeholders, i.e. consultant group, corporate F&B leadership, VP Operations and General Manager.
• Responsible for all resorts’ Food and Beverage outlets including banquets and catering.
• Demonstrate strong knowledge of current trends in the food and beverage industry. Champion the development and implementation of new and creative food concepts that keep pace with or lead business and industry trends.
• Ensure a positive work environment for all Hosts and high levels of engagement and job satisfaction.
• Ensure high levels of customer service at all touch points, exceeding brand standards and guest expectations resulting in high Net Promoter scores (NPS), customer loyalty, referrals and repeat transient and group business. Focus on key attributes that drive Net Promoter Score (NPS).
• Comply with all federal, state, local, and company regulations, policies, and procedures.
• Lead safety efforts for the F&B organization - e.g. health department and Steritech inspections, internal and external audits, representation at safety committee meetings, food handling and storage, dating, labeling product, General Safety Training, responsible beverage training and certifications, safety critical host training, safety sign-offs, monthly department safety audits, chemical introduction and handling, etc.
• Plan and direct functions of administration and planning of the Food and Beverage organization to meet daily needs of the operation.
• Responsible for creatively engaging guests and capturing demand to improve revenues and average check.
• Subject matter expert of Point of Sale and back-of-house management software (CrunchTime).
• Work closely with Property Support Center Procurement Leadership and approved vendors to ensure efficient and accurate projections and orders are placed for the right products at the right time and all procurement policies and procedures are followed.
• Develop and oversee financial budgets to support business plans.
• Ownership of P&L, business planning and capital projects, budgeting and forecasting activities.
• Implement effective controls of food, beverage and labor costs among all areas of responsibility.
• Ensure all period-end inventories are completed and accurate.
• Review period profit and loss statements, participate in period-end P&L meetings and prepare action plans for improvement as necessary.
• Develop and execute action plans to address business shortfalls.
• Delegate responsibility and authority for the operation of the various food and beverage outlets and BOH areas at Silver Dollar City Resort.
• Partner with the HR team for staff recruiting, interviewing, and hiring.
• Manage performance of direct reports (hourly and exempt) by leading, motivating, mentoring, coaching, and providing performance feedback; work collaboratively with them to design professional development plans that support their continuous learning.
• Responsible for effective host training programs, promoting growth, and strong “bench” development in all areas.
• Develop, implement, and monitor department schedules to meet customer demand while achieving productivity goals.
• Establish an environment where hosts are empowered to provide excellent customer service.
• Collaborate with culinary and restaurant outlet teams on a variety of issues related to menu development, food presentation and service delivery.
• Collaborate with all direct reports on all issues related to departmental operations.
• Partner with Finance, Accounting, and IT leadership to resolve payroll, cash handling, payables, billing, and point of sale issues.
• Schedule and meet regularly with Food and Beverage teams to review past and future performance of service, quality, and general information concerning guest and employee relations.
• Resolve guest concerns to ensure complete satisfaction.
• Provide support and timely and specific feedback and recognition to staff.
• Provide fair and consistent delivery of positive discipline.
• Develop and maintain relationships with hosts, guests, local community members, industry peers, and vendors.
• Develop Food and Beverage policies and procedures.
• Respond to inquiries from a variety of departments, guests, and other sources.
• Certified through ServSafe Food Protection Manager, Allertrain Allergen Awareness, and TiPS Alcohol Safety Training.
• Participate in the resorts’ Manager on Duty Program.

Management reserves the right to change and/or add to these duties at any time.

Qualifications, Skills, and Abilities

• Minimum seven (7) years of senior-level leadership experience in multi-site food and beverage venues with no less than $8M in annual gross sales required. Experience in rapid growth organizations preferred.
• Extensive experience in restaurant bar, banquet/catering, in-room dining and kitchen management required.
• Proven track record with leading-edge methods of revenue growth in a large business environment required.
• Requires advanced knowledge of culinary best practices for the hospitality industry.
• Degree in Business, Hospitality or Culinary preferred. Extensive practical experience would be considered in lieu of educational degrees. 
• Proven track record of successfully developing teams and individuals.
• Knowledge and experience with forecasting, budgeting, labor management, and purchasing to ensure maximum productivity.
• Ability to obtain any government required licenses or certifications, e.g. TiPS, Serve Safe Certification, ServSafe Food Protection Manager, Allertrain Allergen Awareness, CPR/First Aid, Food Handler’s permit required in the state, county, and/or city where employed.
• Able to display and live out Lead with Love qualities strongly rooted in the Silver Dollar City culture by being patient, kind, humble, respectful, trusting, unselfish, forgiving, truthful, dedicated and accountable
• Must possess strong communication, listening, facilitation and problem-solving skills, computer skills and financial acumen.
• Ability to analyze, forecast data, and make judgments to ensure proper payroll and production control.
• Must successfully pass a background check, drug test, and obtain a Missouri or Arkansas driver’s license and insurance.
• Must be self-motivated and disciplined.
• Must be able to prioritize and complete work assignments on a timely basis.
• Able to adapt to the demands and changes of the work environment.
• Must maintain strict confidentiality and judgment regarding privileged information.
• Must be detail oriented and maintain a high level of accuracy.
• Must possess strong organizational skills.
• Must have excellent analytical skills and cognitive aptitude for complex conceptual and strategic thinking.
• Must possess strong verbal and written communication skills.
• Able to maintain good personal hygiene and grooming.
• Must maintain dependable work attendance and flexibility with assigned work schedules including any required overtime, evenings, weekends and holidays.
• Able to add, subtract, multiply and divide.
• Able to operate different types of motorized vehicles, including but not limited to: automobiles, vans, golf carts, and other all-terrain vehicles as well as ability to enter and exit vehicle multiple times daily.

Physical Requirements

The physical demands described below are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job.  Reasonable accommodation may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

• Stand: Indoor and outdoor. Uneven terrain, inclines, tile, wood, carpet, asphalt and concrete.
• Walk: Up/down steps, uneven and sloped surfaces, including to and from assigned employee parking and employees assigned work areas.
• Sit
• Lift and/or move: Up to 40 lbs.
• Climb: Ascend and descend indoor and outdoor stairs, uneven and sloped surfaces [
• See: Near/far, peripheral vision and color vision.
• Repetitive Motion: Stoop, bend, kneel, reach and twist.
• Use fingers and hands to handle or feel and reach with hands and arms. Must have manual dexterity necessary to complete all job duties.
• Speak and hear clearly.

Benefits Offered

• Free Admission- Free admission to Silver Dollar City Attractions and discounted admissions to Herschend Enterprises’ attractions and resorts across the US for you and your dependents.
• Exclusive Admission Discounts- Complimentary tickets & discounts on season passes for loved ones.
• Food & Merchandise Discounts- Discounts on dining, drinks and merchandise across Silver Dollar City Attractions.
• 401(k) & Profit Sharing- The Profit Sharing and 401(k) Retirement Plan is available to hosts after they have been with the Company for 3 months (Monthly Plan Entry Dates).
• Health Insurance- Affordable health plan options (co-pay, HSA, FSA) available to all full-time seasonal and year-round employees.
• Mary's Well House- Employee health center provides employees with basic office visits, x-rays and lab work for co-pay, whether insured or not.
• Free Tuition– Earn your degree, debt-free. 100% free tuition starting day one of employment. Learn more at  https://herschend.guildeducation.com/partner.
• See all the benefits offered through Silver Dollar City at: https://www.silverdollarcity.com/Employment/Benefits.