SummaryThe Director, Food Service Strategy leads the development and execution of Event Network's food service, food and beverage integration, and café strategy across cultural attractions, hotels, resorts, destination retail, and related hospitality environments. This role translates guest insights, culinary and hospitality trends, and financial analysis into differentiated concepts that enhance the guest experience, support profitable growth, and improve operational performance. The Director works cross-functionally with Creative, Operations, Procurement, Purchasing, suppliers, and external partners to develop scalable offerings and operating models.
This opportunity can also be based out of our San Diego, CA office.Essential Duties & Key Responsibilities - Develop and execute an enterprise food service and hospitality strategy aligned with business objectives, guest expectations, and profitable, scalable growth.
- Lead the development and implementation of destination-specific, experiential, seasonal, novelty-driven, café, grab-and-go, and retail-integrated food concepts.
- Partner with Creative teams to develop concepts and with Operations leaders to implement scalable operating models, menu engineering, labor plans, service standards, and continuous-improvement initiatives.
- Collaborate with Procurement and Purchasing to evaluate suppliers, establish vendor partnerships, develop product assortments, improve cost structures, margins, and operating efficiency.
- Prepare and present business cases for new concepts, including financial models, return-on-investment analysis, implementation plans, risk considerations, and post-launch evaluations.
- Identify new revenue opportunities through innovative concepts, commercial partnerships, hospitality offerings, and evolving guest and consumer trends.
- Establish performance measures for commercial results, guest satisfaction, hospitality standards, innovation, labor productivity, margin, and profitability; use results to guide decisions and improvement plans.
- Build and maintain strategic relationships with suppliers, culinary partners, hospitality innovators, and other external partners.
- Develop an annual plan for participation in industry trade shows, culinary events, and vendor expos; evaluate products and technologies and apply relevant insights to the business.
- Support new openings, remodels, and refreshes through equipment recommendations, concept development, implementation support, and practical operating playbooks.
- Foster a culture of creativity, collaboration, accountability, continuous improvement, operational excellence, and high service standards.
Required Qualifications- Bachelor's degree in hospitality management, food service management, business, culinary management, or a related field, or an equivalent combination of education and relevant experience.
- Substantial experience in food service, hospitality, restaurant operations, culinary strategy, retail food and beverage, or a closely related environment, including experience with strategic planning and operational execution.
- Experience developing business cases and evaluating concepts through financial modeling, return-on-investment analysis, implementation planning, and post-launch performance review.
- Demonstrated ability to translate guest insights, consumer trends, culinary or hospitality innovation, and financial information into commercially viable concepts.
- Experience leading or influencing cross-functional work involving creative, operations, procurement, purchasing, suppliers, and external partners.
- Strong written, verbal, presentation, analytical, organizational, and project-management skills.
Preferred Qualifications (if applicable)- Experience supporting multi-site, destination-based, attraction-based, resort, hotel, or retail hospitality operations.
- Experience with menu engineering, labor optimization, equipment planning, food cost management, vendor negotiations, or food service technology.
- Experience creating scalable standards, playbooks, or implementation tools for new openings, remodels, or operational refreshes.
Physical Demands - The physical demands described here 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.
- While performing the duties of this job, the Director, Food Service Strategy is frequently required to stand; walk and use hands to handle, or feel. The employee is occasionally required to reach with hands and arms; climb or balance and stoop, kneel, crouch, or crawl.
- Ability to travel based on business needs up to 30%
- The Director, Food Service Strategy must frequently lift and/or move up to 25 pounds.
Employee BenefitsEvent Network offers full-time team members a comprehensive total rewards package with a variety of coverage options.
- Health and Wellness Benefits: Medical, Dental, and Vision Insurance; Basic Life and AD&D Insurance; Long-Term Disability; plus Voluntary Benefits options 100% paid by employee: Voluntary Life and AD&D Insurance, Short-Term Disability (for employees outside of CA, NY, NJ, HI, RI, Puerto Rico), Accident Insurance, Critical Illness, Hospital Indemnity, and Pet insurance.
- Retirement and Savings: 401(k) Retirement Plan; Flexible Spending Accounts (FSA)
- Employee Assistance Program (EAP)
- Paid Time Off: Vacation Accrual; Sick Leave
- Nine Paid Holidays.
- Profit Sharing Bonus Plan
- Employee Discounts: 25% discount to shop at our stores; and a separate discount program with exclusive savings on a variety of brand-name products, services, travel, entertainment, tickets, and more.
