Position Summary
The National Beverage Director is a senior leadership role responsible for the strategic direction, execution, and performance of City Winery's beverage programs across all national locations, including City Winery Core locations (Hudson Valley, Chicago, Boston, Atlanta, Nashville) and Pier 57 restaurants.

This role oversees beverage service standards, inventory systems, ordering, vendor partnerships, winery relations, wine education in partnership with our team, and menu development. The National Beverage Director ensures best-in-class guest experience, operational excellence, financial performance, and brand consistency across all beverage programs spanning wine, spirits, beer, and non-alcoholic offerings.

This leader partners closely with Operations, Culinary, Winery, Programming, and Finance to drive revenue, elevate service culture, and strengthen City Winery's position as a premier food, wine, and entertainment destination.

Overview of Responsibilities:
National Beverage Leadership
• Lead all beverage operations across City Winery's national portfolio:
• City Winery Core
• Hudson Valley (HV)
• Chicago (CV)
• Boston (RW)
• Rochester (ROC)
• Pier 57 Restaurants
• Set national beverage strategy aligned with brand, revenue goals, and guest experience standards
• Serve as the senior subject matter expert for all beverage programs

Beverage Service & Standards
• Own all beverage service standards across locations including:
• Steps of Service (SOS)
• Beverage execution
• Bar setup and organization
• Service audits and quality control
• Develop, implement, and maintain SOPs for all beverage programs
• Conduct regular market and location audits to ensure brand consistency and service excellence
• Partner with Operations leadership on training, accountability, and performance management

Ordering, Inventory & Financial Performance
• Lead all national beverage ordering and inventory systems
• Own Beverage Inventory in Full (BIF) execution across all locations
• Set pars, forecasting models, and revenue-aligned purchasing strategies
• Oversee invoice management, reconciliation, and vendor billing
• Drive cost controls, beverage margins, and inventory accuracy
• Partner with Finance on forecasting vs. actuals, variance analysis, and budgeting

Vendor & Winery Relations
• Lead all national beverage vendor partnerships
• Negotiate pricing, contracts, allocations, and national programs
• Manage City Winery relationships and portfolio strategy
• Collaborate on winery releases, featured programs, and reserve selections
• Curate and manage:
• Reserve CV List
• Floater Somm Program

Wine Education & Programming
• Lead national wine education strategy across all locations
• Develop internal training programs for beverage teams, sommeliers, and service leadership
• Partner with Programming & Marketing on wine dinners, tastings, classes, and special events
• Act as a brand ambassador for City Winery wine and beverage culture

Beverage Menu Development
• Lead beverage menu development across:
• OFC
• El Bar
• Market
• HV, CV, RW
• Partner with Culinary leadership on menu pairing strategy
• Develop seasonal, regional, and reserve beverage programs
• Ensure menu innovation while protecting brand DNA and operational scalability

Leadership & Team Development
• Build, mentor, and lead the national beverage leadership team
• Develop succession planning and career pathways for beverage leaders
• Establish a high-performance service culture rooted in hospitality, education, and accountability

Minimum Qualifications
• 10+ years of progressive beverage leadership experience in high-volume, multi-unit hospitality
• Proven national or regional beverage leadership experience
• Advanced wine education (CMS, WSET, or equivalent strongly preferred)
• Deep expertise in inventory systems, forecasting, cost control, and financial management
• Proven experience leading beverage menu development across multiple concepts
• Strong vendor negotiation and portfolio management experience
• Exceptional leadership, training, and team development skills
• Passion for wine, hospitality, and guest experience
• Ability to travel nationally as required