Alright, so I was noodling around the other day, thinking about roles in the food and beverage world. Specifically, the Food & Beverage Executive. It’s a title that gets thrown around a lot, and I’ve seen my fair share of job descriptions for it over the years, some good, some just plain confusing.
My Dive into the F&B Exec Role
I decided to really break it down, you know, from my own experience and what I’ve seen actually works versus what’s just corporate fluff. It wasn’t for a specific hire this time, more like a personal project to solidify what this person really needs to do. So, I started by just grabbing a bunch of job descriptions I could find. Man, some of them were wild. They wanted someone who was a master chef, a financial wizard, a marketing guru, and probably could fix the plumbing too.
First thing I did was try to filter out the noise. What’s the core? What makes or breaks someone in this kind of position? I jotted down a list, just brainstorming based on places I’ve worked or consulted for.
Key Areas I Pinned Down:
- Operations, operations, operations. This is huge. Keeping the whole F&B department running smoothly, day in, day out. That means scheduling, inventory, making sure service standards are met. It’s the engine room.
- The money side. Budgets, P&L statements, cost control. You can have the best food and service, but if you’re bleeding cash, you’re sunk. This exec needs to understand the numbers, not just glance at them.
- Team leadership. Big one. Hiring, training, motivating, and sometimes, yes, firing. You’re building and leading a team, often a pretty diverse one. Can’t be a pushover, can’t be a tyrant.
- Quality and standards. This covers everything from the food itself to cleanliness to customer experience. They’re the guardian of the brand’s reputation on the F&B front.
- Vendor management. Dealing with suppliers, negotiating prices, ensuring quality of goods coming in. It’s a whole dance.
- Sometimes, a bit of strategy. New menus, promotions, ways to drive revenue. Depends on the size of the place, of course.
I remember this one hotel I was at, way back. The guy in charge of F&B, lovely fella, great with customers. But he had zero clue about inventory control or reading a P&L. The wastage was insane, and profits were tanking. The owners just liked him because he was “good with people.” Took a new exec, someone who actually understood these core bits I listed, to turn things around. It wasn’t magic, just solid fundamentals.
Crafting a Realistic Description
So, after I had my core list, I thought about how I’d phrase a job description. I’d want it to be honest. No point asking for the moon if you’re not going to pay for it, or if the reality of the job is different.
I started sketching out what a practical job description would look like. I’d focus on the actions and responsibilities rather than just a list of desired personality traits, though those are important too, but they come out more in an interview.
For example, instead of “Must be a strong leader,” I’d lean towards “Develop and lead a high-performing F&B team by actively coaching, training, and managing performance.” See the difference? One’s a vague wish, the other is an actual expectation of work.
I also think it’s crucial to be clear about who this person reports to and who reports to them. Structure matters. And what are the key performance indicators (KPIs)? How will their success be measured? Is it purely financial, or guest satisfaction scores, or staff retention? Probably a mix.
It’s funny, sometimes companies just copy-paste job descriptions from somewhere else without thinking if it fits their actual needs. I saw one for a small boutique hotel that looked like it was meant for a massive resort complex. The candidate would have been totally mismatched.
So, yeah, that was my little exercise. It’s about getting back to basics, understanding the true function of the role. It’s not just a fancy title. This person is critical to the success of any place that serves food and drinks. Get the job description right, and you’re much more likely to get the right person in the door. Get it wrong, and well, you end up with chaos, or worse, someone who’s just warming a seat.
