Job Description: Front Of House Manager
Direct Report: Director of Food, Beverage, and Retail Operations
Company Overview:
Iron Fish Distillery, Michigan's pioneer farm distillery, stands as a beacon of the craft spirits movement. Located along the natural and protected Betsie River watershed, Iron Fish is dedicated to the artisanal craft of distilling, creating a line of barrel finished sourced spirits and estate grown and distilled spirits that embody the essence of the local terroir. Our commitment to sustainable farming practices, coupled with meticulous attention to detail in every step of the distillation process, has earned us international acclaim and a loyal following. As we continue to expand, we're searching for a full time Manager to join our team and spearhead the delivery of exceptional guest experiences, creating lasting memories and facilitating memorable experiences between staff and our visitors
Role Overview:
The Front of House Manager will ensure the tasting room, still room, merchandise BIN, and all areas of Iron Fish meet the service and sales objectives built and described by the executive committee and Director of Food, Beverage, and Retail.
They will supervise, and direct the activities of staff during assigned shifts to make sure that customers have a pleasant experience through prompt and polite service.
The Front of House Manager will be responsible for the overall function of the tasting room that includes food service, seeing that it is managed properly, and that day to day operations are not disrupted.
At Iron Fish Distillery, the Front of House Manager works in a supervisory role - monitoring the quality of food and beverage that is being made and served, in compliance with local health and safety codes, ensuring that the top product is being served to guests. Providing direction and leadership on assigned shifts is a must. Leading the team to be successful in the execution of service, going above and beyond to ensure that every guest has a great experience.
The Front of House Manager will report to and work closely with the Director of Food, Beverage, and Retail Operations to prioritize and streamline the overall operations of the tasting room operation.
Duties:
- Oversee and direct the Front of House team before, during, and after shifts.
- Create the plan of the day and lead Pre Shift Meetings
- Be responsible for staffing of FOH operations including scheduling and hiring
- Coordinate and monitor staffing to support tasting room, Headwaters, Barn, Patio, and other onsite events.
- Ensure team members are brought on board with high quality training and continue to build their capacity and skills.
- Oversee and be able to host and support the service team as needed to cover gaps as well as lead informed spirit tastings.
- Ensure a safe work environment and associated protocols and SOP’s.
- Review SOP’s with recommended updates and changes as needed.
- Ensure all processes and procedures are followed consistently.
- Embrace and evolve the culture that reflects the values of Iron Fish.
- Hold staff accountable for failures and properly direct them in a path to corrective action.
- Provide performance feedback during shifts and as part of our annual performance feedback process for team members.
- Celebrate staff successes while building them up professionally and also personally.
- Create exceptional Customer Experience
- Promote teamwork throughout the Tasting Room, outdoor and event areas on each shift resulting in high performance from our team members.
- Assist in the refinement and implementation of systems for customer service and best in class guest experiences.
- Actively role model and promote our superior product and service experience.
- Establish guest service and satisfaction as a priority through personal example and follow through.
- Support employee interactive skills to properly handle guest feedback while receiving both negative and positive customer interactions.
- Handle customer complaints in a professional and courteous manner to ensure customer leaves satisfied.
- Process refunds, voids, comps, in a timely manner, tracking them properly through the POS system.
- Embrace individual differences among our guests, employees and business partners. Help our team achieve excellence in service hospitality, culinary and beverage product excellence as well to support our capacity to convey the brand story and build brand excellence.
- Oversee daily sales, cash drawer closures, and depositing functions.
- Provide key leadership on shift.
- Manage cleanliness, appearance, and daily function of tasting room, event spaces, and any guest visible areas.
- Manage rules and policies fairly and consistently.
- Ensure that proper cash-handling procedures and inventory controls are in place and conflicts of interest do not exist.
- Oversee allocation of tips consistent with tip pool policies.
- Maintain nightly closing procedures, including but not limited to nightly closure of drawers, perimeter checks, alarming the rickhouses, and tasting room, ensuring staff has been checked out properly, and locking shipping containers.
- Be knowledgeable of Employee Handbook policies and SOPs relevant to retail to ensure dealings with staff and operations are handled consistently.
- Assist with identifying areas for improvement in sales, expense management, operations and implementing positive changes.
- Assist in managing labor costs and overtime proactively
- Play a key role in coordinating with the Director of Retail and with the marketing team to develop promotional campaigns and initiatives to drive foot traffic and increase sales.
- Conduct and coordinate regular inventory counts of food and beverage ingredients and spirits and manage usage and stock levels to ensure adequate supply while minimizing excess inventory and waste.
- Stay informed about industry trends, competitor activities, and market dynamics to identify opportunities for innovation and differentiation.
- Foster a positive and collaborative work environment, promoting open communication and teamwork among all staff.
- Uphold brand standards and ensure compliance with company policies and procedures, including health and safety regulations.
- Perform other retail duties as needed during peak times and when unexpected staffing gaps occur.
Manager schedule will generally be four to five days each week including weekends (exclusive of one weekend each month). Total hours expected during peak season (May1st to October 31st) are 50 hours per week and non-peak season are 40 hours per week.
DESIRED SKILLS & COMPETENCIES
- Customer-Service: Excels in interacting with guests and is highly regarded.
- Has good instincts for creating a warm, inviting and responsive end destination environment (tasting room, patio, lawn, and barn venue). Seeks to understand the guest and his/her tasting room experience. Consider business decisions from the guest perspective. Focus on creating and sustaining an environment that exceeds customer expectations and delights customers.
- Outgoing and Engaging Personality: Is articulate and charismatic and a creative thinker who is capable of managing change.
- Situational Awareness: Able to take the pulse, make adjustments, anticipate bottlenecks, make informed decisions, and be confident in supporting others in providing quality service.
- Attention to Detail: Able to keep tabs on multiple elements: beverage and food standards, costs, safety standards, levels of cleanliness, quality of service etc.
- Leadership: Is a leader in rallying the team during heavy shifts, resolving conflicts and getting the job done.
- Values and respects diversity and models behavior that supports these values in an increasingly dynamic and diverse marketplace.
- Encourage a collaborative team spirit among our employees.
- Management Skills: Experience and interest in leading teams, managing costs, creating work schedules, reinforcing training standards etc.
- Organizational Skills: Creating cleaning schedules and overseeing systems that assure food safety and consistency of food and beverages quality.
- Planning and Problem-Solving Skills: Plans, coordinates, and structures work activities to ensure efficiency; identifies critical paths associated with the completion of activities; obtains and manages resources so that work objectives are accomplished on time and within budget or prescribed guidelines.
- Able to deal with employee conflict, customer complaints, supply delivery order issues and last-minute changes including anticipated guest traffic, or entertainment schedules.
- Interaction Skills: At ease in accurately communicating standards to staff, give direction, offer coaching and engage with customers clearly.
- Stamina: Able to maintain the pace over long days or extended periods of seasonal tourism traffic while overseeing food and beverage offerings.
- Coaches and Develops – Objectively and fairly assesses talent; clearly communicates vision and expectations, readily shares knowledge and advice, provides candid, balanced feedback and opportunities to enhance professional growth of team members.
- Acts with Character and Integrity – Is candid and forthright with self and others; follows through on commitments; protects the property, brand and well-being of others; understands and refuses to cross ethical boundaries; avoids potentially compromising business situations; does not turn away when standards are compromised and redirects when appropriate.
- Ability to manage and track accurate inventory.
- Certifications –willing to obtain TIPS and ServSafe certifications.
DESIRED EXPERIENCE AND EDUCATION
- Culinary and hospitality
- 2 – 4 years supervisory experience in food and beverage required.
- Demonstrated experience and interest in craft cocktails, mixology and farm-to-table offerings and a passion for local sourcing of ingredients.
- Follows and tracks emerging trends in craft beverages and farm to table food offerings.
- Background in selling, representing local craft brands and educating the marketplace within emerging craft product lines desirable.
- Staff recruitment and hiring, management and supervision experience required
- Costing and budgeting related to food and beverage.
- Demonstrated track record of managing team members without supervision.
- Working knowledge of POS systems (e.g., Square, scheduling and office management systems essential. Skilled with Microsoft Office or Google Docs).
- Ability to lift, carry, pull or push up to 50lbs.
Job Type: Full-time
Pay: $50,000.00 - $60,000.00 per year
Benefits:
- 401(k) matching
- Dental insurance
- Employee discount
- Health insurance
- Paid time off
Shift:
- 10 hour shift
- Day shift
- Evening shift
Work Location: In person
