Bar & Beverage Leader for NYC Nightlife

Virgin Hotels Central Services Llc; New York (NY); On-site; USD 80,000 - 85,000; Full time

Job summary

Virgin Hotels New York City is seeking a Bar & Beverage Manager to lead the beverage program across F&B outlets and serve as the primary operating leader for Riff Raff. This hands-on role combines creativity with business discipline to drive revenue, control costs, train staff, and deliver an exceptional guest experience.

The ideal candidate has 3–5+ years of progressive beverage management, strong knowledge of cocktails, wine, beer, and spirits, and the ability to balance creativity with

Qualifications

• 3–5+ years of progressive beverage, bar, lounge, nightlife, or restaurant management experience.
• Strong cocktail, spirits, wine, and beer knowledge with a genuine passion for beverages.
• Experience leading a high-volume bar, lounge, hotel, or nightlife operation.
• Proven ability to drive revenue while maintaining exceptional guest experience.
• Strong understanding of beverage COGS, inventory, purchasing, and cost controls.
• Experience developing beverage menus and programs.
• Strong training, coaching, and team‑development skills.

Responsibilities

• Own and continuously improve the hotel’s beverage program across multiple F&B outlets.
• Develop and maintain cocktail, wine, beer, spirits, zero-proof, seasonal, pool, banquet, and premium beverage offerings.
• Partner with F&B leadership on beverage strategy, pricing, new concepts, and program development.
• Stay current on beverage trends and guest preferences while maintaining each outlet’s unique identity.
• Serve as the primary floor leader for Riff Raff, with a strong presence during nightly service.
• Lead bartenders, servers, and support teams while overseeing service, guest experience, VIPs, bottle service, reservations, staffing, beverage quality, and closing procedures.
• Identify opportunities to improve revenue, guest spend, and the overall nightlife experience.
• Take ownership of beverage performance—not just the bar operation.
• Partner with F&B leadership to achieve beverage revenue and profitability goals.
• Monitor beverage sales, mix, COGS, inventory, waste, comps, breakage, and variances.
• Manage beverage pars, inventory counts, product availability, and ordering needs.
• Work with Purchasing and vendors on product selection, tastings, programming, and availability.
• Lead cocktail and beverage development across all hotel F&B outlets
• Create beverages that are creative, commercially successful, and operationally realistic.
• Maintain recipes, specifications, costing, preparation standards, and presentation guidelines.
• Ensure consistency in recipes, pours, glassware, garnishes, and overall beverage quality across outlets.
• Build and deliver ongoing beverage training for bartenders, servers, and managers.
• Develop team knowledge around cocktails, spirits, wine, beer, zero-proof beverages, upselling, responsible alcohol service, and guest engagement.
• Coach and develop bartenders into stronger beverage professionals and future leaders.
• Lead with a strong floor presence, clear expectations, and accountability.

Skills

Beverage management

Team leadership

Cost controls

Menu development

High-volume operations

Training & coaching

Education

Bachelor’s degree preferred

Job description

Virgin Hotels New York City is seeking a Bar & Beverage Manager to lead the beverage program across F&B outlets and serve as the primary operating leader for Riff Raff. This hands-on role combines creativity with business discipline to drive revenue, control costs, train staff, and deliver an exceptional guest experience.

The ideal candidate has 3–5+ years of progressive beverage management, strong knowledge of cocktails, wine, beer, and spirits, and the ability to balance creativity with