BAR MANAGER

Rokka Grill & Whiskey Bar; Whittier (CA); On-site; USD 90,000 - 140,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Competitive compensation

Bonus opportunities

Career growth

Leadership opportunity

Collaborative culture

Job summary

Rokka Whiskey Bar is seeking an experienced Bar Manager to lead and elevate our beverage programs in a high-volume setting. You will supervise bar staff, develop and implement innovative cocktail, whiskey, and wine programs, and partner with Culinary, Operations, and Marketing to drive guest experiences and profitability.

The ideal candidate brings extensive leadership in upscale casual concepts, a strong financial acumen, and the ability to train and motivate a top-performing team while

Qualifications

• 8+ years of verifiable leadership experience in upscale beverage operations, Bar Manager or Beverage Manager roles.
• Bilingual in English and Spanish, written and spoken.
• Experience managing high-volume restaurant bars with beverage programs, wine and whiskey focus.
• Open availability including mornings, nights, weekends, holidays.
• Authorized to work in the United States and have reliable transportation.

Responsibilities

• Direct and oversee daily bar and beverage operations.
• Recruit, train, coach, and develop bar staff.
• Drive beverage sales and profitability.
• Develop and execute beverage strategies (signature cocktails, whiskey, wine, brunch, coffee).
• Manage purchasing, inventory, budgets, and cost controls.
• Ensure compliance with regulations and health/safety standards.
• Collaborate with Culinary, Operations, and Marketing on promotions and events.

Job description

Bar Manager – Rokka Whiskey Bar

Position Overview

Rokka Whiskey Bar is seeking an experienced, bilingual, highly motivated, and results-driven Bar Manager to lead and elevate every aspect of our beverage program. This executive-level leadership position is responsible for overseeing all bar operations, developing high-performing teams, driving beverage sales and profitability, maintaining operational excellence, creating innovative cocktail programs, curating a premium whiskey and wine program, developing brunch and coffee beverage programs, and delivering exceptional guest experiences consistent with an upscale American restaurant and whiskey bar.

The ideal candidate is a hospitality professional with extensive experience managing high-volume restaurant bars, whiskey programs, fine dining beverage operations, craft cocktail programs, wine service, and specialty coffee. This individual must combine operational excellence, creativity, financial discipline, and leadership while building systems, developing people, and maintaining the highest standards of hospitality.

Minimum Qualifications

• Minimum 8 years of verifiable experience as a Bar Manager, Beverage Manager, or similar leadership role in upscale casual, steakhouse, whiskey bar, American restaurant, cocktail lounge, or fine dining concepts.
• Experience managing beverage operations within restaurants generating at least $2.5 million in annual sales.
• Experience leading, developing, and supervising bartenders, barbacks, servers, and support staff.
• Bilingual (English and Spanish), spoken and written, required.
• Open availability, including mornings, evenings, weekends, holidays, and special events.
• Professional appearance and professional demeanor.
• Excellent leadership, communication, organizational, and coaching skills.
• Authorization to work in the United States.
• Reliable transportation.

Primary Responsibilities

• Direct and oversee all daily bar and beverage operations.
• Recruit, interview, hire, onboard, train, coach, mentor, evaluate, and develop bar staff.
• Build a culture of professionalism, accountability, hospitality, teamwork, urgency, and continuous improvement.
• Drive beverage sales while maximizing profitability.
• Develop annual, seasonal, and promotional beverage strategies.
• Analyze daily, weekly, monthly, and annual sales performance.
• Create and execute action plans to increase beverage revenue and guest check averages.
• Maintain the highest standards of beverage quality, presentation, consistency, cleanliness, organization, and guest experience.
• Oversee purchasing, receiving, inventory management, storage, transfers, and waste reduction.
• Prepare beverage budgets and monitor liquor, wine, beer, labor, and operating costs.
• Analyze P&L reports, sales reports, inventory reports, labor reports, and operational KPIs.
• Maintain vendor relationships and negotiate purchasing opportunities.
• Ensure compliance with ABC regulations, Responsible Beverage Service requirements, Health Department regulations, OSHA standards, company policies, and applicable California labor laws.
• Coordinate preventive maintenance of all bar equipment.
• Resolve guest concerns professionally while delivering exceptional hospitality.
• Partner with Culinary, Operations, and Marketing teams to execute beverage promotions, whiskey dinners, wine dinners, pairing events, tastings, product launches, and seasonal menu changes.

Beverage Program Leadership

• Signature Cocktail Program
• Premium Whiskey Program
• Premium Wine Program
• Brunch Beverage Program
• Coffee & Espresso Beverage Program
• Zero-Proof & Mocktail Program
• Seasonal Beverage Menus
• Recipe Manuals
• Beverage Specifications
• Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs)
• Costing Sheets
• Prep Guides
• Inventory Systems
• Ordering Procedures
• Product Rotation Standards
• Waste Control Programs
• Opening & Closing Procedures
• Cleaning & Sanitation Standards
• Beverage Presentation Standards
• Glassware Standards
• Garnish Standards
• Accountability Systems
• Training Manuals
• Operational Forms, Logs, and Checklists

Required Beverage Knowledge

Candidates must possess advanced knowledge and practical experience in:

Whiskey

• Bourbon
• Rye Whiskey
• American Whiskey
• Scotch Whisky
• Irish Whiskey
• Japanese Whisky
• Canadian Whisky
• Single Malts
• Blended Scotch
• Limited Release & Allocated Whiskeys
• Whiskey Flights
• Whiskey Tastings
• Distillation Methods
• Barrel Aging
• Regional Flavor Profiles

Wine

• Old World and New World wines.
• Major wine-producing regions including France, Italy, Spain, Portugal, Germany, Argentina, Chile, Australia, New Zealand, and the United States.
• Grape varietals including Cabernet Sauvignon, Pinot Noir, Merlot, Syrah/Shiraz, Malbec, Tempranillo, Sangiovese, Nebbiolo, Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Riesling, Chenin Blanc, Pinot Grigio, and additional premium varietals.
• Wine classifications, vintages, aging potential, storage, service standards, and cellar management.
• Wine purchasing and inventory management.
• Wine cost control and menu engineering.
• Food and wine pairing principles.
• Ability to recommend wines based on guest preferences and menu selections.

Mixology & Spirits

• Classic cocktails.
• Modern craft cocktails.
• Signature cocktail development.
• Advanced mixology techniques.
• Fresh juices.
• House-made syrups.
• Shrews.
• Infusions.
• Foams.
• Tinctures.
• Premium spirits.
• Gin.
• Vodka.
• Rum.
• Tequila.
• Mezcal.
• Cognac.
• Cordials & Liqueurs.
• Amari.
• Craft Beer.
• Draft Beer Systems.
• Aperitifs.
• Digestifs.

Brunch Beverage Program

Extensive experience creating and managing brunch beverage programs including:

• Mimosa Flights
• Bellinis
• Bloody Mary Variations
• Espresso Martinis
• Coffee Cocktails
• Frozen Cocktails
• Low-ABV Cocktails
• Seasonal Brunch Cocktails
• Specialty Lemonades
• Fresh Juices
• House-Made Mixers

Coffee & Barista Knowledge (Required)

Minimum working knowledge and operational experience with:

• Espresso preparation.
• Espresso machine calibration and maintenance.
• Milk steaming and texturing.
• Latte.
• Cappuccino.
• Flat White.
• Cortado.
• Americano.
• Macchiato.
• Mocha.
• Specialty coffee beverages.
• Coffee bean selection.
• Grind calibration.
• Basic latte art.
• Coffee cocktails.
• Coffee menu development.

Non-Alcoholic Beverage Programs

• Premium Mocktails.
• Zero-Proof Cocktails.
• Fresh Lemonades.
• House-Made Sodas.
• Iced Tea Programs.
• Premium Hot Tea Service.
• Specialty Seasonal Beverages.

Training & Team Development

• Develop comprehensive beverage education programs.
• Train bartenders, servers, managers, and support staff.
• Teach whiskey styles, production methods, tasting notes, and guest recommendations.
• Train employees on wine regions, grape varietals, service techniques, pronunciation, tasting notes, and food pairings.
• Conduct regular whiskey tastings, wine tastings, cocktail classes, and coffee education sessions.
• Train employees on espresso preparation and specialty coffee beverages.
• Develop recipe manuals, beverage specifications, training materials, quizzes, certifications, and SOPs.
• Coach staff to confidently recommend cocktails, wines, whiskey flights, coffee beverages, and food pairings that improve guest satisfaction and increase beverage sales.

Technical Qualifications

• Advanced proficiency in Microsoft Office:
• Excel
• Word
• Outlook
• PowerPoint
• Experience using multiple POS systems including Toast, Aloha, Micros, Square, or similar.
• Experience with inventory management software, scheduling platforms, and reporting systems.
• Strong understanding of beverage costing, menu engineering, inventory management, labor management, purchasing, and financial reporting.
• Experience creating operational manuals, SOPs, policies, procedures, forms, logs, accountability systems, and checklists.
• Strong computer proficiency and ability to quickly learn new software platforms.

Leadership Competencies

• Exceptional leadership.
• Hospitality-driven mindset.
• Emotional intelligence.
• Professionalism.
• Integrity.
• Creativity and innovation.
• Strong financial and business acumen.
• Strategic thinking.
• Organizational excellence.
• High attention to detail.
• Strong communication skills.
• Coaching and mentoring abilities.
• Conflict resolution skills.
• Accountability.
• Sense of urgency.
• Ability to lead under pressure in a fast-paced, high-volume environment.

Preferred Qualifications

• Certified Bourbon Steward, Executive Bourbon Steward, WSET, Court of Master Sommeliers, BarSmarts, Specialty Coffee Association (SCA), or equivalent certifications are highly desirable.
• Experience opening new restaurant concepts or developing beverage programs from the ground up.
• Proven success increasing beverage sales, profitability, guest satisfaction, and team performance through innovative beverage programs and operational excellence.

What We Offer

• Competitive compensation.
• Performance-based bonus opportunities.
• Career growth within a rapidly expanding hospitality group.
• Opportunity to lead and shape one of Southern California’s premier whiskey bar and upscale dining beverage programs.
• A collaborative, high-performance, hospitality-driven culture.

Rokka Whiskey Bar is an Equal Opportunity Employer. Qualified applicants will be considered without regard to any status protected by applicable federal, California, or local law. Employment decisions are based on qualifications, experience, business needs, and the ability to perform the essential functions of the position, with or without reasonable accommodation.