Brand and Marketing Manager

Specialty Restaurants; Costa Mesa (CA); On-site; USD 100,000 - 115,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Vacation pay

Medical insurance

Dental insurance

Vision insurance

On site lunch

Lifestyle Spending Account

Company dining package

Supplemental Benefit Plans

401k with employer match

Life Insurance

10 Paid Holidays

Education Assistance Program

Employee Assistance Program

Management Referral Program

Job summary

Specialty Restaurants is seeking an experienced Senior Brand & Marketing Manager to lead brand marketing for a multi-concept restaurant portfolio. This role shapes brand voice and presence across channels, leveraging storytelling and data-driven strategy to drive guest engagement and sustainable sales growth.

The ideal candidate has deep hospitality industry knowledge, a proven track record in brand storytelling, and the ability to balance creative vision with measurable results in a fast-paced,

Qualifications

• Bachelor-level education in marketing or related field.
• 3 years agency experience in hospitality preferred.
• 4-5 years in progressive brand/marketing leadership roles.
• Experience leading multi-channel campaigns for premium hospitality brands.
• Strong ability to build and execute brand strategies with ROI focus.
• Willingness to work nights and weekends as needed.
• Expertise in digital, social, CRM, and loyalty marketing.
• Excellent communication, leadership, and project management skills.
• Creative thinker with business and analytical mindset.
• Proven track record of driving guest loyalty and revenue growth.

Responsibilities

• Develop and evolve brand positioning, identity, and storytelling across channels.
• Translate business goals into brand strategies aligned with growth.
• Partner with leadership to align initiatives with company objectives.
• Design and execute integrated marketing plans for openings, promotions, launches.
• Ensure consistency across digital, social, PR, print, partnerships and in-restaurant activations.
• Lead content strategy and ensure authentic brand voice.

Skills

Brand strategy

Brand storytelling

Digital marketing

CRM & loyalty

Team leadership

Hospitality knowledge

Education

Bachelor's degree in Marketing, Communications, Business, or related field

Tools

OpenTable

Resy

Yelp

Uber Eats

Later

Hey Orca

Toast

SevenRooms

Tripleseat

Delphi

Job description

With over 15 iconic restaurant locations and growing-including beloved destinations like Rusty Pelican, Whiskey Joe's, and Castaway-Specialty Restaurants is a family-owned company with a rich legacy and an exciting future. Our restaurants are consistently recognized for excellence, including accolades such as OpenTable's Most Scenic Restaurants, Diner's Choice Awards, and regional "Best Of" honors.

Position Overview

We are seeking an experienced and innovative Senior Brand & Marketing Manager to lead brand marketing strategy and execution for our portfolio of restaurant concepts. This role is responsible for shaping the voice, identity, and presence of our brands across multiple channels and touchpoints. The ideal candidate has a deep understanding of the restaurant and hospitality industry, proven expertise in brand storytelling, and the ability to balance creative vision with data-driven strategy. This leader will drive guest engagement, build brand loyalty, and fuel sustainable sales growth.

Why Join the Specialty Restaurants Marketing Team?

You'll be joining a marketing team that values creativity, innovation, and measurable results. If you thrive in a fast-paced, multi-concept environment and want to shape the future of restaurant marketing, we'd love to meet you.

• Competitive salary in the range of $100,000-$115,000 annually depending on experience
• Benefits including vacation pay, medical, dental and vision insurance
• On site lunch provided Monday-Wednesday
• Lifestyle Spending Account, this benefit supports you and your family in numerous ways such as through gym memberships, child care, groceries, student loans & more!
• Company dining package with allotted spending amount each month
• Variety of Supplemental Benefit Plans for life's unknowns
• 401k with annual employer match after 12 months
• Employer paid Life Insurance throughout the length of employment
• 10 Paid Holidays
• Education Assistance Program (EdAP) for hospitality related education growth
• Employee Assistance Program (EAP) to assist with work life balance
• Management Referral Program with up to a $4,000 payout for qualifying management positions

Key Responsibilities

Brand Strategy & Development

• Develop and evolve brand positioning, identity, and storytelling that differentiates our restaurants in a competitive market.
• Translate business goals into brand strategies that resonate with diverse audiences and communities.
• Partner with executive leadership to align brand initiatives with company growth objectives.
• Design and execute integrated marketing plans for restaurant openings, seasonal promotions, menu launches, and high-impact brand campaigns.
• Ensure consistency and cohesion across digital, social, PR, print, partnerships, and in-restaurant activations.
• Lead creative development and content strategy, ensuring brand voice is authentic, engaging, and aligned with guest expectations.

Social Media, Digital & CRM

• Strong background in social media management and be comfortable developing content calendars, managing day-to-day posting, monitoring engagement, and identifying opportunities to grow brand visibility. Understanding programs such as Later, Hey Orca, or similar.
• Strong working knowledge of key restaurant platforms, including OpenTable, Resy, Yelp, Uber Eats, and other third-party systems, with the ability to optimize listings, update content, monitor performance, track revenue impact, and identify opportunities to drive reservations, delivery orders, and overall guest engagement.
• Oversee digital strategy including website, SEO, paid media, CRM/email, and loyalty program engagement.
• Build and grow an active social media community through dynamic content and guest-driven storytelling.
• Leverage analytics to refine audience targeting, conversion strategies, and personalized guest engagement.
• Proficiency in of email marketing, segmentation, SMS marketing through Toast, SevenRooms or similar.

Private Events Marketing

• Strong understanding of how to market private events, weddings, corporate events, social gatherings, holiday parties, and large group dining experiences.
• Ability to create marketing campaigns that drive private event inquiries, qualified leads, and booked revenue.
• Understanding of lead generation and conversion tracking, including inquiry forms, Tripleseat, Delphi or similar event platforms, website traffic, paid media performance, and booked event revenue.
• Ability to create clear, sales-driven messaging that encourages guests and planners to inquire, schedule a tour, or book an event.

Loyalty Marketing

• Manage and guide the Loyalty Marketing Specialist, providing clear direction on campaign priorities, reporting needs, program updates, and day-to-day execution.
• Lead the development of loyalty marketing strategies across email, SMS, in-restaurant promotion, digital campaigns, and guest engagement initiatives.
• Review loyalty program performance regularly, including member growth, active users, redemption rates, visit frequency, check average, lapsed members, and loyalty-driven revenue.
• Identify opportunities to improve program structure, guest benefits, sign-up growth, reward usage, and overall member engagement.

Local Store & Community Marketing

• Create scalable toolkits and programs that empower operators to effectively market in their communities.
• Partner with operations and culinary teams to ensure flawless execution and measure results.
• Champion grassroots marketing and community engagement initiatives that strengthen local brand presence.

Partnerships, PR & Influencers

• Manage agency and vendor relationships, including media, PR, and creative partners.
• Identify and secure strategic partnerships, sponsorships, and influencer collaborations to expand reach.
• Lead earned media and PR strategies to generate brand awareness and credibility

Data, Insights & Reporting

• Track, measure, and analyze marketing performance across all channels.
• Translate insights into actionable recommendations to optimize campaigns and maximize ROI.
• Present reporting and strategic recommendations to executive leadership.
• Mentor, and inspire a marketing team, fostering innovation, accountability, and professional growth.
• Collaborate cross-functionally with operations, culinary, HR, and finance to ensure alignment and execution.
• Serve as a thought leader and brand ambassador within the organization.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in marketing, Communications, Business, or related field.
• 3 years of agency experience, preferably in hospitality/ restaurants.
• 4-5 years of progressive brand/marketing experience, with at least 3 years in a senior leadership role.
• Experience leading marketing initiatives for luxury hotels, upscale or fine dining restaurants, destination hospitality, lifestyle brands, or premium consumer experiences strongly preferred.
• Proven ability to build and execute brand strategies and multi-channel marketing campaigns.
• Must have flexibility to work nights & weekends, as needed.
• Strong expertise in digital, social, CRM, and loyalty program marketing.
• Excellent communication, leadership, and project management skills.
• Highly creative thinker with strong business acumen and analytical mindset.
• Demonstrated success building premium brands that drive guest loyalty and sustained revenue growth.

Preferred Background

We encourage candidates with experience from luxury hotels, fine dining restaurants, destination hospitality, lifestyle brands, premium retail, or other guest-centric organizations known for delivering exceptional customer experiences to apply.