Evening F&B Manager: Wine & Dining Leader

Rebel Hotel Company; Santa Barbara (CA); On-site; USD 81,000 - 99,000; Full time

Job summary

El Encanto in Santa Barbara, CA, is seeking a PM Food & Beverage Manager – Dining Room to lead the evening dining operation, ensuring luxury hospitality and adherence to LQA standards. This highly visible role emphasizes wine and beverage knowledge and hands‑on leadership.

The position requires guiding guests through wine and beverage offerings, coaching the Dining Room team, and collaborating with Culinary and hotel leadership to elevate the guest experience.

Responsibilities

• Lead the PM Dining Room operation from pre-service preparation through closing, maintaining a visible and engaged presence throughout dinner service.
• Ensure service reflects El Encanto’s standards of gracious, intuitive, personalized, and polished hospitality.
• Lead effective pre-shift meetings covering reservations, VIPs, special occasions, menu updates, service priorities, and beverage features.
• Manage service flow, pacing, table maintenance, ambiance, and communication between front- and back-of-house teams.
• Build relationships with guests, recognize preferences and special occasions, and identify opportunities to personalize the dining experience.
• Take ownership of guest concerns and service recovery with professionalism, discretion, and timely follow-through.
• Maintain strong communication with Culinary and other hotel departments regarding guest needs, menu availability, allergies, special requests, and operational priorities.
• Serve as a primary wine and beverage resource during evening service, demonstrating strong knowledge of wine, spirits, cocktails, beer, and non‑alcoholic beverages.
• Guide guests confidently through the wine and beverage offerings, making thoughtful recommendations based on preferences, menu selections, occasion, and desired price point.
• Demonstrate strong knowledge of major Old World and New World wine regions, grape varieties, wine styles, food‑and‑wine pairing, and proper wine service.
• Maintain strong familiarity with California wines, particularly Santa Barbara County and the Central Coast.
• Ensure proper standards for wine presentation, glassware, temperature, opening, decanting, pouring, and tableside service.
• Support beverage revenue through authentic guest engagement and knowledgeable recommendations.
• Partner with the Restaurant General Manager and Food & Beverage leadership on beverage‑program execution, inventory controls, product availability, and opportunities to enhance the guest experience.
• Maintain awareness of relevant wine, spirits, cocktail, and non‑alcoholic beverage trends.
• Lead, coach, and develop Dining Room colleagues through clear expectations, real‑time feedback, accountability, and recognition.
• Maintain a thorough working knowledge of applicable LQA standards and ensure consistent execution throughout the Dining Room.
• Incorporate LQA expectations, service standards, and beverage education into pre‑shift meetings and ongoing floor coaching.
• Elevate team wine and beverage knowledge through tastings, pairing discussions, product education, and hands‑on service training.
• Coach colleagues to confidently discuss menu items, wines, spirits, cocktails, and appropriate pairings with guests in a natural and approachable manner.
• Support onboarding and development of new colleagues and identify ongoing training needs with the Restaurant General Manager.
• Reinforce professional appearance, conduct, teamwork, communication, and adherence to hotel policies and standards.
• Foster a culture of curiosity, ownership, continuous learning, and genuine hospitality.
• Monitor reservations, floor plans, staffing levels, and anticipated business volumes to ensure appropriate coverage and efficient deployment.
• Maintain awareness of covers, average check, beverage sales, labor, discounts, voids, comps, and other relevant operating metrics.
• Support beverage sales, labor management, inventory controls, and cost‑conscious operating practices without compromising the guest experience.
• Ensure established opening, closing, cash‑handling, point‑of‑sale, and reporting procedures are followed.
• Support responsible alcohol service and compliance with applicable food safety, sanitation, and operational requirements.
• Identify operational or service opportunities and partner with the Restaurant General Manager on appropriate solutions and follow‑up.
• Protect hotel assets and ensure equipment, supplies, wine, spirits, and other products are handled responsibly.

Job description

El Encanto in Santa Barbara, CA, is seeking a PM Food & Beverage Manager – Dining Room to lead the evening dining operation, ensuring luxury hospitality and adherence to LQA standards. This highly visible role emphasizes wine and beverage knowledge and hands‑on leadership.

The position requires guiding guests through wine and beverage offerings, coaching the Dining Room team, and collaborating with Culinary and hotel leadership to elevate the guest experience.