Food & Beverage Cafe Manager

Midtown Athletic Club; Palatine (IL); On-site; USD 65,000 - 75,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Complimentary club membership

401(k) with match

Paid time off & parental leave

Flexible Spending Accounts

Job summary

Midtown Athletic Club is seeking a seasoned senior leader to oversee all food and beverage operations on-site at a Palatine location. You will manage café, poolside concessions, and events, guiding front- and back-of-house teams to deliver a high-quality, social dining experience aligned with Midtown standards.

You will sit on the Senior Leadership Team, driving revenue, controlling costs, and mentoring a 25+ person team while shaping culinary direction with the National Director and F&B

Qualifications

• 2+ years managing food and beverage or hospitality operations.
• Experience leading teams of 25+ associates in a fast-paced environment.
• Strong understanding of P&L, including labor and COGS.
• Experience managing front-of-house and back-of-house operations.

Responsibilities

• Lead Midtown's F&B operations, overseeing café, poolside concessions, and events.
• Serve on the Senior Leadership Team and collaborate across departments.
• Balance hospitality with operational excellence and financial performance.
• Recruit, train, coach, and develop associates and supervisors.
• Develop culinary direction with the National Director and F&B leadership.
• Oversee inventory, procurement, safety, sanitation, and vendor relationships.

Skills

F&B operations leadership

Team leadership

P&L management

Operations planning

Job description

Midtown exists to inspire people to become their best selves through the power of movement, connection, and belonging. Founded in 1970, Midtown has grown from one tennis club in Chicago to owning and operating eight luxury athletic clubs across the United States and Canada.

The Opportunity & Your Impact

In this role, you will lead Midtown's food and beverage experience by managing daily operations, developing talent, and delivering a consistently elevated dining environment across all outlets. You will be responsible for balancing hospitality, operational excellence, and business performance; ensuring members enjoy a high-quality, welcoming, and socially engaging experience.

You will play a key role in shaping Midtown's hybrid hospitality model, where luxury service standards meet a casual, community-driven club environment.

Job Overview

• On site at a Midtown Athletic Club location.: 1760 N Hicks Rd, Palatine, IL 60074
• Full-time, salaried senior leadership role.
• Oversees all food and beverage operations including café, poolside concessions, and events.
• Leads both front-of-house and back-of-house operations in partnership with National Director of Food & Beverage

How You'll Contribute

• Serve on the club's Senior Leadership Team (SLT), collaborating across departments to strengthen operations, advance strategic priorities, and achieve shared goals
• Own the member experience: Ensure all outlets deliver a consistent, high-quality hospitality experience that balances luxury service with an approachable, social atmosphere.
• Lead daily F&B operations: Manage front, and back-of-house functions, ensuring efficiency, consistency, and alignment with Midtown standards.
• Drive business performance: Manage revenue, expenses, labor, and cost of goods to meet financial goals while maintaining strong member satisfaction.
• Build and develop the team: Recruit, train, coach, and develop associates and supervisors through ongoing feedback, mentorship, and performance management.
• Partner on culinary direction: Collaborate with the National Director and F&B Leadership to develop offerings, maintain standard operating procedures (SOPs), and evolve that align with member needs and industry trends.
• Lead and support events and programming: Partner with club leadership to create and execute engaging food and beverage experiences that drive participation and community.
• Maintain operational excellence: Oversee inventory, procurement, safety, sanitation, and vendor relationships to ensure efficient and compliant operations.

What You'll Need to Succeed

• 2+ years managing food and beverage or hospitality operations.
• Experience leading teams of 25+ associates in a fast-paced environment, adapting to changing priorities and operational needs.
• Strong understanding of P&L management, including labor, cost of goods sold (COGS), and expenses.
• Experience managing both front-of-house and back-of-house operations.
• Strong communication, organization, and leadership skills.
• Alignment with Midtown's core values: Win together, Glass half-full, Passionate about helping others, Better than yesterday, and Kind.

How You'll Know You're Successful

• Members consistently experience high-quality, welcoming, and engaging dining across all outlets.
• Food and beverage operations meet or exceed financial performance targets.
• Team members demonstrate strong performance, engagement, and development.
• Service, food quality, and operational standards are maintained consistently.
• Events drive participation, support interdepartmental programming, and enhance the club experience.

Compensation & Benefits

Compensation Range: $65,000-75,000 annually. The final offered salary will be based on several factors, including but not limited to the candidate's depth of experience, skill set, qualifications, and internal pay equity.

Some of the benefits offered to eligible team members include:

• Complimentary individual Midtown club membership
• Associate discounts, recognition programs, and professional development support
• Medical, dental, and vision insurance where applicable
• 401(k) retirement savings plan with company match
• Paid time off and paid parental leave
• Flexible Spending Accounts
• Life, AD&D, and disability insurance
• And more

Please refer to our benefits overview for full details: https://careers.midtown.com/about-us/benefits/

MIDTOWN is an Equal Opportunity Employer.