Wine and Beverage Director

One of America’s most beloved restaurants, Gramercy Tavern has welcomed guests to enjoy its contemporary American cuisine, warm hospitality, and unparalleled service since 1994. Chef Michael Anthony’s fiercely seasonal menu consists of elegant dishes with a rustic influence that showcases the restaurant’s relationships with local farms and purveyors. The restaurant can be enjoyed through two distinct dining experiences: the Tavern and the Dining Room. The Tavern serves an à la carte menu in a casual, walk-in setting. The Dining Room offers fixed-price and tasting menus. The wine list spans over 2,000 selections by the bottle with a focus on the United States, France, and Italy.

Who you are:

The Wine and Beverage Director for Gramercy Tavern is responsible for ensuring the excellence, creativity, brand promise, and profitability of the wine and beverage programs within the restaurant. You serve as a leader, educator, coach, and mentor to the Bar Manager and Service Teams by inspiring and teaching skills that will elevate the core values and mission of USHG. You work with Senior leadership to make decisions that impact the financial health of the business and do so in a way that is aligned with the culture and policies of the company.

What you’ll do:

• Consistently drive a culture of Enlightened Hospitality.
• Partner with the management team to lead the service staff in ensuring that USHG provides unparalleled hospitality for every guest.
• Endlessly look for opportunities for Beverage to open doors to Hospitality and dialogue between guests and businesses.
• Guide teams in discovering ways to ‘find the yes’ for guests in a manner that upholds the integrity of USHG operations.
• Build a culture of enlightened hospitality by ensuring excellent standards of service, communication, and education.
• Use Beverage to actively drive cover counts and introduce new guests to our brand as well as encouraging existing guests to return.
• Consistently looks for internal and external opportunities to build our growing team
• Fosters a positive, collaborative work environment for both the service and kitchen teams, ensuring clear communication at all times
• Educate the Service Team on the beer, spirits, cocktail, and non-alcoholic beverage offerings for all beverages within the restaurant in a way that adds quality and value as well as enhances the guest experience while achieving and surpassing financial goals.
• Ensure that all end-of-period reports, inventories, and forecasts are completed accurately and on time.
• Ensure that all beverage changes are executed properly with necessary communication and with education in mind.
• Ensure that all POS systems, inventory systems, beverage lists, and any other information related to the selling of beverages are understood by the team and remain accurate and up to date.
• Maintain key relationships with other beverage/wine managers and directors across USHG. Show commitment to sharing best practices and learning from a family of professionals.
• Perform all due diligence, utilize strategy, and exercise exceptional judgment in order to ensure we are getting the best possible product for the most advantageous price possible

What we need from you:

• 3+ years of restaurant beverage management experience
• Excellent Beverage knowledge – including beer, wine, and spirits
• Excellent understanding of beverage inventory and cost management
• Excellent knowledge of restaurant service team roles
• Strong communication and people management skills
• Fluency in the English language

What you’ll get from us:

• Annual salary of $95,000-$100,000 plus bonus potential*
• Comprehensive Medical, Dental, and Vision insurance
• Paid Time Off to support you with an active life outside of work
• Paid Parental Leave
• Life Insurance
• Flexible Spending Options (health care, dependent care, transit & parking)
• Employee Assistance Program to support overall mental wellbeing
• Exclusive access to primary care, mental health, and other healthcare services
• Annual dining credit and 51% dining discount throughout the USHG family of restaurants
• Matched 401(k) to help you invest in your future
• Access to the USHG HUGS Employee Relief Fund

*The above represents the expected salary range for this position. Ultimately, in determining your pay, we'll consider your experience and other job-related factors.

The responsibilities outlined above are not exhaustive. This role may be required to take on other duties or projects as necessary to support organizational goals, in alignment with their skills, experience, and the evolving needs of the business.

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