Director of Food and Beverage

Position Overview

The Executive Director of Food & Beverage is the senior culinary and hospitality leader overseeing all food, beverage, and event operations at Fairlane Hotel, combining the strategic and financial leadership of the Food & Beverage Manager with the culinary leadership of the Executive Chef into a single, accountable role. This role leads Modern Love restaurant and its team, the culinary brigade, and banquet and events staff, ensuring every guest touchpoint — from à la carte dining to private events and pop-up programming — reflects Fairlane Hotel’s standard of quality, creativity, and consistency.

CORE RESPONSIBILITIES

• Oversee daily operations of Modern Love restaurant, including front- and back-of-house performance, guest experience, and service standards.
• Partner with restaurant leadership to ensure FOH/BOH alignment on pace, quality, and guest satisfaction.
• Maintain a visible, hands-on presence across outlets, especially during peak service periods.
• Ensure amenities, in-room dining, and ancillary F&B offerings meet brand standards.

Culinary Vision & Menu Development

• Develop and refine menus across Modern Love, banquets, amenities, and special programming in alignment with the hotel’s concept and brand.
• Establish and document recipes, plating, and presentation standards across all outlets.
• Incorporate seasonality and creativity while maintaining consistency and outlet identity.
• Lead pop-up concepts and special culinary activations that elevate the hotel’s dining profile.

Banquets, Events & Programming

• Plan and execute banquet, event, and group F&B to standard and budget.
• Collaborate with Sales and Events teams to ensure seamless execution of functions and private events.
• Oversee banquet staff and ensure consistency across catered and group experiences.

Financial & Cost Management

• Own the full F&B P&L, including revenue, cost of goods sold (COGS), and labor.
• Develop budgets, forecasts, and pricing strategies that meet financial targets.
• Oversee purchasing, receiving, inventory, and vendor relationships across all outlets.
• Partner with Finance and hotel leadership on budgeting, reporting, and cost-control practices.

Leadership & Team Development

• Hire, train, schedule, and develop culinary, restaurant, and banquet team members.
• Build a strong, professional culture across all F&B teams with clear standards and accountability.
• Provide regular feedback and performance management; establish training programs and growth paths.
• Serve as a unifying leader across culinary, restaurant, and event functions, ensuring consistent communication and shared standards.

Health, Safety & Sanitation

• Ensure compliance with all food safety and sanitation standards across outlets.
• Maintain inspection-ready kitchens, storage, and service areas at all times.
• Enforce proper food handling, storage, and labeling procedures.

QUALIFICATIONS

• Progressive culinary and F&B leadership experience, including prior Executive Chef, F&B Director, or F&B Manager-level roles.
• Experience managing multi-outlet F&B operations, including restaurants, banquets, and events.
• Strong understanding of food cost control, purchasing, and P&L management.
• Food safety certification (ServSafe or equivalent).
• Hands-on leadership style with strong operational discipline and business acumen.

PREFERRED

• Experience in boutique, lifestyle, or independent hotels and restaurants.
• Familiarity with the Nashville dining market and local sourcing.
• Experience launching or running pop-up concepts or culinary activations.
• Strong team development and mentorship background.

PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS & WORK ENVIRONMENT

• Able to stand and work for extended periods across kitchen, restaurant, and event spaces.
• Able to lift and carry up to 50 lbs.
• Able to work in a hot, fast-paced kitchen and high-volume service environment.
• Able to safely operate kitchen equipment and knives.
• Able to maintain an active, visible presence on the line and on the floor during peak service.

SCHEDULE & AVAILABILITY

• This is a full-time, on-property role.
• The Executive Director of Food & Beverage must be available for nights, weekends, holidays, and special events.
• The Executive Director of Food & Beverage must maintain a strong presence during peak service periods across all outlets.
• The Executive Director of Food & Beverage must adjust schedule based on business demands.