Director of Restaurant Operations (8236)

About the role

This position is responsible for providing strategic and operational leadership for Spotlight 29 Casino's restaurant outlets and front-of-house food service operations. The Director is accountable for delivering exceptional guest experiences while achieving financial, service, safety, and regulatory objectives. This position leads restaurant management teams, establishes consistent operating standards, and collaborates closely with Culinary, Beverage, Marketing, Player Development, Finance, Human Resources, Purchasing, Facilities, Security, and other departments to oversee operational activities and drive key initiatives. In addition, you are the HEART of our Five-Star Experience, embodying our Service Promise: We are the Twenty-Nine Palms Band of Mission Indians Team, where your experience is our top priority. Every person and detail matters. As leaders, you are responsible for delivering our Five-Star Experience through our Mission Statement, Service Promise, and department service standards. This includes consistently performing our service expectations with HEART: Hello, Engage, Anticipate, Resolve, Thank.

Responsibilities

• Provide outstanding customer service to guests and all other employees by exceeding our mission statement.
• Continually coach and support Team Members to ensure they have the skills, tools and resources to successfully complete their jobs, including the delivering of the HEART Experience expectations.
• Direct the daily operation of all assigned restaurants and front of house food service areas.
• Maintain a highly visible presence in the restaurants during peak business periods, special events and holidays.
• Ensure each outlet is properly prepared, staffed, clean and ready for service.
• Establish and enforce opening, closing, side work, cash handling, and manager walkthrough procedures.
• Conduct routine inspections of dining rooms, service stations, storage areas, and guest-facing spaces.
• Ensure menus, pricing, signage, point of sale systems and promotional materials are accurate and delivered on time.
• Coordinate restaurant operations with casino events, concerts, promotions, tournaments, and VIP activities.
• Respond quickly to operational challenges and minimize disruptions to the guest experience.
• Partner with Culinary leadership to maintain food quality, presentation, and ticket times.
• Ensure managers conduct effective pre-shift meetings and communicate daily priorities, promotions, specials, and service expectations.
• Monitor guest feedback, online reviews, comment cards, and service trends.
• Personally address significant guest concerns and ensure issues are resolved promptly and professionally.
• Maintain accurate documentation of guest complaints, service recovery actions, and comps.
• Ensure all complimentary items and discounts are issued and documented according to company policy.
• Develop programs that improve guest satisfaction, loyalty, and repeat business.
• Recognize team members who consistently deliver outstanding service.
• Develop and manage restaurant operating budgets, forecasts, and business plans.
• Review daily, weekly, and monthly financial results, including revenue, labor, cost of sales and operating expenses.
• Identify performance gaps and implement corrective action plans.
• Manage labor through accurate forecasting, effective scheduling, and appropriate deployment of team members.
• Monitor overtime, productivity and labor allocation by outlet and cost center.
• Partner with Culinary leadership to control food cost, waste, spoilage, and portioning.
• Monitor discounts, comps, voids, refunds, and other point of sale activity.
• Support menu engineering, pricing analysis, and promotional planning.
• Approve purchases and restaurant supply orders within established authority levels.
• Protect company assets and maintain appropriate internal controls.
• Monitor team member cash variance reports.
• Recruit, select, train, coach and develop restaurant managers and front of house team members.
• Establish clear expectations and hold leaders accountable for operational and financial results.
• Create succession plans and identify high-potential team members for advancement.
• Ensure management and hourly schedules are completed accurately and within established deadlines.
• Conduct performance evaluations and provide timely, constructive feedback.
• Address attendance, performance, and conduct concerns consistently and in partnership with Human Resources.
• Ensure corrective actions are completed and submitted in a timely manner.
• Promote teamwork, open communication, professional conduct, and mutual respect.
• Create an inclusive workplace that supports team member engagement and retention.
• Lead regular restaurant management meetings and participate in Food and Beverage leadership meetings.
• Continues development of menu engineering.
• Develop, implement, and maintain standard operating procedures.
• Ensure safety standards are enforced.
• Ensure team members are trained on steps of service, menu knowledge, suggestive selling, allergy awareness, responsible alcohol service, cash handling, and guest recovery.
• Maintain current training materials, position checklists, and service evaluations.
• Verify completion of all required company and regulatory training.
• Ensure RBS (responsible beverage service) and all state and local alcohol regulations, laws, and policies are being enforced.
• Evaluate service performance through direct observation, table visits, inspections, and documented follow-up.
• Ensure consistent uniform, grooming and professional appearance standards.
• Coordinate new-hire orientation and position-specific onboarding with departmental trainers and Human Resources.
• Maintain excellent communications with all Directors and Managers.
• Develops and implements approved departmental policies and procedures.
• Responsible for all necessary record keeping.
• Comprehensive understanding of forecasting, budgeting, scheduling, productivity, inventory controls (if applicable), P&L analysis, and cost controls.
• Ensure the budget for the department is monitored and adhered to by implementing effective processes and procedures.
• Prepare necessary data for the budget in area of responsibility; project annual costs and monitor actual results; take corrective action where necessary.
• Keep abreast of competitive changes including industry trends and local competitive set.
• Develop, maintain and nurture a positive work environment.
• Responsible for maintaining a disciplined environment and implement practices that promote safety, quality and productivity.
• Coordinate and supervise training, assignments, and development of subordinates.
• Ensure compliance with all Minimum Internal Control Standards (MICS) as well as all Tribal Internal Control Standards (TICS).
• Present a positive image of the Tribal organization to its guests and vendors and to assist them as required.
• Must follow all safety policies and procedures and attend all scheduled safety meetings and training as a condition of employment.
• Able to make difficult decision in a fair and honest manner.
• Strong verbal and written communication skills.
• Perform any other duties that may be assigned from time to time.

Supervisory responsibilities

Manage directly and indirectly all employees on the Food & Beverage department. Adhere to the Tribal organization’s policies, procedures and applicable laws. Responsible for the overall direction, coordination, and evaluation of this unit. Carry out supervisory responsibilities which include but are not limited to: interviewing and training employees; planning, assigning, and directing work; appraising performance; rewarding and disciplining employees; addressing complaints and resolving problems.

Qualifications

Education and experience

• Bachelor’s degree preferred in related field (or equivalent experience).
• Ten (10) years equivalent Supervisory/Management experience.

Certifications, licenses, and additional requirements