Main Purpose of the Job

Responsible for the effective day-to-day management of Food & Beverage operations (including restaurants, beverage operations and food and beverage service in the casino operations), with specific regard to:

• Achieving profitability in specific outlets
• Improving of standards of operation
• Maximising customer satisfaction
• Facilities and product maintenance and enhancement
• Ensuring all F&B operational efforts on the casino floor achieve the F&B strategy and objectives

Minimum requirements (Education and Experience)

• 3 Year Hotel School Diploma or equivalent National Qualification at Diploma level
• 9-10 years in the food and beverage industry of which at least 5 years are at a management level

Scope and limits of the job

Manages multiple teams that services guests visiting the business unit. Prepares and controls a

budget for multiple food, beverage and conferencing outlets within the business unit

Work conditions and special requirements

• Ability to work shifts that meet operational requirements
• Mobility and ability to move around as per job requirements (including with the use of aids)
• Physically be able to move operating equipment
• Have an open attitude to perform similar functions in alternative outlets due to operational requirements

Duties and responsibilities include

F&B Strategic Planning

• Understand the Group F&B strategy and align Unit F&B strategy
• Develop strategic objectives for the Unit’s F&B deliverables
• Facilitate the project management and achievement of milestones of F&B deliverables
• Direct F&B product analyses and benchmark with leading F&B trends
• Identify and investigate new F&B opportunities for the property
• Direct risk analyses i.t.o impact on short term profit margins vs. long term sustainability
• Provide clear delegation of authority and accountability for deliverables at all levels
• Communicate with all relevant Stakeholders internally at a unit and Group level and externally
• Manage and allocate people and operational resources
• Facilitate marketing plans relative to promotions and strategies
• Align strategies with EE, SD and procurement transformation strategies which contribute towards BBBEE targets being achieved for the property

F&B Revenue Optimisation

• Establish revenue targets per outlet to track performance on
• a daily basis
• Develop business action plans and promotions to capitalize
• on revenue and drive incremental revenues.
• Leverage off suppliers to drive value add promotional activity

Product Development

• Complete a competitor analysis of food, beverage and conferencing products in property catchment areas including pricing comparisons
• Conduct product performance analyses / reviews and make recommendations to address opportunities and gaps
• Provide product rationalisation on a regular basis or as required
• Motivate new product enhancements
• Budget and direct the implementation of approved projects
• Measure ROI and performance on a regular basis

• Share unit successes with other operations

F&B Standards & Governance

• Oversee F&B standards and processes at a unit level
• Integrates Group standards into Unit Operations
• Align practices with new legislative compliance around health, hygiene, safety and the environment
• Implement sufficient control measures (including systems and processes) & checks within each department to mitigate any financial risk to the business. All staff in F&B to adhere the policy and procedures.
• Conduct weekly walkabouts of all F&B front of house and back of house areas to monitor compliance
• Drive a waste management culture and ensure all staff are trained.
• Work with internal stakeholders (maintenance, finance, HR, and security) to identify risk areas and address these

People Management and Development

• Lead and motivate F&B employees and promote positive working relationships, direction and support
• Lead and oversee departmental communication ensuring employee and management interaction
• Measure and develop strategies to enhance employee engagement
• Identify and manage training, coaching and development requirements in line with strategic plans, e.g. skills shortages, succession plans, talent management
• Ensure competent levels of staff meet operational level requirements (right fit for the job)
• Source and Select talent as per EE plan to build the future food and beverage talent pipeline
• Performance Manage and coach reporting managers to ensure KPA’s are achieved
• Manage employee relations within the F&B function (monthly meetings with Union - formalised, minuted, issues addressed).

Financial management

• Budget forecasts & control
• Motivate and manage Capex requirements
• Complete Cost of Sales reports including
• Theoretical COS per outlet for food & beverage respectively.
• Recipes – Recipe links needs to be in place to ensure accuracy and legitimacy of theoretical as well as put us in a position for the theoretical to be system generated.
• Food recipe – All menu item food recipes to be reviewed and signed off and where needed recaptured into the system MC or IFS to ensure accurate food theoretical.
• Procurement – All supplier prices and supplier price quotes to be reviewed and monitored on a monthly basis going forward to ensure we monitor and track price movements to minimize input cost fluctuations.
• Cost control – oversee the conducting of accurate stock takes in line with Company process. Use stock takes variance reports to manage underperforming outlets in
• relation to COS
  
  

F&B Promotions & Marketing

• Liaise with Marketing to drive banqueting sales and
• marketing and promotional F&B activities
• Build collateral with marketing to position promotions to the
• external market
• Conduct post-mortem and analysis of promotions
• Calculate ROI

Reporting

• Consolidation monthly Financial Reports for the entire food
• and beverage operation including consolidated views of:
• Salary forecast vs actuals – salary monthly forecast to be
• based on rosters. Track and monitor salary cost in relation
• to revenue achieved daily and make adjustments
• throughout the month to bring salary cost in line as a
• percentage of revenue.
• Absenteeism – actively manage and report on
• absenteeism in line with company policy, rules, and
• regulations
• Productivity – Covers per hour/drinks per hour needs to
• be monitored daily to ensure staff are operating at the
• required level to achieve and exceed budgeted revenues
• with remedial action taken when not tracking on target.
• Sales targets – report on variation to set sales targets in
• line with staff productivities and revenues. Report on
• remedial action taken when targets not met.
• Labor brokers – report on the use of labour brokers and
• various against productivities

Customer Relationship Management

Develop a CVP in line with the unit strategy and marketing

• Guest feedback
• Deal with any escalations / complaints
• Frequent Interaction with guests (especially VIP’s)
• Supports VIP services in various initiatives i.e. functions,
• events
• Communicates customer standards to department for
• implementation
• Monitors customer standards and addresses gaps
• Be present and provide management support in F&B
• outlets and operation when required

Stakeholder relationship management

• Attends meeting as per schedule
• Informs department / staff of information required to
• perform the duties and restaurant operation effectively
• Communicates department’s objectives, standards and
• operating procedures to internal and external service
• providers as per SLA
• Communicates any special guest requirements or events
• to other relevant operating departments
• Provides feedback and reports back to Unit management on the performance and challenges within the restaurant
• Maintains regular communication with all relevant stakeholders with regards progress, issues, changes, etc.
• Provides feedback on operations to Group F&B on initiatives, performance, concerns, etc.

Planning

• Short term planning involves conducting the planning of activities to meet and optimise new business targets and growth in customer spending within the unit;
• Organise, plan and prioritise tasks to ensure that work gets done profitably and efficiently;

• Effective scheduling to ensure that team is adequately resourced to achieve targets/meet job requirements.

Decision making

• Apply business acumen and sound common sense to the overall management of food & beverage outlets and teams;
• Monitor changes in the food and beverage environment and is quick to act upon potential opportunities;
• Consider all the facts, options and possible outcomes prior to making decisions;
• Analyse and diagnose outlet performance issues in order to maximise or leverage the strengths of the team in a competitive environment;

• Able to makes sound decisions within procedural parameters, and provide appropriate motivations where necessary.

Problem solving

• Deal with diverse problems in own area, using judgment and discretion to resolve them;
• Provide information and make recommendations regarding products and services that will meet customer needs;
• Suggest initiatives to increase penetration of customer base;
• Solve a wide range of queries related to customer service, dealing with these sensitively and within operational/procedural limitations;
• Solutions should be profitable and ensure the correct customer behaviour in terms of product usage;
• Arbitrate / resolve difficult customer complaints and/or issues / disputes.
• Optimise and streamline existing systems and processes to support the business strategy in terms of cost efficiency, managing risks and improving the service offering;
• There are guidelines/ policies and procedures in place to be followed, but the incumbent needs to research new ways of doing things, with a view of constantly improving productivity and profitability.

Core behavioural competencies

• Motivating others / gaining co-operation
• Decision-making
• Training; coaching; keeping abreast of new developments in field
• Analysing / Diagnosing performance of the outlet / product performance
• Reviewing - Assessing feasibility; assessing compliance; efficiencies
• Appraising / Developing Others including evaluating for recruitment, performance, coaching and training
• Controlling people and non-people resources

• Influencing & negotiating skills

Technical / proficiency competencies

• Food & Beverage Cost and revenue management
• Food & Beverage Product Knowledge
• Financial management
• Team Planning
• Operational Management
• Product Analysis & Development
• Stock control
• Intermediate Computer Skill
• Micros / Opera is preferred