Food, Beverage & Events Manager

Position Title: Food Beverage & Events Manager

Reports to: Sr. Manager Guest Services and Retail

Classification

Type: full-time non-exempt position

Schedule: Approximately 40 hours a week with occasional weekends events and holidays.

Minimum starting salary: 42000 Depending on Experience

Scott Family Amazeum Overview

The Scott Family Amazeum is a hands-on interactive museum in Northwest Arkansas and recognized as a 501 (c)(3) non-profit organization. We create a fun environment where risk taking imagining problem solving discovery collaboration and exploration bring children and adults together to learn and grow.

Core Purpose: The Amazeum exists to spark and nurture the curious and creative spirit in all of us.

Through experiences with the Amazeum individuals and the community are engaged in building relationships and developing identities as creative curious and innovative shapers for the region. Learning at the Amazeum is an active playful exploration that inspires curiosity. It is rooted in inquiry-based discovery and involves an element of risk. Hands-on learning opportunities allow guests to exercise critical thinking in the context of play. The Amazeum facility includes approximately 50000 square feet of indoor space and one acre of outdoor exhibition and activity space. The museum is located at the intersection of Museum Way and J Street in Bentonville AR.

Position Summary

The Food Beverage & Events Manager is a dynamic revenue-focused leader responsible for building and managing a $500K business that includes café operations event rentals; included but not limited to birthday parties corporate functions and other special events. This role combines strategic business development with hands-on operational excellencedriving growth in event bookings and food service while ensuring exceptional guest experiences that align with the Amazeum s mission.

This position provides direct leadership and performance oversight of cafe team members including hiring training scheduling coaching performance management and corrective action. It also requires an outgoing detail-oriented professional who can lead menu planning and food preparation sell the Amazeum as a premier event venue coordinate complex logistics lead menu planning and collaborate cross-departmentally to deliver flawless events. The ideal candidate thrives in a lean agile environment where they coordinate the work but arent afraid to roll up their sleeves and execute alongside the teamfrom cooking and coffee service to managing high-level client relationships.

Essential Functions

Food & Beverage Operations

• Manage all aspects of the museums café and event food service operations including menu planning ingredient sourcing preparation and presentation
• Perform hands-on food preparation and cooking using specialized equipment including the Ibex oven coffee service equipment and other commercial kitchen tools
• Develop creative high-quality menus that accommodate diverse dietary needs align with kitchen capabilities and enhance the overall guest experience
• Maintain exceptional standards of food safety sanitation and quality in compliance with health department regulations and Arkansas Food Handler requirements
• Negotiate vendor contracts and cultivate strategic supplier partnerships to secure favorable pricing reliable delivery and high-quality ingredients
• Manage food costs with a targeted annual food cost goal of 28% on projected revenue of $398800.36 (approximately $111664 annually) monitoring inventory waste reduction purchasing practices and menu engineering to achieve margin objectives while maintaining service excellence.

Business Development & Revenue Generation

• Drive event rental sales by actively promoting the Amazeum to corporate clients community organizations and the public as a premier venue for meetings parties and special events
• Develop and execute sales strategies to meet and exceed annual revenue targets for events food service and birthday party programs
• Build and maintain relationships with corporate decision-makers event planners and community partners to secure repeat and referral business
• Respond to event inquiries with exceptional customer service create compelling proposals and close sales through professional presentations and follow-through
• Collaborate with Marketing team to create promotional materials social media content and outreach campaigns that showcase the venue and drive bookings
• Identify and pursue opportunities to expand event offerings packages and revenue streams while maintaining alignment with the Amazeums mission

Event Strategy & Coordination

• Lead the full life cycle of event operations from inquiry and booking through execution reconciliation and post-event follow-up
• Serve as the primary point of contact for all external clients and internal stakeholders managing expectations and ensuring seamless communication
• Coordinate all event logistics including timelines room setups audiovisual needs staffing requirements catering services and vendor management
• Manage day-of event operations with confidence and professionalism troubleshooting issues handling emergent guest concerns and ensuring events run smoothly
• Develop event packages pricing structures and service offerings that are competitive profitable and reflective of the Amazeum experience
• Maintain organized records of bookings contracts client communications and event documentation using event management systems

Financial Management & Business Planning

• Make progress toward monthly and yearly revenue goals adjusting strategies as needed to meet or exceed targets
• Prepare and reconcile invoices manage client billing and maintain accurate financial documentation for all events and food service operations
• Analyze profit and loss reports identify trends and implement cost-control measures that optimize profitability without compromising quality
• Track key performance metrics and provide regular reporting to leadership on revenue expenses customer satisfaction and operational efficiency
• Develop and manage team schedules to align staffing levels with projected demand ensuring excellent guest experience while maintaining labor efficiency
• Monitor and manage labor costs including payroll forecasting overtime control and productivity analysis to meet budgeted labor targets

Team Leadership & Cross-Departmental Collaboration

• Directly supervise cafe team members including hiring onboarding training scheduling coaching performance management and corrective action.
• Develop staffing plans aligned with projected demand managing labor costs while maintaining guest experience standards.
• Partner with the Guest Services Manager to coordinate associate support for events when additional staffing is needed as there is no large dedicated events team
• Train Guest Services Associates and temporary event staff on event protocols food handling hospitality standards and customer service excellence
• Collaborate effectively cross-departmentally to ensure seamless event execution and museum-wide alignment
• Foster a positive team dynamic that encourages collaboration accountability and continuous improvement

General Duties

The responsibilities listed above are intended only as illustrations of the various types of work that may be performed. The omission of specific statements of duties does not exclude them from the position if the work is similar related or a logical assignment to the position. The Amazeum reserves the right to revise or change position duties and responsibilities as necessary to accommodate changing organizational needs.

Minimum Requirements:

• 21 years of age
• High school diploma or equivalent
• 5 years of cumulative experience in event management food and beverage operations hospitality or related field with increasing responsibility
• 2 year hands-on experience with cooking food preparation menu planning and professional food service operations.
• 1 year experience supervising employees including hiring onboarding scheduling performance management and corrective action.
• Demonstrated experience building and leading high-performing teams in food service hospitality or event environments.
• Working knowledge of employment practices workplace safety standards and food service compliance requirements.
• Experience managing budgets controlling costs and meeting financial targets in a revenue-driven environment.
• Experience working effectively with people of diverse backgrounds in professional environments with emphasis on collaborative cross-functional projects.
• Strong sales skills ability to build relationships and confidence presenting to diverse stakeholders.
• Exceptional attention to detail with high degree of accuracy in planning execution and follow-through.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills; ability to interact professionally with all organizational levels and external clients.
• Strong organizational and project management skills with ability to manage multiple overlapping deadlines and competing priorities.
• Hands-on leadership style that balances strategic coordination with willingness to execute operational tasks.
• High proficiency with Microsoft Office or Google Suite.

All applicants must be able to:

• Provide necessary documentation to prove that you are a U.S. citizen permanent resident or a foreign national with authorization to work in the United States.
• Complete and pass a background check.

Physical Requirements

• Ability to stand and walk and move throughout the kitchen cafe event and museum spaces for extended periods (up to 8 hours during peak service times and events).
• Ability to navigate the museum campus kitchen facilities storage areas and event spaces efficiently and safely during routine operations and high-volume programming.
• Ability to frequently lift carry move and position items weighing up to 50 pounds (e.g. food products beverage supplies event materials tables and equipment).
• Ability to push and pull loaded carts racks and food service equipment.
• Ability to operate some commercial kitchen equipment.
• Ability to bend twist kneel crouch reach overhead and climb short step ladders as required for kitchen operations and event setup.
• Ability to perform repetitive hand and arm motions including chopping stirring plating typing and handling small equipment.
• Ability to work in varied environmental conditions in the kitchen area museum space and outdoor event settings.
• Ability to work in a fast-paced environment with varying noise levels included elevated noise typical of childrens programming cafe operations and event activities.
• Ability to visually assess food quality safety conditions written materials and event setup details.
• Ability to work safely and professionally in close proximity to large crowds including children families corporate clients and community guests.
• to visually assess museum for Ability to navigate the museum campus and event spaces efficiently

Preferred Skills:

• Bachelors degree in Hospitality Management Business Administration Culinary Arts or related field
• Experience in a museum cultural institution nonprofit or educational environment
• Experience supervising and developing staff volunteers or temporary event teams
• Experience with Ibex ovens or similar high-speed commercial cooking equipment
• Coffee service or barista experience
• Bilingual proficiency (English/Spanish preferred)