Food and Beverage Manager

Idle Hour Country Club, founded in 1946, is a prestigious private, member-owned club located in Lexington, Kentucky. Rooted deeply in tradition, hospitality, and a strong multi-generational community, the club is currently undergoing significant clubhouse and kitchen renovations. These renovations reflect the club's ongoing commitment to enhancing its facilities and elevating the member experience. With a focus on investing in robust systems, clear standards, and strong leadership, Idle Hour aims to ensure exceptional service delivery that does not rely on emergency fixes or last-minute heroics. The club’s dedication to excellence in service is evident in every aspect of its operations, especially its dining experience, which is one of the most prominent ways members connect with the club.

Dining at Idle Hour Country Club represents a key component of the overall member experience. The Food & Beverage Manager plays a critical role in ensuring that this experience is consistently excellent by leading dining room systems and service execution. Reporting directly to the Service Director and working closely with senior leadership including the General Manager/COO, Clubhouse Manager, Executive Chef, and front-of-house supervisors, this role embodies operational leadership during service periods. The Food & Beverage Manager is responsible for managing the dining room during lunch, dinner, and events, emphasizing the smooth flow of service, pacing, and team support from open to close.

This role demands a leader with a strong systems mindset who can transform training, service standards, and operational procedures into consistent day-to-day execution. The Food & Beverage Manager is essential for driving the operational philosophy of Idle Hour: S.A.V.E., which stands for Sense of Urgency, Attention to Detail, Vision, and Execute Excellence Every Time. The individual in this position ensures these principles materialize in every member interaction and team operation. It is a high-impact, high-visibility leadership role requiring calm and decisive action during busy service times, a commitment to creating a culture of accountability and hospitality, and the ability to lead from the floor.

In addition to overseeing service operations, the Food & Beverage Manager offers real-time coaching and feedback to servers, runners, and support staff, reinforcing service standards and supporting the development of new team members. They ensure all systems and standard operating procedures are followed meticulously and operational readiness is maintained. Staffing plans are executed daily to meet demand, with shift performance monitored and adjusted as necessary. Member satisfaction remains a top priority, with proactive engagement to create welcoming experiences and effective service recovery when issues arise.

The role requires working flexible hours including evenings, weekends, and holidays, reflecting the nature of food and beverage service in the club environment. Candidates ideally possess prior food and beverage leadership experience in hospitality, restaurant, or private club settings, paired with strong communication skills and operational expertise. Familiarity with private club operations and point-of-sale systems like Jonas is a plus. Compensation starts at $51,000 per year, with eligibility for performance-based incentives and a comprehensive benefits package including health, dental, vision insurance, 401(k) matching, paid time off, and paid training.