Executive Director of Food and Beverage in Nashville, Tennessee at Fairlane Hotel

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF FOOD AND BEVERAGE
Culinary/Food and Beverage

Property: Fairlane Hotel - Nashville, TN
Department: Culinary/Food and Beverage
Reports To: General Manager
Status: Full-Time, Salaried / Exempt
Schedule: On-property; evenings, weekends, holidays, and events as required

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.
The ideal candidate brings both a strong culinary point of view and sound business acumen, balancing hands-on kitchen and restaurant leadership with the financial discipline and cross-departmental coordination required to run a multi-outlet F&B operation.

CORE RESPONSIBILITIES
Restaurant & Outlet Leadership
▸ 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
Required
▸ 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
This role requires the ability to:
▸ Stand and work for extended periods across kitchen, restaurant, and event spaces.
▸ Lift and carry up to 50 lbs.
▸ Work in a hot, fast-paced kitchen and high-volume service environment.
▸ Safely operate kitchen equipment and knives.
▸ 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.
▸ Maintain a strong presence during peak service periods across all outlets.
▸ Adjust schedule based on business demands.

Fairlane Hotel is committed to a workplace that reflects the diversity of Nashville and the guests we serve. We are an equal opportunity employer.