Social Media & Community Coordinator in Grand Rapids, Michigan at Project BarFly

Social Media & Community Coordinator

Reports directly to the Director of Marketing. This is a hands-on individual contributor role supporting social media, content creation, online guest engagement and community marketing for HopCat and Stella's Lounge.

Mission

Strengthen the online presence and guest experience of HopCat and Stella's Lounge through engaging social content, timely guest communication and consistent brand execution. Support the Marketing team with day-to-day social media and community engagement while building meaningful connections between our brands, restaurants and guests.

What Success Looks Like

• Social channels remain active, engaging and consistent with each brand's voice and standards.
• Content is planned, created, scheduled and published accurately and on time.
• Restaurant visits and events consistently generate useful photo and short-form video content.
• Guest questions and feedback receive timely, professional and thoughtful responses.
• Sensitive or location-specific guest concerns are identified and escalated appropriately.
• Social trends, guest feedback and performance data are used to identify opportunities for stronger content and engagement.
• Restaurant teams have a clear process for submitting content and local stories to Marketing.
• Marketing campaigns, promotions, influencer partnerships and community initiatives receive effective social support.

Social Media & Content (~70% of work load)

• Assist with creating, scheduling and publishing content across social media channels, including but not limited to Instagram, Facebook and TikTok.
• Capture photo and short-form video content at restaurant locations, community events, promotions and other brand activations.
• Draft captions and social copy that reflect the established voice and personality of. HopCat and Stella's Lounge.
• Maintain and organize the social content calendar, ensuring upcoming promotions, events and priorities are represented.
• Research social media trends, platform changes and emerging content formats and recommend timely opportunities for the brands.
• Organize and evaluate content submitted by restaurant teams for potential social use.
• Support influencer, partnership and promotional campaigns as assigned.
• Assist with basic social media performance tracking and reporting to help identify successful content, trends and opportunities for improvement.
• Maintain organized libraries of social content and creative assets.

Guest Relations & Community Engagement (~30% of work load)

• Monitor incoming social media messages, comments, mentions and other online guest feedback.
• Respond to routine guest questions and comments using established brand guidelines and approved response processes.
• Draft thoughtful responses to guest concerns for Director of Marketing approval when necessary.
• Identify and route serious, sensitive or location-specific concerns to the appropriate Marketing, Leadership, Operations or restaurant team member.
• Maintain timely, professional and guest-focused communication across digital channels.
• Identify recurring guest feedback themes and share relevant insights with the Marketing team.
• Engage appropriately with guests, community organizations and brand partners through social channels.
• Protect guest information and follow company privacy and communication standards.

What You Bring

• Degree in marketing, communications, public relations, hospitality or a related field, or equivalent relevant experience.
• Familiarity with major social media platforms, including but not limited to Instagram, Facebook and TikTok, and an understanding of how content differs across channels.
• Strong writing and communication skills with the ability to adapt messaging to different brand voices.
• Strong organization and attention to detail with the ability to manage multiple deadlines and priorities.
• Comfortable capturing photo and short-form video content in active restaurant and event environments.
• Willingness and comfort appearing in social content when appropriate.
• Good judgement and a guest-first mindset, particularly when responding to public comments or guest concerns.
• Ability to follow established brand standards, approval processes and feedback.
• Experience with Canva, CapCut and social media scheduling or management platforms is preferred.
• Restaurant, hospitality, retail, marketing or customer-service experience is a plus.

Work Expectations

This position is expected to work 30+ hours per week and is based in Grand Rapids, with regular visits to restaurant locations and community events as needed. Some evening, weekend or event-based work may be required depending on content and business needs.

The Social Media & Community Coordinator will work directly with the Director of Marketing on priorities, content planning, guest communication and campaign execution. The role will also collaborate with restaurant teams and other members of the Marketing department to gather content, support promotions and identify opportunities to strengthen guest engagement.

Compensation: $25 per hour

Eligible benefits, including PTO, and a monthly cell phone allowance, will be provided in accordance with company policy and position eligibility.

Growth & Development

This role provides hands-on experience across multiple areas of restaurant and consumer marketing including:

• Multi-brand social media strategy and execution
• Short-form photo and video content creation
• Online guest relations and reputation management
• Restaurant and local-store marketing
• Social media performance measurement and reporting
• Influencer and partnership campaign support
• Community engagement and brand activation

BarFly is proud to be an equal opportunity workplace. We know that diverse, talented and dedicated individuals are critical to our success, so we look for veterans and people from various backgrounds not just because it's the right thing to do, but also because it's good for our business. We accept, celebrate and support the differences of people because it makes our team, the experience at our restaurants and the communities in which we operate better.

#MGMT