Director of Restaurant Operations (8236)

SUMMARY:

This position is responsible for providing strategic and operational leadership for Spotlight 29 Casino's restaurant outlets and front-of-house food service operations. The Director is accountable for delivering exceptional guest experiences while achieving financial, service, safety, and regulatory objectives. This position leads restaurant management teams, establishes consistent operating standards, and collaborates closely with Culinary, Beverage, Marketing, Player Development, Finance, Human Resources, Purchasing, Facilities, Security, and other departments to oversee operational activities and drive key initiatives. In addition, you are the HEART of our Five-Star Experience, embodying our Service Promise: We are the Twenty-Nine Palms Band of Mission Indians Team, where your experience is our top priority. Every person and detail matters. As leaders, you are responsible for delivering our Five-Star Experience through our Mission Statement, Service Promise, and department service standards. This includes consistently performing our service expectations with HEART. Hello, Engage, Anticipate, Resolve, Thank.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:

The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability required to perform this job successfully. Upon request, reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

• Provide outstanding customer service to guests and all other employees by exceeding our mission statement.
• Continually coach and support Team Members to ensure they have the skills, tools and resources to successfully complete their jobs, including the delivering of the HEART Experience expectations.
• Direct the daily operation of all assigned restaurants and front of house food service areas.
• Maintain a highly visible presence in the restaurants during peak business periods, special events and holidays.
• Ensure each outlet is properly prepared, staffed, clean and ready for service.
• Establish and enforce opening, closing, side work, cash handling, and manager walkthrough procedures.
• Conduct routine inspections of dining rooms, service stations, storage areas, and guest-facing spaces.
• Ensure menus, pricing, signage, point of sale systems and promotional materials are accurate and delivered on time.
• Coordinate restaurant operations with casino events, concerts, promotions, tournaments, and VIP activities.
• Respond quickly to operational challenges and minimize disruptions to the guest experience.
• Partner with Culinary leadership to maintain food quality, presentation, and ticket times.
• Ensure managers conduct effective pre-shift meetings and communicate daily priorities, promotions, specials, and service expectations.
• Monitor guest feedback, online reviews, comment cards, and service trends.
• Personally address significant guest concerns and ensure issues are resolved promptly and professionally.
• Maintain accurate documentation of guest complaints, service recovery actions, and comps.
• Ensure all complimentary items and discounts are issued and documented according to company policy.
• Develop programs that improve guest satisfaction, loyalty, and repeat business.
• Recognize team members who consistently deliver outstanding service.
• Develop and manage restaurant operating budgets, forecasts, and business plans.
• Review daily, weekly, and monthly financial results, including revenue, labor, cost of sales and operating expenses.
• Identify performance gaps and implement corrective action plans.
• Manage labor through accurate forecasting, effective scheduling, and appropriate deployment of team members.
• Monitor overtime, productivity and labor allocation by outlet and cost center.
• Partner with Culinary leadership to control food cost, waste, spoilage, and portioning.
• Monitor discounts, comps, voids, refunds, and other point of sale activity.
• Support menu engineering, pricing analysis, and promotional planning.
• Approve purchases and restaurant supply orders within established authority levels.
• Protect company assets and maintain appropriate internal controls.
• Monitor team member cash variance reports.
• Recruit, select, train, coach and develop restaurant managers and front of house team members.
• Establish clear expectations and hold leaders accountable for operational and financial results.
• Create succession plans and identify high-potential team members for advancement.
• Ensure management and hourly schedules are completed accurately and within established deadlines.
• Conduct performance evaluations and provide timely, constructive feedback.
• Address attendance, performance, and conduct concerns consistently and in partnership with Human Resources.
• Ensure corrective actions are completed and submitted in a timely manner.
• Promote teamwork, open communication, professional conduct, and mutual respect.
• Create an inclusive workplace that supports team member engagement and retention.
• Lead regular restaurant management meetings and participate in Food and Beverage leadership meetings.
• Continues development of menu engineering.
• Develop, implement, and maintain standard operating procedures.
• Ensure safety standards are enforced.
• Ensure team members are trained on steps of service, menu knowledge, suggestive selling, allergy awareness, responsible alcohol service, cash handling, and guest recovery.
• Maintain current training materials, position checklists, and service evaluations.
• Verify completion of all required company and regulatory training.
• Ensure RBS (responsible beverage service) and all state and local alcohol regulations, laws, and policies are being enforced.
• Evaluate service performance through direct observation, table visits, inspections, and documented follow-up.
• Ensure consistent uniform, grooming and professional appearance standards.
• Coordinate new-hire orientation and position-specific onboarding with departmental trainers and Human Resources.
• Maintain excellent communications with all Directors and Managers.
• Develops and implements approved departmental policies and procedures.
• Responsible for all necessary record keeping.
• Comprehensive understanding of forecasting, budgeting, scheduling, productivity, inventory controls (if applicable), P&L analysis, and cost controls.
• Ensure the budget for the department is monitored and adhered to by implementing effective processes and procedures.
• Prepare necessary data for the budget in area of responsibility; project annual costs and monitor actual results; take corrective action where necessary.
• Keep abreast of competitive changes including industry trends and local competitive set.
• Develop, maintain and nurture a positive work environment.
• Responsible for maintaining a disciplined environment and implement practices that promote safety, quality and productivity.
• Coordinate and supervise training, assignments, and development of subordinates.
• Ensure compliance with all Minimum Internal Control Standards (MICS) as well as all Tribal Internal Control Standards (TICS).
• Present a positive image of the Tribal organization to its guests and vendors and to assist them as required.
• Must follow all safety policies and procedures and attend all scheduled safety meetings and training as a condition of employment.
• Able to make difficult decision in a fair and honest manner.
• Strong verbal and written communication skills.
• Perform any other duties that may be assigned from time to time.

SUPERVISORY RESPONSIBILITIES:

Manage directly and indirectly all employees on the Food & Beverage department.  Adhere to the Tribal organization’s policies, procedures and applicable laws.

Responsible for the overall direction, coordination, and evaluation of this unit.

Carry out supervisory responsibilities which include but are not limited to: interviewing and training employees; planning, assigning, and directing work; appraising performance; rewarding and disciplining employees; addressing complaints and resolving problems.

Qualifications

EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE (MUST BE DOCUMENTED):

• Bachelor’s degree preferred in related field (or equivalent experience).
• Ten (10) years equivalent Supervisory/Management experience.

CERTIFICATION, LICENSES AND ANY ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS:

• Must pass periodic random drug screens. 
• Must be able to pass background suitability investigation.
• Must obtain a Tribal Gaming License.
• Must obtain all other applicable certifications and licenses.
• Must provide proof of eligibility to work in the United States within 72 hours of employment.

PHYSICAL DEMANDS:

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Upon request, reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

While performing the duties of this Job, the employee is regularly required to talk and hear. The employee is frequently required to stand; walk and sit. The employee is occasionally required to use upper extremities, including but not limited to, hands and fingers to handle, or feel; reach with hands and arms. They may be occasionally required to climb or balance, stoop, bend, push, pull, twist, kneel, crouch, or crawl. The employee must occasionally lift up to 50 pounds and/or push, pull up to 100 pounds. The employee is occasionally required use repetitive movements to complete tasks. Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, distance vision, color vision, peripheral vision, depth perception and ability to adjust focus. Employee may be occasionally required to work in low light conditions, and may be exposed to loud noise for extended periods. 

WORK ENVIRONMENT: 

The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job.

• Multiple locations.
• Some enterprises are open 24 hours per day, 7 days per week; therefore, you must be flexible to work any and all hours.
• Must be available for emergency calls 24/7.
• Must be available to work weekend and holidays.
• Some enterprises are gaming facilities.
• Some enterprises are not a smoke-free environment.
• Surveillance cameras and audio equipment monitor the premises recording activity throughout most of the facilities on 24 hours per day, 7 days per week basis.

INDIAN PREFERENCE ACT:

The Twenty-Nine Palms Band of Mission Indians has a resolution on file with Human Resources to ensure that Indian Preference will be adhered to in the following order in accordance with IPA:

                                         1.  Tribal Members

                                         2.  Other Native Americans

                                         3.  All other ethnic groups