F&B Manager - The backstage hero

When we travel to a Hotel, we like to make sure the food is thoroughly cooked, the cocktails are ice cold and the service staff is friendly and well trained.

By Vassilios Canellos
Food and beverage managers are the leaders in the back and the front of house in all the outlets that serve food or drinks.

Responsible for the overall operation for the outlets, food and beverage managers hire staff, purchase food and stock, and make sure everyone is trained on proper food preparation, proper and legal alcoholic beverage service, kitchen safety techniques and understand health standards. Food and beverage managers make sure that the company is represented correctly and that the company's standards are upheld.

What are the must skills for the position?

• Team spirit
• Guest oriented, outgoing and service minded
• Flexible
• Responsive
• Leadership
• Decisive - Autonomous - Entrepreneurial
• Excellent presentation
• Physical resistance
• Innovative Well organised  

Professional Techniques 

• To organize and supervise the preparation of points of sale according to activity forecasts  
• In conjunction with the head chef, prepare the menus, organize purchases and manage stocks.
• Enhance guest satisfaction and check that materials are well presented
• Prepare or check the work schedules, ensuring that they are consistent with activity forecasts
• Prepare the commercial action plan for the departments and ensure implementation
• Work in close collaboration with the sales department to ensure a high standard of service and satisfaction for meetings customers

Management / Sales

• Draw up the department's annual budget in line with hotel strategy
• Check inventories that have been carried out
• Know the market and customer expectations
• Develop team spirit and motivation by creating a good working atmosphere
• Take part in or validate recruitment
• Help employees improve their skills and provide support for career development

Hygiene / Personal Safety / Environment

• Be responsible and controlling the head of departments for keeping the equipment in good conditions
• Ensure machinery works reliably and follows up any technical issue
• Ensure that all F&B areas are kept clean and that hygiene and food safety standards are respected, by periodical controls 
• Ensure respect of the hotel's commitments to the "Environment policies" (saving energy, recycling, sorting waste etc)
• Be responsible for the security of people (staff & customers) and property in the area under his/her remit

Other crucial skills for a Food & Beverage Manager

• Customer-Service: Food and beverage managers managers might have to interact with customers. Being friendly and courteous will help keep customers coming back or reviewing the Hotel in social media.
• Attention to Detail: Food and beverage managers have to keep their eyes on a lot of elements: food standards, costs, safety, presentation etc.
• Leadership: Food and beverage managers must be leaders in the house, rallying their team during heavy shifts, resolving conflicts and getting the job done.
• Management Skills: Food and beverage managers not only deal with food or drinks, they also have to deal with costs, pricing, creating work schedules training the staff, solving problems "on the fly" and more.
• Organizational Skills: Keeping work schedules, material orders, cleaning schedules and the more organized they are, the more crucial is for the job.
• Problem-Solving Skills: Dealing with employee conflicts, difficult customers, allergic customers and wrong stock orders is part of a food and beverage manager's job. Being able to come up with a solution quickly is a much appreciated skill.
• Speaking Skills: Food and beverage managers need to accurately and easily communicate with the customers.They need to be multi talented and to find a way to touch everyone when he tries to resolve a problem. 

What are the F&B Manager's day to day operation?

Just as in other areas of the hospitality industry, the Food & Beverage manager has probably never seen a 9 to 5 day. It's not a store or a bank that you close. A 12-hour day is typical. It's busy all the time.

• 8 a.m. arrival to the Hotel and having checked up every outlet location by 9 a.m
• Line up staff, making sure you have enough people and products to 
• Communicate with the kitchen Chef and the Restaurant Manager for any upcoming technical issues
• Check the daily orders and if you have any delay on products.
• You may need to have several appointments with salesmen (usually unexpected) for new products. Try to keep them short!
• Hold regular meetings with the head of departments,once or twice during the week to address new things coming up.
• Meet with general management daily. Speak with them about the day to day operation. Keep also a weekly contact. Explain to them week to week what's going on, how you're doing, how you can improve, what's coming up, what to expect.

I want to add at the very end, what Mr. Mário Guerreiro succesfully added in one of his comments because it's also a human necessity.

I believe you co add "short time for family " buy a present for father(mother)/ husband(wife)