Private Dining & Events Manager

Job Description: 

The role is responsible for the promotion, selling, planning and coordinating of all private dining events, buyouts, and offsite events for Essential by Christophe.

The Private Dining & Events Manager works with the front and back of the house management teams to sell and coordinate all events; drives restaurant sales and profitability by ensuring every event booked and executed is in line with restaurant ethos, financial budgets, and builds lasting relationships with clients. This role reports to the Director of Operations & Christophe Bellanca.

Duties and Responsibilities:

• Handle all daily incoming event inquiries via phone and email; and provide response within 12 hours of initial inquiry.
• Ensure that each guest receives exceptional guest service by providing a professional, responsive and friendly environment, which includes greeting and acknowledging every guest within the restaurant etiquette and brand.
• Enter every lead in TripleSeat to build and grow guest database.
• Provide prospective guests with tours of all group and private dining spaces as needed.
• Generate contracts and credit card authorization forms, secure guests’ signatures and deposits in a timely manner so space is efficiently booked.
• Build BEOs and document all final arrangements with guests on BEOs including timeline, guest count, food and beverage menus, set-up, rentals, etc; update as needed.
• Communicate and work with restaurant culinary and service teams (BOH & FOH) to ensure seamless planning of events.
• Work with third party vendors to facilitate event details outside of the scope of the restaurant such as flowers, AV, etc.
• Complete and distribute BEOs to the restaurant in a timely manner for the restaurant to properly prepare for each event.
• Regularly review upcoming BEOs and have thorough understanding of all requirements on upcoming events.
• Organize and schedule weekly BEO meetings to review upcoming events and relay pending questions.
• Maintain Event Calendar to ensure it is up to date with all booked events; and distribute it on a weekly basis to the culinary and service teams.
• Draft and print all event menus, place cards, cocktail cards, and other materials as necessary for all events, draft and provide floor plans as needed.
• Inspect event space prior to the start of each event, provide staff with copy of BEOs.
• Greet guests upon arrival and act as primary onsite contact for events and buy-outs before making an introduction to the service manager. Attend until the event is in progress.
• Ensure post-event follow up is consistently done with each guest including reconciling final billing, sending receipts and thank you notes.
• Maintain Tripleseat, including converting all leads, maintaining all documents, guest databases, and informational materials.
• Responsible for maintaining and updating event marketing materials and event menus.
• Participate in efforts to promote the private dining and events business through marketing, outreach, relationships with local businesses and organizations, and other cost-effective activities.
• Offer positive solutions to problems or issues and be part of the decision making team.
• Display flexibility when faced with guests and planners’ requests.
• Ability to utilize traditional software programs such as Gmail, Google Workspace (Docs, Sheets, Slides, Forms, etc.), Resy, Tripleseat, and any additional systems as needed.