How to hire a beverage manager

How to hire a beverage manager, step by step

Here's a step-by-step beverage manager hiring guide:

• Step 1: Identify your hiring needs
• Step 2: Create an ideal candidate profile
• Step 3: Make a budget
• Step 4: Write a beverage manager job description
• Step 5: Post your job
• Step 6: Interview candidates
• Step 7: Send a job offer and onboard your new beverage manager
• Step 8: Go through the hiring process checklist

What does a beverage manager do?

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   Before you start hiring a beverage manager, identify what type of worker you actually need. Certain positions might call for a full-time employee, while others can be done by a part-time worker or contractor.

   Determine employee vs contractor status

   Is the person you're thinking of hiring a US citizen or green card holder?

   Yes

   No

   A beverage manager's background is also an important factor in determining whether they'll be a good fit for the position. For example, beverage managers from different industries or fields will have radically different experiences and will bring different viewpoints to the role. You also need to consider the candidate's previous level of experience to make sure they'll be comfortable with the job's level of seniority.

   Here's a comparison of beverage manager salaries for various roles:

   Type of Beverage Manager	Description	Hourly rate
   Beverage Manager	Food service managers are responsible for the daily operation of restaurants and other establishments that prepare and serve food and beverages. They direct staff to ensure that customers are satisfied with their dining experience, and they manage the business to ensure that it is profitable.	$18-34
   Director Of Food And Beverage	A director of food and beverage is responsible for ensuring the quality of foods and services to maintain the guests' overall satisfaction on their dining experience. Food and beverage directors manage menu selections, analyzing current food trends to meet guests' demands... Show more	$30-59
   Food And Beverage Supervisor	A Food and Beverage Supervisors role is to make sure that guests food and beverage expectations are being met or exceeded. They supervise all of the issues related to a patrons dining experience, like quality control, staff management, health and safety regulations.	$14-23

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Wine
   • Customer Service
   • BARS
   • Guest Service
   • Beverage Service
   • Guest Satisfaction
   • Cleanliness
   • Bartenders
   • Payroll
   • POS
   • Casino Floor
   • Fine Dining
   • Labor Costs
   • Inventory Control

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Lead bartenders in everyday functions and assist with inventory control.
   • Work closely with management to develop departmental goals, product quality, and brand standards; assure department appearance and cleanliness.
   • Familiarize myself with bartending in a casual, fine, and banquet setting.
   • Adhere to local and government cleanliness restrictions in order to run a clean and health department abiding facility.
   • Utilize POS system to accurately charge customers, track revenue reports and ensure timeliness of food and beverage.
   • Participate in the selection, design, development of new POS system and are in charge of weekly inventory.

   More beverage manager duties

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in your beverage manager job description is a great way to entice the best and brightest candidates. A beverage manager salary can vary based on several factors:

   • Location. For example, beverage managers' average salary in tennessee is 40% less than in new jersey.
   • Seniority. Entry-level beverage managers earn 46% less than senior-level beverage managers.
   • Certifications. A beverage manager with a few certifications under their belt will likely demand a higher salary.
   • Company. Working for a prestigious company or an exciting start-up can make a huge difference in a beverage manager's salary.

   Average beverage manager salary

   $53,129yearly

   $25.54 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level beverage manager salary

   $39,000 yearly salary

   Updated December 30, 2025

   Average beverage manager salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	New Jersey	$67,759	$33
   2	Connecticut	$61,960	$30
   3	New York	$61,844	$30
   4	Massachusetts	$60,753	$29
   5	Nevada	$57,395	$28
   6	Virginia	$57,006	$27
   7	Minnesota	$56,071	$27
   8	Indiana	$53,182	$26
   9	Illinois	$51,977	$25
   10	Louisiana	$51,654	$25
   11	Iowa	$51,453	$25
   12	California	$49,374	$24
   13	Georgia	$49,364	$24
   14	Texas	$48,907	$24
   15	North Carolina	$47,950	$23
   16	Ohio	$47,828	$23
   17	Nebraska	$47,256	$23
   18	South Carolina	$43,994	$21
   19	Florida	$42,225	$20

   Average beverage manager salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	PalmerHouse Properties	$88,347	$42.47
   2	Resorts World Catskills	$76,427	$36.74
   3	Traditions Spirits	$75,281	$36.19	9
   4	Monarch Casino & Resort	$66,678	$32.06	5
   5	Wheels	$64,902	$31.20
   6	Mystic Lake Casino	$63,377	$30.47
   7	Treasure Island Resort & Casino	$62,763	$30.17
   8	Semtribe	$62,517	$30.06
   9	Lettuce Entertain You	$61,583	$29.61	16
   10	Hyatt Hotels	$61,554	$29.59	76
   11	Kimpton Hotels & Restaurants	$61,502	$29.57	27
   12	Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts	$61,286	$29.46	18
   13	Zilli Hospitality Group	$60,338	$29.01
   14	Yaamava' Resort & Casino	$60,170	$28.93	3
   15	Montage Hotels & Resorts	$60,159	$28.92	18
   16	Golden Entertainment	$60,092	$28.89	2
   17	Crescent Hotels & Resorts	$59,685	$28.69
   18	InterContinental Hotels Group Resources, Inc.	$59,406	$28.56	9
   19	Pyramid Hotel Group	$59,278	$28.50
   20	Penn National Gaming	$58,852	$28.29

4. Writing a beverage manager job description

   A beverage manager job description should include a summary of the role, required skills, and a list of responsibilities. It's also good to include a salary range and the first name of the hiring manager. Below, you can find an example of a beverage manager job description:

   Beverage manager job description example

   Nationwide Hotel and Conference Center is seeking a Beverage Manager to join our team!
   
   At Nationwide Hotel and Conference Center we have several managers within our Food and Beverage Departments. The Beverage Manager will have a primary focus on the Beverage Department and direct responsibility of the Pub, catering bars, and several team members. This position will actively support the service and set-up teams during peak times of the week.
   
   Our compensation package includes a competitive salary (commensurate with experience and skills), medical, dental, vision, STD/LTD, company paid life Insurance, 401k with match, vacation available after 90 days, dining and travel discounts, special offers from our business partners, and discount programs for selected cell phone providers.
   
   Essential Functions:
   
   * Manage multiple beverage operations including The Pub, Catering/Banquet bars and Restaurant/In-Room Dining service operations.
   * Create and maintain beer, wine and spirits menus and inventory while keeping informed of local and national trends in the beverage industry.
   * Manage emails, departmental paperwork such as the F&B Plan and Resume Summary, Interdepartmental paperwork such as BEO's, Amenity Forms, 10-day Forecast, etc. Complete and/or manage the completion of daily reports, paperwork, guest receipts and cash for and with the accounting department.
   * Complete weekly schedule, interview, hire, train and retain bartender team. Work with all food and beverage service and bartending teams to ensure knowledgeable service, consistency and quality standards are met. Ensure proper alcohol handling and awareness by conducting monthly educational training.
   * Inventory, order, receive, organize, and distribute beer, wine, spirits, and non-alcoholic beverages on a weekly/monthly basis while maintaining the budgeted beverage cost.
   * Ensures all scheduled meeting rooms are set as indicated on BEOs including tables, chairs, equipment, ancillary supplies, and A/V.
   * Supervise Set-Up Utility Team to assure meeting rooms are set appropriately.
   * Continually inspect meeting rooms and public areas to assure proper sets and cleanliness.
   * Assures daily cleaning and maintenance of all meeting rooms
   * Maintain all food and beverage equipment, china, glass and silverware with the Catering Operations and Restaurant Managers to a predetermined PAR. Oversee storage, distribution and sanitation procedures including safety guidelines and OSHA requirements of said equipment.
   * Supervise daily F&B operations, delegating and assigning duties and responsibilities to staff members and monitoring their performance to ensure accurate and timely completion. Inspect individual's work and work areas, write and conduct performance reviews.
   * Interact with guests and maintain strong client relations ensuring that meeting and event specific requests are communicated and executed successfully. Resolve guest concerns quickly, consistently and professionally making sure all situations are promptly communicated with Director of Food and Beverage.
   * Act as the property MOD (Manager on Duty) along with all other property managers as needed.
   * Work to ensure a positive culture within the department and property.
   * Flexible schedule based on business demands.
   * Additional related duties as requested by the Assistant General Manager.
   
   Qualifications, Education, Experience, Skills, and Abilities:
   
   * 1-2 years of previous bar/beverage supervisory experience with multiple beverage outlets organization or hotel
   * TIPS certification preferred (will train)
   * Serve Safe and PIC certification preferred (will train)
   * Must have strong written and verbal communication skills
   * Must have strong math skills along with the ability to read, retain and train others on information from manuals and POS software
   * Previous experience with POS (point of sale) software and Delphi preferred
   * Intermediate knowledge of liquor, beer and wine products, trends, service and operation
   * Must have excellent customer relations skills
   * Must be available to work evenings and weekends
   
   Nationwide Hotel and Conference Center is managed by Columbus Hospitality Management, a company committed to providing quality service and memorable guest experiences in a positive and welcoming work environment. We are focused on supporting the needs of our team through our commitment to the family/work life balance and by providing development opportunities.
   
   We are proud to be a Drug Free Workplace/EOE. All applicants will be required to submit to a background check prior to employment.

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   There are various strategies that you can use to find the right beverage manager for your business:

   • Consider promoting from within or recruiting from your existing workforce.
   • Ask for referrals from friends, family members, and current employees.
   • Attend job fairs at local colleges to find candidates who meet your education requirements.
   • Use social media platforms like LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter to reach potential job candidates.

   Post your job online:

   • Post your beverage manager job on Zippia to find and recruit beverage manager candidates who meet your exact specifications.
   • Use field-specific websites.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   To successfully recruit beverage managers, your first interview needs to engage with candidates to learn about their interest in the role and experience in the field. You can go into more detail about the company, the role, and the responsibilities during follow-up interviews.

   You should also ask about candidates' unique skills and talents to see if they match the ideal candidate profile you developed earlier. Candidates good enough for the next step can complete the technical interview.

   The right interview questions can help you assess a candidate's hard skills, behavioral intelligence, and soft skills.

7. Send a job offer and onboard your new beverage manager

   Once you've found the beverage manager candidate you'd like to hire, it's time to write an offer letter. This should include an explicit job offer that includes the salary and the details of any other perks. Qualified candidates might be looking at multiple positions, so your offer must be competitive if you like the candidate. Also, be prepared for a negotiation stage, as candidates may way want to tweak the details of your initial offer. Once you've settled on these details, you can draft a contract to formalize your agreement.

   You should also follow up with applicants who don't get the job with an email letting them know that you've filled the position.

   Once that's done, you can draft an onboarding schedule for the new beverage manager. Human Resources should complete Employee Action Forms and ensure that onboarding paperwork is completed, including I-9s, benefits enrollment, federal and state tax forms, etc. They should also ensure that new employee files are created for internal recordkeeping.

8. Go through the hiring process checklist

   • Determine employee type (full-time, part-time, contractor, etc.)
   • Submit a job requisition form to the HR department
   • Define job responsibilities and requirements
   • Establish budget and timeline
   • Determine hiring decision makers for the role
   • Write job description
   • Post job on job boards, company website, etc.
   • Promote the job internally
   • Process applications through applicant tracking system
   • Review resumes and cover letters
   • Shortlist candidates for screening
   • Hold phone/virtual interview screening with first round of candidates
   • Conduct in-person interviews with top candidates from first round
   • Score candidates based on weighted criteria (e.g., experience, education, background, cultural fit, skill set, etc.)
   • Conduct background checks on top candidates
   • Check references of top candidates
   • Consult with HR and hiring decision makers on job offer specifics
   • Extend offer to top candidate(s)
   • Receive formal job offer acceptance and signed employment contract
   • Inform other candidates that the position has been filled
   • Set and communicate onboarding schedule to new hire(s)
   • Complete new hire paperwork (i9, benefits enrollment, tax forms, etc.)

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How much does it cost to hire a beverage manager?