Hospitality Excellence Manager

Restaurant Associates

Position: Hospitality Excellence Manager

Salary: $95,000 - $105,000 / year

Location: Seattle, WA

Schedule: Monday-Friday

Become part of Restaurant Associates, the industry’s leading provider of dining and event catering for some of the nation's most prestigious museums, performing arts centers and corporations!

Voted Glassdoor's Employee Choice Awards - Best Places to Work,

This is R/A !

The Hospitality Excellence Manager role is responsible for cultivating a guest‑centric culture that brings creativity, convenience, enjoyment, and a sense of community to our food program. As the Hospitality Excellence Manager, you'll be at the forefront of driving the local transformation of our food and beverage operations through engaging activations, enhanced merchandising, and best‑in‑class hospitality. The Hospitality Excellence Manager will collaborate with and support a team of food service managers and hourly associates, guiding them toward excellence in hospitality, culinary innovation, digital engagement, and design.

This role will report to the District Manager and work closely with the Regional Experience Director to spearhead the development and launch of our inaugural Experience Team, ensuring that every guest interaction, from the moment a guest enters to the time they leave, is positive, memorable, and aligned with the Food Program, Compass, and RA's brand image.

• Implement regional strategies and identify new opportunities to deliver best‑in‑class food, service, and hospitality experiences, such as:
• Conduct weekly (or as needed) observational walkthroughs to ensure service standards in all food and beverage service areas are being met. Discuss findings with the GM, and follow‑up actions led by the Hospitality Manager (HM).
• Own the food program pop‑up and experiential events calendar and programming to deliver  wow factor  experiences.
• Manage the relationship with key stakeholder groups at the site level (e.g. Employee Resource Groups, Sustainability sub‑committees, etc.) and support their objectives through unique food experiences.
• Be responsible for implementing client‑led, regional, or corporate initiatives throughout the year.
• Own the content creation of the daily  hospitality  experience for our employees, in collaboration with the GM and onsite management team.
• Monitor and evaluate hospitality performance at the site, while maintaining regional alignment; program manage the company's internal  CARE  hospitality program for your locations, creating messaging, novel engagements, and intentional ways to enhance our internal hospitality.
• Manage the merchandising and visual experience of physical spaces to deliver an inviting and appealing user experience, including:
• Sensory experiences (music, scent, lighting, where appropriate)
• Signage and way finding
• Merchandising and visual enhancements
• Develop seasonal and cultural celebration visual styling toolkits for your location
• Collaborate with site leadership and operations teams to reconfigure and revamp our spaces, ensuring that flow, accessibility, convenience, and fun are all considered.
• Relationships & Project Support:
• Work in partnership with key client groups to understand their needs and develop experiences that meet those needs.
• Partner with site managers, cafe managers, and marketing to drive strategic initiatives.
• Foster a culture of innovation by presenting industry trends, new concept ideas, and best practices in food and beverage on a quarterly basis to site and regional leadership.
• Lead regular training programs onsite to ensure teams are consistently delivering exceptional customer interactions, handling feedback effectively, and exceeding guest expectations.
• Support the Digital Experience and marketing team with deploying new technologies into the operation.
• Create quarterly storytelling reporting on accomplishments and results to share with internal and client leadership.
• Foster a positive and respectful work environment and work with teams to drive empowerment and pride in delivering exceptional food experiences.

• 5+…