Fort Lauderdale United FC is a rapidly growing professional sports organization based in South Florida, building a multi-sport platform centered around professional teams, youth development, entertainment, and community engagement.
Our organization currently includes a women’s professional soccer team competing in the Gainbridge Super League, with a men’s professional soccer team joining USL League One in March. Beyond professional soccer, Fort Lauderdale United operates a growing soccer academy and volleyball academy, along with NFL FLAG football programming, with basketball and lacrosse programs also in development.
As our organization and stadium experience continue to grow, we are looking for an experienced Food & Beverage Manager to lead our bar, hospitality, and upcoming restaurant operations.
Position Overview
The Food & Beverage Manager will take ownership of Fort Lauderdale United’s bar and food & beverage operations, including all professional game days, stadium events, private events, and our upcoming restaurant.
This person will be responsible for ensuring our four stadium bars are properly staffed, stocked, organized, and operated for every event. The role will oversee bartenders and other food & beverage personnel, inventory and purchasing, vendor relationships, scheduling, service standards, and day-to-day operational execution.
As our restaurant operation launches, this position will also play a key role in opening and managing the restaurant and building the systems, staffing, and standards necessary for a successful year-round food & beverage operation.
We are looking for someone with significant hospitality experience who can take ownership of the operation, lead a team, solve problems quickly, and continuously identify opportunities to improve the guest experience and grow revenue.
Key Responsibilities
Game Day & Event Operations
- Lead all bar and food & beverage operations for Fort Lauderdale United home matches and stadium events.
- Oversee operations across four stadium bars, ensuring each location is properly staffed, stocked, set up, and ready before doors open.
- Be on-site for all applicable game days and events and serve as the primary point of contact for food & beverage operations.
- Manage pre-event setup, service throughout the event, and post-event breakdown and reconciliation.
- Coordinate food & beverage operations for private events, corporate events, watch parties, community events, and other stadium programming.
- Maintain high standards for speed of service, cleanliness, presentation, and guest experience.
Staffing & Team Management
- Recruit, maintain, schedule, and manage a reliable pool of bartenders, servers, and other food & beverage personnel.
- Determine staffing levels for each bar and event based on projected attendance and operational needs.
- Train staff on service expectations, operational procedures, POS systems, responsible alcohol service, and Fort Lauderdale United hospitality standards.
- Manage staff performance and create accountability across the food & beverage operation.
- Ensure adequate staffing coverage and proactively address scheduling or personnel needs before events.
Restaurant Operations
- Assist in the development and opening of Fort Lauderdale United’s upcoming restaurant operation.
- Take ownership of restaurant operations once launched, including staffing, scheduling, inventory, service standards, and day-to-day management.
- Help establish operating procedures and systems that create an efficient and consistent guest experience.
- Work with leadership to develop programming, promotions, and concepts that drive traffic to the restaurant beyond professional game days.
- Build the restaurant into a destination that complements the broader Fort Lauderdale United experience.
Inventory, Purchasing & Vendor Management
- Manage beverage and food inventory across all bars, events, and restaurant operations.
- Establish inventory controls and conduct regular counts to minimize waste, shortages, and product loss.
- Coordinate purchasing and replenishment to ensure appropriate inventory levels.
- Manage relationships with distributors, suppliers, and other food & beverage vendors.
- Track product performance and make recommendations regarding pricing, product mix, menu offerings, and purchasing decisions.
- Ensure all operational areas remain properly equipped and supplied.
Marketing, Revenue Growth & Partnerships
- Work closely with the Marketing team to develop and execute creative campaigns designed to drive traffic, attendance, and revenue at the bar and restaurant.
- Develop promotions, themed nights, special events, watch parties, food and beverage offers, and other programming that gives customers a reason to visit beyond professional game days.
- Collaborate with Marketing on social media, email, digital, and other promotional initiatives supporting the bar, restaurant, and special events.
- Proactively identify opportunities to position the bar and restaurant as year-round destinations for the Fort Lauderdale United community.
- Work with leadership to identify additional opportunities to increase food & beverage revenue across matches, events, and restaurant operations.
- Collaborate closely with the Partnerships team to execute sponsored beverage programs, branded bars, product integrations, and partner activations.
- Work with Marketing and Partnerships leadership to develop signature drinks, collaborative events, partner promotions, and other concepts that enhance the fan experience and generate revenue.
- Identify new vendors, products, programming, and hospitality concepts that can strengthen the overall operation.
Reporting & Operational Management
- Provide regular updates to leadership on sales, staffing, inventory, costs, operational challenges, and opportunities.
- Track key performance indicators including revenue, cost of goods, labor, inventory movement, waste, and sales by location or event.
- Develop and maintain operating procedures, staffing plans, opening and closing procedures, inventory controls, and event checklists.
- Ensure operations comply with applicable health, safety, alcohol-service, and licensing requirements.
- Proactively identify operational issues and implement solutions.
What We’re Looking For
The ideal candidate is an experienced hospitality operator who is comfortable taking ownership of a fast-paced food & beverage environment.
Candidates should demonstrate:
- Previous management experience in bars, restaurants, hospitality, stadiums, entertainment venues, or event food & beverage operations.
- Experience hiring, scheduling, training, and managing bartenders and hospitality staff.
- Strong knowledge of bar operations, beverage inventory, purchasing, cost controls, and POS systems.
- Restaurant management experience strongly preferred.
- Experience developing or executing promotions, events, or marketing initiatives that drive customer traffic and revenue.
- Ability to manage multiple service locations simultaneously.
- Strong leadership, communication, and organizational skills.
- Ability to remain calm and make quick decisions in high-volume environments.
- Understanding of responsible alcohol service and applicable food & beverage operating standards.
- Availability to work professional game days, evenings, weekends, holidays, and special events as required.
- A proactive mindset with the ability to identify problems and opportunities without waiting for direction.
- Strong focus on hospitality and creating an excellent experience for fans, partners, and guests.
The Opportunity
This is an opportunity to build and lead the food & beverage operation within a rapidly expanding South Florida sports organization.
With four stadium bars, professional men’s and women’s soccer, private and community events, corporate partnerships, an expanding year-round calendar, and a restaurant operation coming online, this role has the opportunity to develop far beyond traditional game-day bar management.
We are looking for someone who can build the people, systems, standards, and culture behind the operation while working alongside our Marketing and Partnerships teams to create programming that drives people to the venue, builds a year-round customer base, and grows food & beverage revenue across Fort Lauderdale United.