Executive chef vs Beverage director I’m biased and simplifying things here I know - but my question today is: What’s the difference? One is the pulse of the food culture in your establishment. They lead, hire and train a team, executes profit margins, p & l, payroll, schedules, and curates menus, The other is the pulse of the beverage culture in your establishment. They lead, hire and train a team, executes profit margins, p & l, payroll, schedules, and curates menus. One typically gets paid 6 figures and the other around 20k less. One brings in people while the other brings a higher profit margin. The Q is - why is there such a gap in pay in food & beverage today? #beverage #payscale #makeitmakesense
I think this really became more common as chefs became viewed at celebrities. I was the GM/Sommelier at several restaurants in the last 20 years and the chef always made a good amount more than I did. It was always really deflating when going over the budget for the next fiscal year.
I don’t want to start some unnecessary conflict, but the skill set behind managing banquet, restaurant, other menus is a lot more comprehensive than beverage programs. It would be pretty disingenuous to claim otherwise. I’m not diminishing the importance of a beverage manager, or the acumen needed to operate a high volume bar (particularly with craft cocktails), but the path from dishwasher to EC (which many of us actually took) is a lot longer and more involved than beverage services. You’re acknowledging the issue yourself: you’re simplifying things. It’s the reductive nature of your argument here that’s creating a comparison. And as wonderful as beverage programs are in any given outlet, banquet/catering revenue generally dwarfs any other F&B revenue source in an operation that would require both an EC and a beverage manager.
I’m probably going to get some flack on this response however I am also probably a unicorn. All liquor/beverage capacities: Managing banquet bars & tenders, craft cocktail programs from creating menus, incorporating sous vide, macerating, clarification, fermentations, and crafting liqueurs, bitters, dehydrated fruits/garnishes etc., Creating his/hers cocktails or bev programs for weddings / events (anniversaries & etc) small and large music venue’s, training of all levels of bartenders about styles and techniques, held, curated, and led spirit and wine tastings, pairings, wine programs etc. Training of all staff on the different aspects of spirits, aperitifs, digestives, and more. Curated with chefs to pair with food offerings for regular menu items as well as specials or events. I have been all around the beverage board and returned to “home”. 😆 This is the space I come from and why this question was posted. It is understood that your average local bar manager is not equal to a beverage director within a large company. Still, it seems the pay scale is a bit different or at least in my experience. Here’s to equalality in skill set - and pay in hospitality!