Alya Miranti Azzahra

Being one of the most important departments in a hotel, the Food and Beverage Department holds a key role in the hotel’s day-to-day operations. Fundamentally, their duties involve the high-quality serving of meals and drinks, combined with excellent customer service to create an unforgettable dining experience for guests.

While those tasks might be the most commonly known by people, there is actually more about the Food and Beverage Department than meets the eye. If you are a hotel staff wanting to learn more about this department or a senior student looking for opportunities in this area, our article will provide you insights into the Food and Beverage Department in a hotel, including the members’ responsibilities, services, and job prospects.

Food and Beverage Department’s Structure

Before we go any further, see below for the organization chart of the Food and Beverage Department in a hotel.

The Structure of Food and Beverage Department.

The Food and Beverage Department is composed of several sub-departments, which vary in each hotel. Based on this organizational chart, the department is led by the Food and Beverage Director who is in the highest position within the hierarchy of the Food and Beverage Department. The director supervises sub-departments which are led by managers that handle various areas of Food and Beverage. Each manager and their sub-departments have different tasks, but they share the same goal of ensuring the seamless operations of the hotel. Now, let us dive into the profiles and responsibilities of the Food and Beverage Department’s key players, shall we?

Food and Beverage Director

The Food and Beverage Director.

As the head of the Food and Beverage Department, a Food and Beverage Director shoulders great responsibilities, aside from mere supervision of subordinates and their sub-departments. In detail, their duties are as follows:

• Planning and organizing the menu, costs, supply, as well as staffing;
• Developing policies and procedures for the department’s operations and implementing them;
• Collaborating with other hotel departments in ensuring seamless visits and dining experiences,
• Keeping track of the industry’s latest trends and working closely with related sub-departments to innovate menu and service offerings.

The role of Food and Beverage Director is rather impressive and no easy feat. It requires exceptional leadership skills to manage the team and inspire them to achieve the department’s goals. If you want to reach this level of career, you will also need a strong knowledge of the Food and Beverage industry, along with excellent communication skills to maintain positive relationships with stakeholders.

Executive Chef

Executive Chef and Staff.

An Executive Chef’s duties are not limited to cooking, as they are in charge of the Restaurant and Kitchen sub-department. In some hotels, the restaurant and kitchen are differentiated, with the Kitchen sub-department may operate outside the Food and Beverage Department, and the Executive Chef directly reporting to the General Manager instead. As the team manager, their responsibilities are crucial to the uninterrupted flow of the hotel restaurant’s operations. To be specific, the job description of an Executive Chef includes:

• Managing the restaurant and kitchen staff, as well as providing tools and resources to support their work;
• Preparing and presenting high-quality culinary for guests;
• Ensuring the final quality of the served meals, which include the taste, presentation, and temperature,
• Collaborating with the Food and Beverage Director in menu innovations and developments.

Similar to Food and Beverage Director, being an Executive Chef means that they should possess great leadership skills to effectively manage the Restaurant and Kitchen sub-department. An outstanding Executive Chef must have a strong culinary background, with knowledge of various cooking techniques and ingredients. Surely, a good understanding of food and labor costs is also needed to improve the Restaurant and Kitchen team!

Room Service Manager

Room Service Manager and Staff.

Have you ever ordered meals or drinks to your room during your hotel stays? If yes, you should already be familiar with the people behind this hotel service: the Room Service sub-department! This team is headed by a Room Service Manager, whose primary role is to manage and provide food and beverage service to guests in their respective rooms. Particularly, their duties consist of:

• Overseeing all orders to ensure they are accurate and delivered to the correct rooms;
• Managing the Room Service staff by providing training to serve the guests very well;
• Planning, developing, and executing the regulations and procedures of Room Service operations,
• Working closely with the Executive Chef and the Restaurant & Kitchen sub-department to secure the food’s quality and delivery orders.

A Room Service Manager should be customer-oriented, as they are also required to handle guests’ complaints and concerns professionally. In addition, detail-oriented, strong quality control, and time management skills are essential to a Room Service Manager’s expertise, so they will be able to manage their responsibilities effectively.

Chief Steward

The Chief Steward.

If you look for the term “steward” on the internet, you might find misconceptions such as the role is said to be the same as a waiter. The truth is, stewards and waiters don’t share the same responsibilities – let alone the sub-department! While waiters are actually the staff of the Restaurant and Kitchen sub-department, stewards are part of the Steward sub-department, led by a Chief Steward. Similar to other sub-departments, the Chief Steward is in charge of overseeing the team’s operations. Specifically, their responsibilities are much more than that, as they cover:

• Maintenance of all cutleries, kitchen, dining areas, and other facilities so they meet the health and safety standards;
• Training Steward staff in performing their tasks;
• Developing, as well as establishing the cleaning and maintenance regulations and procedures,
• Collaborating with the staff and the Food and Beverage Director in providing memorable, satisfying dining experiences to guests.

With such important duties, the Chief Steward is another key role in the Food and Beverage Department. To become a handy and exceptional Chief Steward, one must hold high levels of leadership, organizational, and attention to detail skills. For these skills to develop, you can challenge yourself by participating in volunteer, or even internship programs that will provide you with professional self-development!

Bar Manager

The Bar Manager.

The bar is a common Food and Beverage service in large-sized hotels and is popular among the guests. A bar provides various types of drinks (often alcoholic beverages) which are served by a bartender. The Bar sub-department is managed by a Bar Manager, the person in charge of all the bar’s operations. As the team leader, their responsibilities are:

• Managing the bar’s daily operations, which include organizing supplies, budget, and more;
• Sourcing and training bar staff;
• Developing and implementing bar regulations and procedures to maintain high-quality serving of drinks and exceptional bar service for guests,
• Working with the head bartender in the creation and innovation of drink recipes.

Being the leader of the Bar sub-department means a Bar Manager should possess a high qualification, primarily in leadership and customer service. Additionally, a grasp of finances is needed as well for Bar Managers to successfully manage budgets and make monetary decisions.

Banquet Manager

The Banquet Manager.

Hotels are often utilized as a venue for grand celebrations; for example, a company gala, weddings, or fancy dinner parties. As these kinds of events require special arrangements, there are people tasked to plan, prepare, and execute such occasions. They are the Banquet sub-department, with a Banquet Manager in charge of leading this sub-department. Specifically, the manager’s duties include:

• Coordinating with clients to execute the special events properly and supervising the special events to make sure they run seamlessly;
• Recruiting and training the banquet staff to perform excellent service for guests;
• Developing and implementing policies and procedures for the Banquet sub-department’s operations;
• Ensuring the facilities and equipment for special events are well-maintained and good to use.

The Banquet Manager is required to excel in the following expertise: organization, communication, leadership, and decision-making. To train and develop these skills, you will need experience and practice, which you can get directly by joining an internship program.

Staff Members

Food and Beverage Department’s Staff.

Last but not least, the staff of each sub-departments that completes the Food and Beverage Department! These staffs are the hands and frontlines of Food and Beverage’s sub-departments, as some of them are required to serve the guests directly. In general, their responsibilities are as follows:

• Work according to their job descriptions and answer to their supervisors;
• Enforcing the regulations and following the procedures of their respective sub-departments,
• Ensuring guests’ satisfaction by providing quality service in their respective fields.

The staff’s contributions are equally vital in supporting the Food and Beverage Department’s daily operations. Hence, it is mandatory for all department members to contribute to their fullest and maintain teamwork.

Types of Food and Beverage Services

Food and Beverage Services.

The Food and Beverage Department has a wide range of service offerings for guests. Here are some of the common Food and Beverage services provided in a hotel:

• Restaurant Service: Provides a sit-down dining experience with various cuisine and menu options. Guests’ orders are taken and served by waiters.

• Cafe Service: This service serves casual and light meals such as pastries and sandwiches for guests.

• Room Service: With this service, guests are allowed to order food and beverages to their rooms. Hotel room service mostly operates 24 hours a day.

• Banquet Service: The banquet service includes providing a large amount of food and beverage for special occasions, such as weddings and parties.

• Bar Service: The service of drinks, often alcoholic beverages such as cocktails, beer, and wine. The drinks are prepared by bartenders according to guests’ requests.

• Buffet Service: The buffet service allows guests to experience a self-serve dining experience. Guests can pick a variety of food from a buffet setup and enjoy it in the designated area.

• Fine Dining Service: This service is ideal for events with important guests, as it offers a high-end dining experience with attentive service, exquisite food presentation, and also a wine list.

Food and Beverage Employment Prospects

Positions in Food and Beverage Department are one of the most job vacancies available in the Hospitality industry! If you are interested to work in Food and Beverage Department – and aiming for its top positions, the best route is to start from the bottom. For those who already have adequate experience in Food and Beverage, intermediate-level jobs would be ideal, while internship programs are a great starting point to pursue a career in this area.

RMC Asia offers internship and training opportunities in the Hospitality industry, with Food and Beverage as one of its focus areas. Our participants will gain professional development, hands-on work experience, and cultural exposure from our partners’ and programs’ destinations!

Join us and be a part of an unforgettable culture exchange and exceptional working experiences here!

Recommended: 7 Main Departments in a Hotel (Functions and Responsibilities)

As one of the fundamental pillars of economic growth in the world, Hospitality and Tourism have grown into a multi-billion industry for quite some time. Amidst its rapid development, hotels and resorts have constantly been one of the main forces that drive this industry forward.
Although hotels and resorts are already familiar to people, many are not aware of the names of their departments, let alone intricacies of their day-to-day operations . With this article, we will get to know more about how hotel departments operate; learn about their functions as well as responsibilities, and how much of importance they hold to the hotel’s integrity.
Before proceeding, let’s take a look at the departments that made up a hotel’s structure:

Organizational Structure of Hotel.

Like a giant tree with both exposed and hidden roots, some hotel departments’ duties required them to deal directly with customers, the example being Front Office Department. The others work behind the scenes, such as Housekeeping Department. However, it doesn’t make back office departments less important and they all work simultaneously to support the hotel’s operations and provide optimal services for guests.
The bigger and fancier a hotel is, the larger departments and more staff it requires to operate. However, there are 7 main departments that are crucial to the day-to-day operations of a hotel. Hence, let’s take a detailed look into the functions and responsibilities of these hotel departments!

Front Office Department

Front Office Department.

As the frontline of every hotel, the Front Office is very crucial. As Kainthola points out in his Principles of Hotel Management, this department has the task of image-building, which means they are the guests’ first and last point of contact.
In a hotel’s daily operation, the Front Office’s responsibilities include:

• Guests’ check-in and check-out process;
• Room reservation, registration, and assigning it to the guest;
• Guest or customer service,
• Settlement of bills.

To become a good Front Office staff, one has to possess several qualifications. Among the most important skills needed in this area is customer service, as guests tend to approach the Front Office for help, complaint, or to find and pass information. The Front Office should also maintain a clean appearance, physical fitness, and proper etiquette as the role deals directly with customers. Surely, experience is always an added advantage among a Front Office staff’s repertoire of skills.
If you’re interested in pursuing a career in the Front Office department, the best option is to start with an internship program that not only guarantees hands-on experience, but provides you with the skillset and mindset to become a valuable asset to your future employer as well.

Housekeeping Department

Housekeeping Department.

This department does most of the hard work behind the scenes. They are the ones who ensure that every guest is as comfortable as they should be.
The Housekeeping staff carries out a number of daily tasks that aren’t as simple as they seem. To be more specific, some of their major responsibilities are as follows:

• Cleaning and making beds in the guest’s room;
• Replacing dirty linens and towels, and restocking amenities for the guest,
• Taking out the trash, room service trays, and performing recycling.

Housekeeping is also in charge of maintaining the cleanliness and appearance of the public and back areas of a hotel, the examples are hallways, elevators, and many more.
With such great responsibilities, Housekeeping is another critical department that supports the success of a hotel’s daily operations. Thus, Housekeeping staff must have essential traits, the first and foremost being organized and detail-oriented due to their main tasks in maintaining the cleanliness and appeal of the hotel’s rooms, areas, and facilities. Additionally, time management and diligence are other skills that one should have to be a good Housekeeping staff, along with adequate experience through internship or training!

Food and Beverage Department

Food & Beverage Department.

The key function of the Food and Beverage department is to provide food and drinks service to customers. In this department, the staff is usually divided into the Kitchen and Service sub-departments.
In general, Food and Beverage department’s staff are assigned the following duties to support the hotel’s business operations:

• Ensure that the guests received high-quality meals that meet the regulations;
• Serve the best culinary and customer service;
• Dining table arrangement and welcoming the guests,
• Maintaining cleanliness of the dining room, kitchen, and cutleries.

In larger hotels, the Food and Beverage also provides an array of other services such as bar and pastry for its guests, which are performed by bartenders and pastry chefs.
Just like its other departments, the Food and Beverage has required a certain set of skills from its staff. To able to land a job in this field, an individual must be flexible and adapt to the fast-paced environment of the Food and Beverage department. If he/she aims to join the Kitchen sub-department, there would be more specific requirements, such as knowledge of cooking.
As the food and beverage industry has always been popular, hotel jobs for this expertise are available in various types, ranging from internships to full-time jobs. If you’re a student or graduate who wants to kickstart your career in this area, an internship or management training program would be a fit for your future!

Security and Maintenance Department

Security and Maintenance Department.

Similar to the Housekeeping department, most of the Security and Maintenance department jobs are done out of public view, but their contribution is as important as other departments for the hotel’s seamless operations on a daily basis.
As a part of a hotel’s grand structure, the Security and Maintenance department is responsible for the following aspects:

• Enforcing protocols that should be followed by both employees and guests;
• Traffic and access control; examples are controlling traffic flows in parking lots to avoid accidents and patrolling the hotel area to prevent intruders and other suspicious attempts;
• Handling guests’ loss and prevention cases,
• Install, manage, and repair the hotel’s system and facilities, such as electricity and internet system, water, furniture, and equipment.

Overall, the function of this department is to ensure the safety and comfort of everyone within the hotel area, and that the integrity of the hotel building and facility is continuously well-maintained.
A few of the skills required from a Security and Maintenance employee are excellent communication, organizational, and strong decision-making skills that would keep the Security and Maintenance department running as intended.

Human Resources Department

Human Resources Department.

Now that the hospitality industry is blooming again, hotels and resorts everywhere are opening up work opportunities for talented candidates. In order to find and recruit these desired talents, the Human Resources department is the one team who’s responsible for this area.
As they play a crucial role in ensuring the hotel’s future by recruiting talented staff regularly, which may also make Human Resources jobs more challenging at times. In detail, their responsibilities include:

• Planning, preparing, and listing new human resources needs, organizational and department structure, working contract or agreement, and more;
• Performing the recruitment process through job posting, application screening, and interviewing candidates;
• Managing and maintaining external relations with related parties, such as local revenue service and labor departments,
• Handling training and development, as well as retention of employees.

These great responsibilities of human resources make them key in the development of a hotel, thus affecting organizational success in the long run.
With a bright prospect, human resources management is among the favourite career choices for students and graduates. If you aim to start your journey here, a Human Resources internship is the perfect place to begin!

Sales and Marketing Department

Sales and Marketing Department.

In order for hotels to generate income and become profitable, sales and marketing are essential to reach the target audiences and persuade them into buying decisions. This is where the Sales and Marketing Department comes into the picture.
As the Sales and Marketing team is a crucial part of a hotel’s success, they are given responsibilities that include:

• Planning long-term and short-term marketing strategies by researching the market trends;
• Preparing and producing materials to promote the hotel, as well as executing promotional activities through social media and other channels;
• Updating customer information in the hotel’s database,
• Analyzing the performance of marketing campaigns and other statistical data.

Sales and marketing jobs are often challenging with targets to reach, but they held great importance to the success of a hotel’s business. Amidst this digital era, sales and marketing have been one of the most sought-out positions by every hotel. With so many branches in sales and marketing itself, this field promises job opportunities with exciting experience and benefits!

Finance Department

Sales and Marketing Department.

Last, but not least hotel department which is critical to the business is the Finance Department. This department serves a significant purpose in the entire financial activities of a hotel. Specifically, a finance department’s responsibilities are as follows:

• Recording and reporting data of the hotel’s financial transactions, including revenue, profit, taxes, equity, and more;
• Updating and reconciling internal financial data and bank statements;
• Do budgeting, accounting, and preparing monthly to annual financial reports of the hotel,
• Participating in hotel’s financial audits.

Generally, the Finance Department requires its ideal employees to possess high analytical, communication, and time management skills, along with broad knowledge of financial policies, procedures, and systems.
To be able to join the Finance Department in the hospitality industry, skillset and mindset alone don’t suffice as it requires some experience, to begin with! The good news, some hotels are currently opening up finance internship programs for students and graduates. If this sounds like a fit, come seize the opportunity now!

Which is the most important department?

Although each department has different functions and responsibilities, all share a common trait, which is to fully support day-to-day operations in the hotel. These departments are equal in position and importance within the hotel’s hierarchy.
As we came to know more about the hotel departments, we also learn to understand that the jobs in the hospitality industry are challenging yet rewarding!
If you are a student or fresh graduate who’s planning to take an internship or training and sharpen your skills in a real work environment, you have a perfect chance to join our Hospitality and Business Internship program. Our program offers services ranging from professional development and cultural exchange experience abroad to networking opportunities with industry experts!
Find more hospitality internship opportunities with various opening positions here.