Tag: food and beverage

Executive Search: Food and Beverage Manager at Toronto Cricket Skating and Curling Club

Date:

Food and Beverage Manager
Toronto Cricket Skating and Curling Club

The Toronto Cricket Skating and Curling Club is one of Canada’s premier private sport and social clubs, with a heritage that expands 194 years. A family friendly club, which is located conveniently off the 401 in Toronto, is a unique community of members who enjoy the social benefits of club life as much as they enjoy staying active thanks to the Club’s top-tier athletic facilities.

A key to the Club’s commitment to be the private, athletic and social club of choice in Toronto is the team of employees who share the club’s values of sportsmanship and camaraderie, heritage and respect, excellence and innovation, and wellness and fun. A significant portion of the Club’s membership resides within the neighboring community, enriching its vibrant culture and ensuring extensive utilization. The Club fosters a culture centered around exceptional service and care, permeating all aspects of its operations.

Apply Now

PURPOSE

Leads the Food and Beverage teams in providing a high standard of service excellence to members in multiple dining areas; responsible for all a la carte functions within the Club; provides leadership for and supervises staff; maintains relationships with members.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

Management of Service Activities

  • Manages service activities in the multiple dining areas throughout the Club, e.g., Sports Grill, Family Bistro, Sports Bar, Skating, Curling and Squash Lounges
  • Ensures all areas are well-staffed and supervised to provide a smooth running operation
  • Ensures meals and beverages are served in a professional and timely manner by circulating the dining areas and communicating with the kitchen and serving staff; including staffing, organization and execution of events

Leadership on Service Standards

  • Provides leadership to Food and Beverage Supervisors, Servers, and Bartenders
  • Provides visible, hands-on management on the floor and the back of house, promoting a team environment that encourages staff to provide exemplary customer service
  • Meets frequently with supervisory and service staff
  • Provides ongoing training for staff to ensure consistent, quality service
  • Monitors server performance to ensure a consistent level of service is provided
  • Further develops, trains, and advises on service standards
  • Implements service procedures and processes as required (e.g., answering phones, pouring wine, handling takeout orders) 

Supervision

  • Provides supervision, problem-solving, decision-making and leadership to staff
  • Recruits, trains and develops staff
  • Interviews and hires seasonal staff
  • Conducts performance reviews for staff
  • Disciplines staff when they do not follow policies and procedures 

Member Relations

  • Proactively and responsively manages relationships with members
  • Forges connections with members and utilizes their names
  • Addresses members’ concerns and complaints effectively and promptly, resolving issues proactively as they arise, and following up with Director of Food and Beverage as required 

Financial Management

  • Manages staffing/ labour budgets, ensuring that department operates within established budget guidelines while still providing top quality service to members, committees and guests

Health and Safety

  • Works in a manner that protects one’s own health and safety, and the safety of fellow employees and members
  • Works in compliance with Occupational Health & Safety acts and regulations, and follows Club health & safety policies and procedures
  • Uses personal protective equipment and clothing as directed by the Club
  • Reports any workplace hazards and dangers to Supervisor or the Joint Health and Safety Committee 

Member Service

  • Assists members and guests in a helpful, efficient, friendly and enthusiastic manner when providing services
  • Assists to provide an excellent experience for Club members and guests
  • Performs other duties as required

QUALIFICATIONS

  • Education/Certification: Completion of community college or equivalent, in a Hospitality or Business program OR completion of undergraduate university degree in Hospitality, Business or Marketing, required; Standard First Aid and CPR/AED certification required; Food Handler’s Certification required; Smart Serve certification required.
  • Experience: At least three years of relevant experience required in a senior managerial role; at least five years of hospitality experience required.
  • Knowledge: Must have comprehensive knowledge of menus, food preparation styles, wine, beer and alcohol; must have working knowledge of Safety and Sanitations Regulations and Health and Safety Legislation; knowledge of AGCO liquor laws; basic knowledge of accounting procedures and principles required.
  • Skills: Must have advanced skills in Word and the POS system, and working level skills in Excel, PowerPoint and Northstar; advanced skills in conducting meetings and making presentations required; working level skills in developing/monitoring budgets, financial/statistical analysis, office equipment operation, purchasing, and organizing events required; must have basic skills in office equipment maintenance; must have advanced skills in reading text, interpreting policies and procedures, writing to communicate information/explain/persuade; advising people who are angry or upset, responding to member complaints and collaborating with others (teamwork).
  • Other Competencies: Must have the ability to provide an advanced level of customer service; must have the ability to meet performance standards during very busy peak periods and maintain professionalism during stressful situations; must have creativity, mathematical ability and physical strength.

ADDITIONAL ELEMENTS

  • Supervision: Supervises approximately 50 service hourly staff (servers, food runners, bartenders) and 3-4 Supervisors. Supervisory responsibilities include hiring, budgeting, scheduling, measuring performance, leadership, training, disciplining, directing and developing.
  • Judgment and Decision-making: May decide to offer compensation to members for meals occasionally in order to problem solve and enhance member satisfaction; Decides on appropriate staff levels, scheduling staff so that the department is neither over-staffed nor under-staffed; Disciplines staff who are not complying with rules and regulations and thereby supports the entire team; Hires new staff every summer and sometimes throughout the year. 
  • Impact on Club Profitability: Proper billing of guest checks has an impact on accounts; Keeping waste to a minimum while monitoring server errors helps to control costs; Solving member problems as soon as possible and giving them what they need and expect enhances their satisfaction; Compiles correct information on covers and daily revenue; Ensuring staff rotate stock and keeping inventory at an acceptable cost-effective level helps to control theft of inventory; Notifies maintenance staff of any needed repairs as soon as possible and follows up to make sure repairs are correctly done; Purchases/orders necessary items for operation; Encourages and rewards upselling to generate revenue; providing great food and service keeps the members coming back. 
  • Contacts: Internal-Staff and managers in other departments, to provide information, to negotiate and to take direction. Members, to provide information and service. External- maintenance and repair staff: to provide information, to negotiate and to take direction. 
  • Working Conditions: Stress– Is frequently required to meet tight and/or competing deadlines; Work frequently involves periods of intense visual concentration; Must frequently deal directly with upset or impatient people; Must occasionally share information that may result in stress for the recipient; Must occasionally respond to crisis or emergency situations. Physical Effort- Must occasionally sit or stand for prolonged periods of time; Is occasionally required to lift or move heavy objects (under 50 pounds). Working Environment– Work environment frequently involves interruptions; Work environment occasionally involves proximity to loud noise; Must occasionally work in an environment with little privacy. Work Hazards- Work environment occasionally involves risk of injury. Hours of Work- Is frequently required to perform work outside of normal schedule. 
  • Materials and Equipment Used: Kitchen, dining room and bar equipment; office equipment.
  • Health and Safety: Every worker must protect his/her own health & safety by working in compliance with the OHSA Act and with safe work practices and procedures as established by the Club including:
    • Wearing personal protective equipment and devices as required; if broken or ineffective, must utilize an adequate temporary protective device or have device replaced immediately
    • Reporting accidents, injuries, hazards, defective equipment and OHSA violations to manager right away. Incidents, which are not reported within 24 hours of occurrence, could result in performance management
    • Completing WSIB Form 6, and returning a copy to Human Resources. If medical attention required or lost time occurs, must have ongoing contact with Department Manager and Human Resources to identify suitable work and actively participate in the return to work programs
    • Must refrain from working in a manner that may endanger him/herself or other workers. Must not engage in any prank, contest, feat of strength, unnecessary running or rough and boisterous conduct. Must not use or operate any equipment, machine or device on which he/she has not been trained to safely use

REPORTING STRUCTURE

The position reports to the Food and Beverage Director.

COMPENSATION

Toronto Cricket will offer a very attractive compensation package, commensurate with experience, which will include a competitive base salary, bonus opportunity and benefits.

APPLICATION PROCESS AND DEADLINE

IMPORTANT: Interested candidates should complete an application, including a resume along with a detailed cover letter which addresses the qualifications and describes your alignment/experience with the prescribed position by March 31, 2024.

The documents must be saved as a PDF (save as “Last Name, First Name, Toronto Cricket).

Apply Now

 

For any inquiries about this position please reach out to:

Lead Search Consultant: 

Jeff Germond
Director
GGA Partners™
jeff.germond@ggapartners.com

 

To learn more about the Club, visit https://torontocricketclub.com/

 

 

Executive Search: Director of Food and Beverage for Wianno Club

Date:

                                                                     

    Director of Food and Beverage
Wianno Club
Osterville, Massachusetts

Our Club

Perched on a bluff overlooking Nantucket Sound, the Wianno Club has been providing generations of families the perfect setting to gather for celebrations, reunions and annual vacations since 1916.

The club, located in the Wianno Historic District, encompasses 156 acres in Osterville, Massachusetts. The amenities available at this private, seasonal club include an 18-hole Donald Ross golf course, 9 outdoor clay tennis courts, private ocean beach, private lake beach, golf shop, tennis pro shop, locker rooms for men and women, youth camps, Junior programs and fitness programs.

The centerpiece of the Wianno Club is the 50,000+ square foot Main Clubhouse where members, their families and guests gather to enjoy a myriad of dining options ranging from formal to casual. The dining facilities include the main dining room, the ballroom,  Sea View dining area, the Wicker Room, Terrace Room, Library, Golf House Restaurant and Seaside Cafe.

The club also has overnight 96 rooms in the clubhouse and adjacent cottages to accommodate members, their guests and seasonal staff.

Overview

  • 630 Members – 450 Regular; 180 Non-Resident
  • Initiation Fee – $115,000
  • Annual Dues – $10,440, Capital Dues- $1,566
  • $10.65M Gross Volume
  • $4.5M Annual Dues
  • $3.5M F&B Volume
  • $5.0M Gross Payroll
  • Employees – 55 F&B in-season
  • 17 Board Members
  • Average age of members – 64

Director of Food and Beverage Position

The Director of Food and Beverage is responsible for all the clubs’ food and beverage operations as well as the dissemination of hospitality, friendliness and goodwill among members, guests and staff. His/her number one priority is to ensure members and guests enjoy the facilities and events of the Club.

In addition to building relationships with Club members, guests, and employees, the Director of Food & Beverage provides support to the respective committees and advisory groups. As the public face of these operations, a hands-on approach, and understanding that full member and staff engagement is critical, is required to succeed in this position.

The Director of Food and Beverage consistently provides anticipated and enhanced hospitality along with superb dining and other food and beverage experiences for the Club’s membership and their guests. Alignment with the Executive Chef is very important in this position to ensure collaborative, innovative, harmonious relationships between front- and back-of-house operations.

This Director of Food & Beverage reports to the Director of Club Operations and works alongside the Executive Chef. He/she will also prepare annual department budgets in concert with the General Manager and CFO.

Personnel reporting directly to the Food & Beverage Director include:

  • Assistant F&B Director
  • Seasonal F&B Assistant Manager
  • Banquet Manager and Captains
  • Sea View Room (casual dining) Manager and Captains
  • Golf House F&B Supervisor
  • Snack Bar Supervisors
  • Terrace Room Supervisor
  • All FOH F&B Staff – servers, bartenders, food runners etc.

Primary Responsibilities

Member Services

  • Consistent, highly-visible, sincere and significant engagement with members and staff
    in the dining areas of the club is of the utmost importance. It is the ultimate responsibility of the Director of Food and Beverage to ensure all member dining, amenities and club events are well-conceived and executed.
  • Provide quality leadership in a positive and upbeat manner for the members, guests
    and staff.
  • Create and maintain a first-class service culture throughout the Club campus.
  • Address and resolve all member and guest complaints, suggestions, general service, employee attitude, maintenance, and presentation of the clubhouse operations.

Employee Relations

  • Oversee the recruitment, hiring and development of all food and beverage personnel.
  • Oversee ongoing training programs complete with up-to-date training manuals to ensure exceptional service in all parts of the Club’s operation.
  • Provide for training and future development of all subordinate managers and supervisors, subject to budget approval by the General Manager. Instill the concept of being team players in all employees. Continue to coach, counsel, and evaluate departmental staff.
  • Ensure a positive spirit and healthy work environment exists throughout all club operations, one that is free of safety risks and all forms of employee harassment.
  • Maintain an effective two-way communications program with employees to ensure they are treated in a fair, structured and consistent manner.
  • Function as an administrative and communications link between club departments.
  • Guarantee that all clubhouse employees are regularly trained and certified in areas that help guard the safety and well-being of our members, guests and other employees including, but not limited to, responsible alcohol service, safe food handling, etc.
  • Help to facilitate a team environment with positive morale, high ethical standards and efficient use of resources to position the Wianno Club as the preferred employer of choice in the community.

Financial Management

  • Work jointly with the CFO, Director of Club Operations and General Manager to prepare the annual operating and capital budgets for all food and beverage operations; assist in the management and control of operations to attain the desired results.
  • Monitor the budget each week/month and direct any corrective action, as necessary,
    to assure budgeted goals are attained.
  • Provide input for all clubhouse and service personnel regarding annual budgets, capital spending plans, fiscal controls and operational guidelines.
  • Manage and maintain all labor cost payouts within the constraints of the budget, and through close coordination and approval from the General Manager and CFO.
  • Monitor payroll records to control overtime and maintain labor costs within budgetary guidelines.
  • Supervise the purchase, receipt, safekeeping and disbursement of operating supplies and equipment to maximize quality and profitability.

Personnel Management

  • Display a strong hands-on approach and lead the staff by example.
  • Maintain an environment of approachability by staff, members and guests.
  • Assist the General Manager in developing and implementing long-range (strategic) and annual (business) plans, operating reports, forecasts and budgets.
  • Work with Human Resources to develop long-term staffing needs for each area of responsibility.
  • Own the responsibility for hiring, discipline, termination and documentation of all food, beverage and service staff.
  • Review all accidents and work with HR and Safety Committee to complete accident reports and implement improved procedures to prevent the situation from reoccurring.
  • Attend senior management meetings and carry out directives agreed upon during the meetings along with any other requests of the General Manager. All actions must be carried out in a timely manner.
  • Serve as an ad-hoc member of appropriate club committees and advisory groups.
  • Possess a warm personality, a sense of humor and the ability to work effectively with all levels of staff and members.
  • Work with the Executive Chef, Food & Beverage Manager and others to develop P&L statements prior to each event. Produce an event recap along with all appropriate documentation/history, keeping it on file for future use.
  • Work with Executive Chef on menu development.
  • Work with the F&B team to organize and market special club events.
  • Further his/her own continued development as a club management professional as a member of CMAA. With the assistance and approval of the General Manager participate in appropriate seminars/training programs, thereby enhancing his/her value and quality of services to the Wianno Club.

Operational Responsibilities

  • Understand and abide by the Wianno Club policies and departmental procedures. Suggest changes, and when appropriate, direct the implementation of approved changes.
  • Provide content for, and manage communications and marketing information, of department activities and events for all F&B departments.
  • Assure Food and Beverage operations and campus venues are run in accordance with all applicable local, state and federal laws.
  • Disseminate information effectively and coordinate activities between departments
    in a timely manner.
  • Alert the General Manager of all potential problems and activities related to the smooth operation of the clubhouse and other food service venues.
  • Oversee inventory management throughout departments and complete a periodic china, glass and silver inventory to maintain par levels.
  • Coordinate and approve all entertainment in consultation with General Manager and others.
  • Possess a sharp eye for detail in the overall management of the operation.
  • Report performance and financial data, e.g., weekly report to General Manager in a timely manner.

Candidate Qualifications

  • Minimum 5 years of progressive leadership and management experience in a private club or hospitality environment.
  • Bachelor’s Degree from an accredited college or university, preferably in Hospitality Management or Business.
  • Certified Club Manager (CCM) or in active pursuit of designation preferred.

Note: A pre-employment background check will be required. The position is available immediately.

Salary & Benefits

Salary is open and commensurate with qualifications and experience. The Club offers an excellent bonus and benefit package.

Inquiries

IMPORTANT: Interested candidates should submit résumés along with a detailed cover letter which addresses the qualifications and describes your alignment/experience with the prescribed position by Monday, April 4, 2022.

These documents must be saved and emailed in Word or PDF format (save as “Last Name, First Name, Wianno DF&B Cover Letter” and “Last Name, First Name, Wianno DF&B Résumé”) respectively to: execsearchus@ggapartners.com.

All requested information, along with references, should be emailed to the address above.

 

For more information about Wianno Club, please visit www.wiannoclub.com

Mid-Year Predictions for the Second Half of 2021

Date:

At the start of the new year and in the spirit of planning, the thought leaders at GGA Partners sat down to predict what we believed to be coming throughout the year and shared our 2021 Predictions on the Shape of the Next Normal. Now, halfway through 2021 with the spring season in the books and summer underway, we reconvened GGA leaders for a mid-year check-in on predictions for the latter half of the year.

1. Ensuring fair and equitable access to amenities remains top of mind, especially on the golf course

A trending topic throughout the industry is golf’s demand surge and how long it will sustain, much has been written on this point and those who are closely watching rounds played metrics anticipate a clearer reading by the end of the summer.

Stephen Johnston, GGA’s founding partner, expects that private clubs will see the surge continue to elevate rounds played by members which will likely increase issues relating to compaction of tee traffic and accessibility.  He predicts the benchmark regarding average number of rounds per member to be higher by approximately 10% following the pandemic and also increased golf course utilization by members’ spouses and family members.  Both factors will create a greater demand for tee times at private clubs.

Johnston believes some clubs may need to consider permitting round play by fivesomes instead of foursomes, potentially catalyzing logistical challenges such as a greater need for single-rider power carts in order to maintain speed of play at the same rate as foursomes with all players using power carts. For club managers and course operators, this entails an increased need for current and detailed evaluation of the benefits of membership and the relationship between playing privileges and the practical ability to book a tee time and get on-course.

2. Effective demand management is key and will shift from agile, flexible approaches to new operating standards as demand stabilizes

During the pandemic and throughout 2020, many golf, club, and leisure businesses recognized the increased need to more accurately and routinely measure the utilization of amenities, adapting operations management to react quickly to change.

Craig Johnston, head of GGA’s transaction advisory practice, anticipates an evolution in this one-day-at-a-time, agile monitoring approach into a new and more formalized standard of operating procedures.  “At the start of 2021, we said we would see clubs provide flexibility and experiment with various operational changes,” he explained.  “With the pandemic feeling like it’s steadily moving toward the rear-view mirror, members will be expecting clubs to begin instituting the ‘new normal’ operations and the data compiled by clubs in the first half of the year will be critical to deciding on the new normal.”

Johnston believes that membership demand will continue to be strong through the second half of the year and that it is likely utilization will reduce marginally as members begin travelling again for work and social obligations.  Even with a marginal reduction in utilization, demand for private club services will remain strong and will continue to put pressure on capacity and access in most clubs.

Senior Partner Henry DeLozier encourages club and facility operators to embrace short-term continuations of high demand while keeping an eye on the future and the non-zero probability of a demand shift in the coming years.  “Clubs must create pathways to sustain demand while navigating utilization volume.  It is unwise to place hard or irreversible limitations on capacity while clubs are at historic maximums for demand and usage,” cautioned DeLozier. “Clubs will do well to establish a clear understanding of demand and utilization to enable innovative programs which serve to fill periods of low demand in the future.”

3. Ongoing uncertainty about the pandemic’s long-term impact on club finances will increase the review and reevaluation of club financial projections to ensure sustained budget flexibility

While data regarding utilization, participation, and engagement throughout the summer months continues to be captured and consolidated, business leaders should not delay their financial planning and instead get to work on reevaluating finances and updating their future forecasts.

“Now is the time to review, evaluate, and reset club debt levels,” emphasized Henry DeLozier. “Clubs need to recast financial projections based upon elevated joining/initiation fees arising from high demand.”

In support of alacrity in financial planning, DeLozier notes that labor shortages spurred by the pandemic will increase payroll-related costs at a material level. He also predicts that comprehensive risk review is needed at most clubs to evaluate possible impacts arising from cyber-crime and/or declining club revenues during 2022.

Beyond internal shake-ups in utilization or operations, club leaders should be anticipating external impacts that could impact their financial plans.  A hypothetical example raised by DeLozier is if the U.S. economy were to become more inflationary.  In such a circumstance he believes clubs would see an increase in the costs of labor and supplies which would necessitate increases in member dues and fees, a deceleration of new-member enrollments as consumer confidence dips, and a slight slow-down in housing demand.

Right now, uncertainty remains with respect to the virus as well as the resulting economic impact from the pandemic. From a financial standpoint, clubs will do well to advance their forward planning while retaining budget elasticity.  “It will be imperative for clubs and boards to build flexibility into their budgets and agility into their operations,” added Craig Johnston.

4. Existing governance practices, policies, and procedures will be revisited, refurbished, and reinvigorated

A litany of new ways of operating and governing the club arose as a result of the pandemic, some of which suggest an efficacy that can be sustained in a post-pandemic environment.  Essential to assimilating these adaptions into new standards of procedure is a review of existing governance practices and the documentation which supports them.

“At a time when boards can measure the full range of financial performance metrics, updating club governing documents is a primary board responsibility,” noted Henry DeLozier.  “Board room succession planning must be formalized to prepare clubs for the inevitable downturn from record high utilization.”

In considering the nearly overnight adoption of technology tools to enable remote meetings and board-level deliberations, partner Michael Gregory noted a substantial increase in the use of technology tools that go beyond virtual Zoom meetings.  “The pandemic has allowed clubs to test online voting,” he explained.  “For many clubs, once things return to normal, their bylaws won’t allow for the continued execution of online voting unless they make changes.”

“We have seen the adoption and implementation of online voting to be a huge success for the clubs who have tried it for the first time,” said Gregory. “Members love it, it’s easy, it’s convenient, it leads to higher participation from the membership, and many clubs are in the process of changing their governing documents to allow for online voting as a result.”  The challenges and opportunities of employing online voting are detailed in our piece on taking club elections digital, which features a downloadable resource that can be shared among club boards.

5. In human resources, expect to see deeper reevaluations of compensation structures and employee value propositions

Weighing in from across the pond, Rob Hill, partner and managing director of GGA’s EMEA office in Dublin, predicts that club leaders will face bigger challenges in human resources throughout the remainder of 2021.

The first of three particular items he called out is a reevaluation of compensation.  “Making decisions about employee pay is among the biggest challenges facing club leaders in the wake of the coronavirus shutdown,” stated Hill. “As they begin compensation planning for the rest of the year and into 2022, these leaders not only have to consider pay levels, but also the suitability of their mission and operating model to thrive in a post-pandemic world.”

Citing his recent experiences in the European market, Hill shared that club leaders are challenged with finding new ways to operate smarter and more efficiently, while also looking for innovative ways to implement sturdy, low-cost solutions that their employees will love.  Which leads to his second point, that there will be a renewed emphasis on what employees love and how clubs, as employers, can provide an enhanced value proposition for their employees.

“As employees get back to work onsite, employers are finding that what their people value from the employment relationship has changed,” Hill explained.  “Where pay has been viewed as largely transactional in the past, clubs may need to provide new types of benefits, especially programs that provide more flexibility, financial security, and empowerment to retain and motivate their people.”

Lastly, there is likely to be considerable movement of talent over the coming year brought on by employees’ new work-life ambitions and financial imperatives, said Hill, “As demand for their skills and experience grows, the very best talent will seek out employers that demonstrate they view employees not as costs but as assets and reflect this in their approach to compensation.”

Recalling our start-of-year prediction that the movement of people and relocation of companies will reshape markets, partner Craig Johnston added, “The relocation of people continues to be a prominent trend and one that is likely to continue in the second half of the year.”  For club employers, it’s not just the changing physical locations which impact the cost and supply of labor, but also the expectations of employees as they seek out competitive new roles and work experiences.

6. The repurposing and reimagining of club facilities, amenities, and member-use areas will continue

The pandemic pushed to the fore the need for clubs to adapt their facilities to match changes in the ways members use and enjoy their clubs.  A combination of practical evolutions for health and safety and circumstantial evolutions drawn from widespread ability for members to work remotely created increased desire for clubs to offer more casual outdoor dining options and spaces to enable members to conduct work while at the club.

Partner Stephen Johnston believes these sentiments will continue to near-term facility improvements at clubs.  “With more flexibility in the workplace and members working from home periodically, there will be a need at the club for members to do work or take calls before their tee time or their lunch date,” he said.  “It has been evident for some time that members generally prefer to enjoy outdoor dining and since, throughout the pandemic, it has become apparent that guests draw greater comfort in outdoor experiences, I see a greater demand for outside patio and food and beverage service.”

As society begins to reopen and communities begin to stabilize, time can only tell precisely how clubs will continue to evolve their operations, whether that be scaling back pandemic-relevant operations or doubling-down on new services and efficiencies.  Evident in our work with clients are significant efforts to reorganize club leaders, reevaluate operations, and retool plans for a successful future in the new normal.  Here are a few highlights of efforts clubs are making for the next normal:

 

  • Reinvigoration of governance processes and engagement of leaders to ensure alignment between boards and club strategic plans.
  • Renewed surveying of members to keep a pulse on how sentiments have changed from pre-pandemic, during pandemic, and currently as communities stabilize.
  • Enhanced adoption and application of electronic voting as clubs reevaluate membership structures, governing documents, and operating policies amidst “displaced” members.
  • Reconfiguring of budgets, capital plans, and long-range financial models.
  • Refinement and advancement of membership marketing strategies, tactics, and materials.
  • Tightening relationships between facility planning, capital improvements, and member communications campaigns.

Executive Search: Executive Chef at Highlands Falls Country Club

Date:

EXECUTIVE CHEF
HIGHLANDS FALLS COUNTRY CLUB
Highlands, NC

 

The Club:

Founded in 1958, Highlands Falls Country Club is a private, member-owned club in Highlands, North Carolina. Perched high atop the Highlands Plateau, where incredible views stretch for miles and miles, is Highlands Falls, a small and close-knit community which has just completed a $3.5 million renovation of the clubhouse to expand outdoor dining and create a unique indoor/outdoor bar and grill area. With updated features, extended dining areas, and sweeping views, it serves as a stylish, luxurious gathering place for members and guests – the response from the membership has been overwhelmingly positive.

Highlands Falls offers all the amenities and activities you’d expect, and then some. Whether members prefer golf, croquet, pickleball, tennis, bridge, fishing, swimming, dining, working out, tennis, competing in “yacht club” races, or a combination of all of the above, they enjoy their play surrounded by mountain views, an incredible waterfall, and folks who can’t wait to welcome you to the community.

Highlands Falls offers 18 holes of pure golf fun on a dramatically beautiful course, a Croquet Pavilion, a tennis center with three Har-Tru courts and pickleball, all of which offer interactive programs and regular social events. The Club has a Fitness facility that includes a weight room, locker rooms, a group fitness room, and is replete with spa services, personal training, group classes, and a private swim complex. The Pool complex includes the swimming pool and aquatic fitness activities. The Clubhouse consists of the administrative offices, kitchen, member dining areas, lounge and banquet facilities, and offers engaging activities for all ages, such as the highly popular Bridge program and fun-filled Junior Camp.

Members love to talk about how incredible the dining experience is at Highlands Falls, which offers both casual and formal dining options, well-priced lunch and dinner menus, special theme dinners, phenomenal wine dinners, a la carte brunch every Sunday, and special dietary accommodations upon request. Whether hosting a small private party, throwing a large private event, or entertaining special guests, Highlands Falls provides the perfect combination of private elegance and impeccable service.

Highlands Falls Country Club Overview

 

  • 284 Members (Golf: 187, Other: 97)
  • Initiation Fee (Resident Member Golf: $45,000)
  • Annual Dues (Golf: $13,086)
  • $5.5M Gross Volume
  • $3.1M Annual Dues
  • $600K F&B Volume
  • 14 Employees Culinary
  • 9 Board Members
  • Average age of members is 73

The Executive Chef Position:

Highlands Falls Country Club is searching for a committed, proactive, and passionate culinary professional, an Executive Chef who would enjoy working in an exciting private club environment and can select the perfect enhancements to make a lasting impression. The Executive Chef will coordinate and oversee all aspects of the kitchen to ensure quality and consistency of the dining experience. This professional should have strong leadership skills and a proven track record in recruiting and attracting culinarians to the team. Experience in seasonal hospitality operations offering similar services is a plus.

Important Individual Characteristics:

 

  • A naturally enthusiastic personality and passion for the culinary industry.
  • Ability to hire, trains, motivates and develops a high performing team in a seasonal environment.
  • A natural leadership style which promotes an engaging, motivated staff.
  • A mind for innovation and action with an ability to act as a thought partner with General Manager and other department leaders.
  • Creativity in menu design, exhibiting an appreciation for the Club’s culinary traditions while exploring fresh and innovative culinary trends.
  • The ability to communicate effectively, both verbally and in writing.
  • Disciplined follow-through to ensure the vision and goals of the Club come to fruition.
  • Ability to cultivate a high-level of member satisfaction through consistency in ding services.
  • Possess a strong understanding of top-notch food and beverage experiences for Club members and guests.
  • Effective fiscal management through delivery of actual operational and capital results in alignment with approved budgets.
  • Maintain a high level of visibility to members and staff as the face of the Club’s dining and catering programs.
  • Understands the importance of digital communication and can utilize web and social media tools to communicate with the staff and membership.
  • Ability to develop a dedicated team with a shared vision.

Additional Dining Information:

The Formal Dining Room seats up to 200 people for special events, with 120 for normal dining. Formal dining in the mountains is more casual than in typical in town clubs, as is the trend nationwide.

The Grille/Bar area seats approximately 60 people and can also accommodate 20-40 people for cocktails, not counting the bar, which can seat an additional 20 people between the indoor and outdoor bar stools. For the upcoming year, a new bar menu is anticipated to accommodate the desire for dining at the bar, especially in the fall for sporting events.

The Outdoor Dining area has been expanded to seat up to 110-130 patrons, depending on table configurations. All outdoor dining is covered and has drop down plastic curtains and heaters when to protect diners from inclement weather.

Private Events such as weddings can accommodate up to 300 people, utilizing both the indoor and outdoor spaces. For events of this size, the dining services will be closed to the membership. There are also two private meeting rooms, capable of seating up to 40 people for special events.

Candidate Qualifications:

 

  • A minimum of 5 years of progressive leadership and management experience in a hospitality environment. Current Executive Sous Chefs at well-recognized organizations, with verifiable records of achievement will also be considered.
  • Food safety certification.
  • Certification from American Culinary Federation or other hospitality association.
  • A degree from a post-secondary culinary arts program.

Note: A pre-employment drug screen and background check will be required. The position is available January 1, 2021.

Salary & Benefits:

Salary is open and commensurate with qualifications and experience. The Club offers an excellent bonus and benefit package.

Inquiries:

IMPORTANT: Interested candidates should submit résumés along with a detailed cover letter which addresses the qualifications and describes your alignment/experience with the prescribed position by Wednesday, December 3, 2020.

Those documents must be saved and emailed in Word or PDF format (save as “Last Name, First Name, HFCC Chef Cover Letter” and “Last Name, First Name, HFCC Chef Résumé”) respectively to: execsearchus@ggapartners.com. Please e-mail résumé with references.

For more information about Highlands Falls Country Club please visit clubhfcc.com.

Four HR Questions Club Boards Should Be Asking

Date:

When was the last time your club audited its human resources? Alignment between a club’s strategy and its employee offering is essential in order to enhance the overall club lifestyle, culture, and experience for members and staff.

To determine whether it’s time to reexamine culture, Partner Derek Johnston lays out 4 questions private club boards should be asking. 

Among the most reverberant takeaways from the coronavirus pandemic is the importance of people to businesses. Global business leaders and executives at leading corporations have indicated that the shift toward talent as the most important source of corporate value has continued. The pandemic also seems to be leading an increasing number of talent-forward companies to take an “employees first” approach.

But this is nothing new for large-scale global businesses. Indeed, the third week of August marked the one-year anniversary of the influential Business Roundtable’s statement on corporate purpose – which puts employees, customers, their communities, and the environment on a par with shareholders.

“Human resources” is trending

It’s also nothing new for club businesses. Our continuous research on club industry trends has shown human resource management and labor challenges to be a persisting trend, one which club managers have reported to be rising in importance – before the coronavirus.

In 2019, human resources was ranked the 6th most-impactful private club trend (out of 27) in a global survey of club managers. And, in a separate Canadian club industry survey, it was identified as both a key risk and primary hurdle to modernizing club management while topping the list of areas which managers say are under-supported from an education standpoint.

The early-pandemic question as to whether COVID-19 impacts would accelerate the business community’s move to stakeholder capitalism, or slow it down as companies focus on short-term financial pressures, seems to have answered itself.

For clubs, the people-related challenges previously reported by managers have exacerbated, with topics like employee willingness to work, labor anxiety, staff recruitment and turnover emerging as key strategic questions which club leaders are currently wrestling.

Widespread COVID-19 impacts like club closures, layoffs, and furloughs certainly haven’t helped ease concerns. With significant changes afoot in staffing, retention, human resource availability, and operational adaptations, clubs are presented with a unique opportunity right now – the chance to reevaluate and perhaps reset their culture.

Got culture?

In clubs, culture IS governance. Sound governance is a strategic imperative primarily because it enables, supports, and nurtures effective strategy. And, as the Peter Drucker saying goes, “Culture eats strategy for breakfast.”

This is extremely important for club leaders.

It’s important because it means that no matter how strong a club’s strategic plan is, its efficacy will be held back by team members, staff, and employees if they don’t share the proper culture.

When the breaks are going against the business, as they are for some right now, the people implementing the club’s plan are the ones that make all the difference. While strategy defines direction and focus, culture is the habitat in which strategy lives or dies.

Now is the perfect time to reexamine your club’s culture to ensure staff square rightly with the club’s strategy. In other words, to ensure that your people are the best fit for accomplishing the club’s goals and objectives. Someone who was right for a specific role pre-pandemic may not be right for the same role now. Your business has changed, and some people may need to change too, either themselves or their roles.

How can club leaders reexamine culture?

The first place to start is by understanding what you’re currently doing for employees. Club leaders require a comprehensive understanding of the club’s current approach to human resource management so that they can determine the alignment of people and culture with the club’s goals.

When was the last time the club audited its human resources approach, policies, procedures, and performance? Ensuring alignment between the club’s strategy and its employee offering is essential in order to enhance the overall club lifestyle, culture, and experience for members and staff.

To help you get started, here are four HR questions private club boards should be asking:

1. How does our current organizational structure sit relative to best practice and what recent COVID-related changes should we make permanent or revisit?

Review your club’s current organizational structure, including both employees and contract workers, against best practice structures at comparable clubs locally, nationally, and globally. This review should focus special attention on the roles and responsibilities of human resources within the organizational structure with the goal of highlighting key gaps or divergences from best practice. Often times in clubs, an overly flat organizational structure tends to create ‘siloes’ that breed inefficiencies and bloat staffing levels.

2. Are we both efficient and competitive in the compensation and benefits afforded to employees?

Complete a comprehensive benchmarking exercise which compares compensation and benefit levels of all key staff and for the club as a whole to comparable clubs and other businesses with whom you compete for talent. The focus of this exercise should go beyond salary and hourly wages, factoring in relevant club financial and operating data, benefits packages, member and employee feedback scores, and other market-related information.

The goal is to identify current and accurate reference points for evaluating current compensation and benefits against best practice. There is a high degree of likelihood that there are opportunities in your current compensation and benefits structure to better align incentives and shift compensation to top talent, which tends to support increased productivity and reduced head count.

3. Are our personnel positioned to help us achieve the club’s goals and objectives? Are we helping them achieve theirs?

Assess your club’s performance tracking and review processes. The goal here is to analyze current performance evaluation processes and procedures to ensure alignment with the club’s overarching goals. This requires the board and executive committee to have a focused, clear, and comprehensive understanding of the club’s mission, vision, core values, and objectives.

For maximum benefit, to both member and employee satisfaction, it is incredibly important that performance is measurable and incentivized. The trick is determining the right way to track and measure performance and tie it to the right incentive.

4. Are our staff equipped with the tools they need to succeed? Are they empowered to do so?

Evaluate your club’s current recruiting, onboarding, training, and ongoing relational efforts. This will likely require management meetings and staff interviews to learn about the current approach and unearth any ideas or recommendations your team may have to suggest.

The success of every private club is dependent on the quality of their staff. Recruiting the best talent, integrating them into the envisioned culture, training them for success, ensuring their satisfaction, and ultimately retaining them is an important goal. The outcome from which tends to have a positive financial impact on the club and on the member experience.

After all, an investment in people is an investment in culture and clubs will benefit from this investment.

Members Worried About Their Club’s Financial Health; Say Their Return Contingent on Safe Conditions

Date:

Members Worried About Their Club’s Financial Health;
Say Their Return Contingent on Safe Conditions

TORONTO (August 11, 2020) – Private club members are worried about their club’s financial well-being in the aftermath of the global pandemic, and only 27% expect operations to revert to the way they were before the challenges imposed by the coronavirus.  But most say they will retain their membership if their club holds the line on dues increases, maintains the quality of its facilities, and makes returning to the club safe for themselves and their families.

Those were among the findings of a survey of private golf club members conducted by GGA Partners, an international consulting firm and advisor to many of the world’s most successful golf courses, private clubs, resorts and residential communities.  The study was conducted among members of U.S. and Canadian private clubs with survey participants averaging 12 years of club membership.

Survey respondents were not optimistic about their club’s financial position with 71% saying they expect a decline in the financial health of their club. Fifty percent cited current economic conditions and 42% said a drop in member spending would lead to the decline, which 20% predicted would be “significant.”

In response to downward financial pressures, members expect their clubs to adapt operationally rather than financially by scaling back high-touch areas of operations to simultaneously reduce operating costs and lower the risk of COVID-19 transmission.

Rather than increasing revenue through dues or membership growth, almost three-quarters of members would prefer their club make near-term, operational changes – including reducing dining operations (61%) and administrative expenses.

Despite the multiple ways their lives have been affected by the pandemic, roughly four in five members report either an increase in importance or no change in the club’s importance in their lives. Friendships, the quality of amenities and recreational activities were cited as factors driving the club’s importance. Twenty-one percent say the club’s importance has diminished because of the pandemic.

“The COVID-19 pandemic has not negatively impacted the relevance of the club in the lives of most private club members.  If anything, its importance has been reinforced,” said Henry DeLozier, a partner in the Toronto-based firm.  “Together these results suggest that the importance and relevance of their club experience are strengthened during emotionally challenging times.”

When asked how they would (or have) approached returning to their club in the wake of the coronavirus, 39% said they would (or have) returned without any restrictions imposed by the club.  However, 61% said their return was contingent on certain conditions: 50% said they would return if social distancing was maintained and government guidelines enforced; 11% were more hesitant, saying they would not return until the club had been operational “without issues” for a trial period or until rigorous virus testing capabilities were implemented or a vaccine were available.

Members said they also would consider leaving their clubs if dues increases exceeded typical annual hikes (50%) and the club’s facilities deteriorated (41%).

“The good news for club operators is that scaling back operations, reducing services and limiting access to amenities and activities – essential maneuvers to safely and responsibly navigate a virus-plagued social environment – are unlikely to cause significant membership attrition,” DeLozier said.

 

About GGA Partners

GGA Partners™ is an international consulting firm and trusted advisor to many of the world’s most successful golf courses, private clubs, resorts, and residential communities.  We are dedicated to helping owners, asset managers, club and community leaders, investors and real estate developers tackle challenges, achieve objectives, and maximize asset performance.

Established in 1992 as the KPMG Golf Industry Practice, our global team of experienced professionals leverage in-depth business intelligence and proprietary global data to deliver impactful strategic solutions and lasting success.

For more information, please visit ggapartners.com.

 

Contact

Henry DeLozier
Partner, GGA Partners
602-739-0488
henry.delozier@ggapartners.com

Rob Hill
Partner, GGA Partners
+353 86 68 12 744
rob.hill@ggapartners.com

Winter is Coming…

Date:

Amidst the euphoria of clubs reopening, EMEA Partner Rob Hill encourages club leaders to look beyond 2020 and plan now to do all they can to maintain those gains, because starting this winter, 2021 is going to bring a whole new challenge.

Numerous UK golfing bodies, clubs and media are understandably enjoying the moment – citing a considerable spike in membership interest and lauding the industry’s resurrection as reason for celebration.

Amidst the euphoria, club leaders would do well to look beyond 2020 and plan now to do all they can to maintain those gains, because starting this winter, 2021 is going to bring a whole new challenge.

The Bank of England has warned that the UK faces its deepest recession since 1709 and the OECD forecasts that the UK will suffer the worst recession in the developed world.

Thus far, the true state of the UK labour market has been disguised by wage subsidies covering 9.1m jobs – a scheme coming to an end in October this year.

GGA Partners Research (A Member’s Perspective, 2020) signals that 43% of private club members expect their disposable income will decline over the next 12 months, while 58% believe their overall consumer spending will also decline.

This new economic environment will first focus its wrath on the 8% of clubs in the UK and Ireland that classify their current cash position as ‘Critical’. It will swiftly sweep through the further 29% that classify theirs as ‘Concerning’.

As far as the COVID effect on member attitudes to returning to use their club, 11% of members signal that they are hesitant, would not return until the Club had been operational ‘without issues’ for a trial period, until rigorous virus testing capabilities or even a vaccine is available. This is particularly applicable to the 70’s+ age group (A Member’s Perspective, 2020), leading to a likely detrimental impact on this demographic’s perceived value for money and relevance.

A study carried out by the English Golf Union as it then was in 2008, identified in the first year of that recession, almost 1/2 of all clubs experienced a decline in membership numbers with “the most significant decrease in the 22-44 age group” – a reflection of the age group that gets hit hardest in an employment downtown. It’s reasonable to assume this trend will be repeated.

By all means enjoy re-opening, celebrate the new demand and interest in the game and membership, and the first profitable quarter for f&b departments in recent memory! But remember what you’re experiencing now isn’t the new normal. That’s coming this winter and it is the responsibility of club leaders to prepare their organisations for the next cycle NOW.

This means addressing any governance weaknesses that may hinder nimble and difficult decision-making. Following proven guiding principles to protect the club’s overall financial health. Protecting the condition of club assets and exploring opportunities for investing in enhancements which will broaden relevance and appeal. Investing in people and their education to deliver efficient and outstanding member and visitor experiences. Investing in a membership retention plan with an emphasis on value, NPS, socialisation, and safety, and investing in an appropriate brand management strategy so that values are communicated effectively to both internal and external audiences.

If you have an interest in reading insights from my colleagues and research from our extraordinary team at GGA Partners, I encourage you to go to ggapartners.com/insights where you can also sign up to receive releases of interest.

A Member’s Perspective: The Shifting Private Club Landscape

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New GGA Partners Research Report Highlights Private Club Members’ Perspective on COVID-19 Impact

More than 6,300 private club members share their attitudes toward the club industry in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic and how they expect clubs to respond. Now available for download.

TORONTO, Ontario – GGA Partners – international consulting firm and trusted advisor to many of the world’s most successful golf courses, private clubs, resorts, and residential communities – has released the results of a global research survey of more than 6,300 private club members across six countries on four continents.

The research, which incorporates clubs in the United States, Canada, Europe, Australia and China, measures the attitudes and preferences of private club members on club operations and finance in the wake of the COVID-19 global health crisis.

“The coronavirus pandemic has shifted the private club landscape in many ways and these research findings offer insight into the near-future ripple effects with which club leaders must reckon,” explained Derek Johnston, a Partner in the firm. “As an industry advisor for trends shaping private club strategy, our team at GGA Partners is doing all that we can to help club leaders navigate the crisis and strengthen their understanding of how to react and adapt in order to meet the morphing needs and expectations of members.”

Overall results are encouraging; members feel highly positive about the crisis-management performance of their clubs and indicate that the importance of “the Club” in their lives has not been negatively impacted by the pandemic, but rather reinforced.

“In terms of correlation, the more effectively clubs have performed during the COVID-19 pandemic, the more important they became in the lives of members,” stated Ben Hopkinson, Director Client Success and Sales at GGA Partners.  “Together, these results suggest that, for members, the importance and relevance of their club experience is strengthened during emotionally challenging times.”

However, despite the enduring importance of the club in their lives, members’ high-level economic outlook over the next 12 months is more somber: 43% expect their disposable income to decrease and 58% believe their overall consumer spending will as well.  Perhaps most disheartening is members’ outlook on how their club’s financial position will change: 71% envisage a decline, with 20% characterizing the anticipated decline as ‘significant’.

In response to anticipated downward financial pressures, members expect their clubs to adapt operationally by scaling back certain high-touch areas of operations to simultaneously reduce club operating costs and the risk of COVID-19 transmission.  The extent of operational changes is predicted to be moderate in nature – only 12% of participants envision changes characterized as ‘significant’ or ‘drastic’.

The majority of private club members indicate their understanding of the need for operational adaptions to reduce costs, showing stronger support for changes which reduce service offerings and availability than those which increase their cost to belong.

The good news for club operators is the implication that operational scale-backs, service reductions, and restricted/limited access to amenities and activities – essential maneuvers to safely and responsibly navigate a virus-ridden social environment – are unlikely to cause significant membership attrition.  The tough news is that increasing dues beyond the norm – or allowing the value and quality of club amenities to diminish – just might push members away in the short-term.

According to Patrick DeLozier, Director at GGA Partners, constant evolutions in the COVID-19 pandemic place enhanced pressure on the planning capabilities of club leaders.  “It’s really a day-to-day for managers,” he said. “The stop-and-start reality of new case development and safety protocols requires club managers to have up-to-date information and the support of very sound research and data to work through challenges with the club’s board of directors.”

This means that club leaders need to have a plan for what they’re going to do next as the situation evolves quickly and unexpectedly. “The need for data-driven analysis, diligent financial monitoring, and a prepared communications strategy is more prevalent than ever,” DeLozier clarified.  “To sustain forward-thinking, club leaders need to have a ‘Plan C’ for the ‘Plan A’.  Pandemic-related changes are so rapid that, if you can’t adapt quickly, you’re well behind the eight ball.”

These results and more are detailed in a report titled A Member’s Perspective: The Shifting Private Club Landscape, now available for download.

Click here to download the report and see the findings

 

About GGA Partners

GGA Partners™ is an international consulting firm and trusted advisor to many of the world’s most successful golf courses, private clubs, resorts, and residential communities.  We are dedicated to helping owners, asset managers, club and community leaders, investors and real estate developers tackle challenges, achieve objectives, and maximize asset performance.

Established in 1992 as the KPMG Golf Industry Practice, our global team of experienced professionals leverage in-depth business intelligence and proprietary global data to deliver impactful strategic solutions and lasting success.

For more information, please visit ggapartners.com.

 

Contact

Bennett DeLozier
GGA Partners
602-614-2100
bennett.delozier@ggapartners.com

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