Director of Food And Beverage

Harper Associates|Grand Rapids Metropolitan Area|Full-time|Director

***This position is located in Hillsdale, Michigan. Seeking a great candidate looking to move to the area***

Hotel Manager / Food & Beverage Director, Keefer House Hotel - Downtown Hillsdale, MI

34-Room Boutique Hotel with Restaurant & Retail

The 34-room boutique Keefer House Hotel has recently completed a top-to-bottom renovation, blending timeless architecture with modern amenities. The Red Room Restaurant will offer elevated dining experiences with a farm-to-table menu in the main dining area, plus an event space for parties and special occasions.

We are looking for an experienced Hotel Manager / Food & Beverage Director with a strong food & beverage background – someone who can lead the hotel’s restaurant and sales operations, as well as lead the operations team. The ideal candidate has a food and beverage background along with rooms and sales experience.

Hillsdale, MI offers family-friendly activities such as boating and fishing on Lake Baw Beese, enjoying Sandy Beach, and biking the Baw Beese Trail. The area is known for its historic downtown and provides numerous opportunities for outdoor recreation, making it a charming and accessible location for families looking for a combination of community life and natural amenities. The city is also home to Hillsdale College, which features public lectures and cultural events, and the historic Hillsdale County Fairgrounds. Hillsdale is situated in southern Michigan, approximately 60 miles west of Ann Arbor.

Job Type: Full-time

Salary Range: 6-figure salary (commensurate with experience)

Beneﬁts:

Annual Bonus Program
Health, Dental and Vision insurance
401K with employer matching
Paid time oﬀ
Flexible holiday policy

Ability to commute/relocate:

Hillsdale, Michigan: Candidate must be able to commute daily or is willing to relocate before starting work (Required)

Click apply or email your resume to [email protected].

Kevin Swanquist

Executive Recruiter

Harper Associates

[email protected]

www.harperjobs.com

248-737-0222

AI Sourcing Intelligence

Sourcing Advice for This Role

AI-powered analysis of recruitment difficulty and recommended sourcing channels for this position.

Recruitment Difficulty Analysis

Key challenge: Filling a Director level Hotel Manager / F&B Director role with boutique hotel and farm-to-table restaurant experience who is willing to relocate to Hillsdale, MI. The Hillsdale market is small for boutique hotel leadership, so finding candidates with both hotel operations, F&B, and events experience who will relocate is highly challenging.

Recommended Sourcing Channels

LinkedIn Groups

Best Channel

Niche groups for boutique hotel management and Midwest hospitality attract senior F&B leaders. Groups enable targeted outreach to candidates with hotel, restaurant, and farm-to-table experience in the region.

Recommended Groups on StrategyBrain:

Bass Fishing Networking Club

SECTOR: Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing & Hunting

2000 members

→

Hunting and Fishing Lodges

7000 members

→

Hunting and Fishing Industry Group

6000 members

→

LinkedIn Events

Recommended

Midwest hospitality conferences and Michigan hotel events attract senior F&B executives open to relocation. Events support relationship-building with candidates actively exploring opportunities.

Recommended Events on StrategyBrain:

5th Annual Ice Fishing Tournament Benefitting Bags of Fun Omaha

2025-01-18 21:00:00

→

2nd Annual Guidepoint Security Inshore Slam Fishing Tournament

2026-03-27 08:00:00

→

SFT Offshore Shootout Fishing Tournament

2026-03-26 08:00:00

→

Edison Fly Fishing Show

2025-01-23 08:00:00

→

Bellevue Fly Fishing Show

2025-02-14 08:00:00

→

LinkedIn Search (Boolean)

Supplementary

Boolean search captures passive candidates beyond groups and events, expanding reach to boutique hotel F&B leaders in Michigan and the Midwest.

Recommended Boolean query:

(Director OR Manager OR Leader) AND (Food And Beverage OR Restaurant) AND (Hotel OR Hospitality) AND (Hillsdale OR Michigan OR Midwest)(hotel operations OR F&B management OR restaurant operations) AND (sales OR marketing OR events OR banquet OR catering) AND (boutique OR luxury OR small)(Director OR General Manager OR GM OR Senior Director) AND (hospitality OR hotels OR restaurants OR hotel management) AND (boutique OR independent) AND (Michigan OR Midwest)

Suggested Search Criteria

Job Titles to Search

Director of Food and BeverageHotel ManagerFood and Beverage DirectorDirector of F&BDirector of Operations - F&B

Key Skills

F&B managementhotel operationssales leadershipevents managementbudgeting and P&L

Location Radius

Prioritize candidates within a 300-mile radius of Hillsdale, MI to enable relocation; expand to Midwest candidates open to relocation for boutique hotel leadership.

Experience Level

8-15 years in hospitality leadership, with at least 3-5 years in hotel F&B or boutique property management Prioritize candidates with boutique hotel F&B leadership, live events sales, and revenue growth in farm-to-table or similar concepts.